3D Reflective Deep Abstract Sphere Photo Effect by DJI

Nice.

So I thought about spicing this filter up since there are a dozen filters here with similar results due to the same/similar structure being reused in each one.

To add a bit of flavoring I thought I'd take this filter and do some fun stuff on it. I first noted the current structure. I didn't take much away from it, more like added a bunch of things to it and removed a lot of the unnecessary stuff. This includes
1. Elevation gradient and profile --> replaced it with curves that does almost the same thing.
2. invert --> checkbox was assigned to the chaffs component and remap was applied so the colors just invert. Basically no need for a node when you have the chance to do something like that.
3. curves switch --> wasn't doing anything so I got rid of it.

The filter was also not working with non-square ratio images (images that aren't squares). So I fixed that by replacing the ellipse component with a free ellipse component. Unlike the regular kind, the free ellipse component supports various ratio images, it also has special functions. I changed the XY anchor to "Image bounds" which basically detects the image and sets the ellipse based on it.

Since a lot of the previous filters looked much a like to this, I decided to add a bit of color. I added what's known as chromatic aberration. I have a cascade of RGB channels feeding into the refraction nodes, each with values slightly offset so when each channel is reassembled, it creates a sweet rainbow-ish pattern based on the height map you feed it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration

I also am using a separate chaffs noise pattern, synced with your original to generate some colors. You can see the node structure happening on the bottom of your original work. The two chaffs sync up so each pattern always matches.

The filter's a bit more complicated now, also very different from what it used to be. I'm doing some tricks in there that I didn't explain here since I'd have to write another long post haha. So I had some fun with it.



3D Reflective Deep Abstract Sphere Photo Effect_Mod.ffxml

I kinda tried to make sure every aspect of your original filter was still in there optimized. I personally try to make sure the original filter is intact and working at its best performance, just out of respect to the creator and original. Excepting for the chromatic aberration part the original output should be achievable through just my current mod alone. I made it easy to bypass the things I added again excepting the chromatic part. lol.

And here's the same photo with my default preset. See what I mean? I sincerely hope that this concludes the great debate about these two filters.Have a good day.

I'd like to know what part of this filter makes the edges of the sphere so soft. I'm experimenting with modifying filters and adding a color slider to the Eclipse component with Alpha, Image and HDR enabled is my only mod to this one so far. I'd like a sharply defined edge to the sphere though. How could that be done? The following image was created with my mod.

Oh, I have missed this one, and I have discovered it now, and is very cool, great and interesting, like the 3D effects and how it is able to distort the source image.

Choosing the right selected images could give very good and beautiful results

Thanks also to Skybase for the update and suggestions made

What version of FF are you using? I've got FF 5 and it won't open your file. Anyway, try using the High Pass component maped into the Result Height Nod.