Mercury pool: interfering ripples on a liquid silver surface
Mercury pool uses the Pebbles sculpture, a calm pool where several sets of circular ripples spread from different points and run into each other. The Mirror material at Polish 100 turns the whole frame into liquid mercury, and the Skylight rig gives it a pale overcast sky to reflect, so each ripple reads as a soft band of silver and gray. Fine ripples is at 0, keeping the surface between the waves perfectly still.
Make it yours
Bring on the rain
Fold frequency 3 sets how tightly the rings are spaced. Raise it to 7 for many fine, close ripples, as if a light rain had just started on the pool.
Tint the sky
Light color is the white of the overcast sky. Make it a pale gold and the mercury turns into a warm, late-afternoon pool without losing its mirror finish.
FAQ
Can Mercury pool move like real liquid?
Yes. Press Play and the ripples keep spreading from their centers in a seamless loop of about 18 seconds. Choose Breathe under Motion behavior for a gentler swell, or Light sweep to move the sky across the surface.
How it works
Choose a shoot
Start from one of 16 looks such as Chrome ribbon, Holographic foil or Burgundy lacquer, or pick one of 8 sculptures and one of 7 materials.
Light it
Choose a lighting rig and a composition (full bleed, object or horizon), then set polish, light direction, reflection contrast, color dispersion, fine ripples and sculptural depth.
Color and use it
Set the background, metal, second light and light colors, press Play for a seamless loop of about 18 seconds, then sign in with a free UX Pilot account to use it on the canvas or export it.