Spatial Film Immersive UtilityPro · for DaVinci Resolve

Hide the tripod under a chrome ball.

Spatial Film Chrome Ball puts a realistic chrome ball over the tripod and the operator at the bottom of a 360 shot. It reflects the scene around it, so the bottom of your frame shows the room, not your tripod legs.

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Mono 360 · DaVinci Resolve Studio 20 or later · Apple silicon · macOS 14 or later · Signed and notarized by Apple

Pro

Chrome Ball, Shape 1: a chrome ball reflecting the sky and castle covers the operator below the camera on a castle rampart.
Chrome Ball over the operator below the camera. Size 20, Shape 1, Reflection: Mirror.
BeforeBefore: the tripod is visible on the stone floor of a Stirling Castle chamber.
AfterAfter: Spatial Film Chrome Ball covers the tripod with a chrome ball that reflects the painted ceiling and windows.

Looking down at the tripod in a castle chamber, before and after. Chrome Ball Size 16, Shape 1, Reflection: Mirror.

Shape

A ball, or an egg.

Shape at 1 is a round chrome ball. Raise it and the ball becomes a taller chrome egg, seen from its end: less sky in the reflection and more of the scene around the horizon. Below 1 flattens it.

Why it mattersIndoors, the egg shows less ceiling and more of the people around the camera.

Chrome Ball, Shape 1: a chrome ball reflecting the sky and castle covers the operator.
Shape 1: ball
Chrome Ball, Shape 2: a chrome egg seen from its end, showing more of the castle around its rim.
Shape 2: egg
The rampart timelapse frame as a full 360 image, with the chrome ball along the bottom edge.
The full 360 frame, with the ball along the bottom edge where the operator stood.

Controls

Every control keyframes.

Size
How big the ball is, in degrees as seen from the camera. Make it just big enough to cover the tripod.
Shape
A ball at 1, a taller egg above 1, flatter below 1.
Tilt and Pan
Where the ball sits. Tilt -90 is straight down.
Spin
Turns the reflection in the ball.
Reflection
Mirror, a chrome ball reflecting the scene around it, or Wrapped, the scene wrapped around the ball.
Brightness
Brighter or darker, in stops.
Reflection Blur
Softens the reflection.
Edge Softness
Softens the ball's edge.
Opacity
How much the ball covers the picture under it.

Or place it by hand. Set the viewer's on-screen controls to Open FX Overlay and drag inside the ball's outline to move it. The outline never appears in your render.

Three steps

Stitch, add the ball, size it.

  1. Stitch first

    On a 360 (Standard Immersive) timeline, apply Spatial Film DJI 360 Stitch to your DJI clip.

  2. Add Chrome Ball after it

    Effects > Open FX > Filters > Spatial Film Pro > Spatial Film Chrome Ball. Put it below Stitch in the clip's effects in the Inspector, or in a later node on the Color page.

  3. Size it

    The ball starts straight down, over the tripod. Raise Size until it just covers the tripod, then pick ball or egg with Shape.

Chrome Ball works on any monoscopic 360 video in the 2:1 equirectangular format on a 360 timeline. DJI clips need Stitch first.

Every Chrome Ball setting in the guide

The honest version

What you need, and what it does not do.

Footage
Monoscopic 3602:1 equirectangular, on a 360 (Standard Immersive) timeline. Not 3D 360.
Mac
Apple siliconM1 or later, macOS 14 or later.
DaVinci Resolve
Studio 20 or laterTested with 21.1.1.
Alongside the free suite
Installs next to itLeaves Spatial Film Immersive Utility (free) unchanged.
Sharing projects
Pro on every MacProjects that use Chrome Ball need Spatial Film Immersive Utility Pro on every Mac that opens or renders them.
Price
Kimchi member on Patreon.

Questions

The things people ask.

Do I need the free suite as well?

For DJI clips, yes: Chrome Ball goes after Spatial Film DJI 360 Stitch. For other monoscopic 360 video in the 2:1 equirectangular format, Chrome Ball works on its own.

Does it work on 3D (stereoscopic) 360?

No. Chrome Ball is for monoscopic 360 only.

I sent my project to an editor. What do they need?

Spatial Film Immersive Utility Pro, installed on their Mac. Every Mac that opens or renders a project with Chrome Ball needs it.

Will the outline show up in my render?

No. The outline is drawn in the viewer only.

How do I get it?

Join Godzilla Tier on Patreon. The installer is in the patron post. It is signed and notarized by Apple.

Can I share the installer?

Please do not. It is for you as a patron, and it is how the free edition stays free.

What else is in Pro?

Today, Spatial Film Chrome Ball.

How do I uninstall it?

Quit DaVinci Resolve, then move /Library/OFX/Plugins/SpatialFilm360Pro.ofx.bundle to the Trash. The free suite is not affected.

Chrome Ball in the complete guide

Spatial Film Immersive Utility Pro

The tripod was never part of the shot.

Spatial Film Immersive Utility Pro is for patrons on Patreon. It funds the work on the free plug-ins, and it is how I say thank you.

Get Pro on Patreon Download the free suite

Mono 360 · DaVinci Resolve Studio 20 or later · Apple silicon · macOS 14 or later · Version 1.0.2 (build 496)