Shadow Box

Shadow Box cuts every picture into layers of paper set one behind another in a shallow box, like a hand-made diorama. The back sheet holds the whole picture and each sheet in front holds only what is brighter than its level.

How it works

The sheets are real cut paper lit by your scene, and each one casts a soft shadow onto the one behind it, so the depth reads even when nothing moves. A waiting picture's sheets are pressed together, grey and flat. When it becomes the active one, a soft wave crosses it and the sheets open into depth as they take their colour; leaving presses them together again. The shadows come from the lights of the scene, so a low, warm light makes them long and dramatic. In Open mode the cursor opens the sheets a little further.

Settings

• Sheets: how many paper sheets a picture is cut into. Few sheets far apart give long shadows, many close sheets a fine diorama.
• Separation: the distance between the sheets when open.
• Smoothing: how much the picture is softened before the sheets are cut; higher gives rounder cuts.
• Roughness: the finish of the paper.
• Change time, Wave and Slant: the speed, softness and angle of the change wave.

Use it for

Storytelling, children's books, editorial features and craft brands. The same layering in light instead of paper is Depth Layers; paper sheets that stand up on hinges are Pop-up.