What is a 'Break Apart' effect?

Break Apart is one of the original interactive wall effects. First developed by Fallon advertising agency for Traveller's insurance, it was developed in 2010, and was one of the experiences that inspired the founders of LUMOplay to develop a low-cost solution that agencies, artists, and teachers could use to create custom experiences of their own.

This effect works on any surface, and is ideal for any kind of display.

Great ways to use the Break Apart template

Retail:

• Hide a secret message in an escape room
• Display a logo or brand in a playful way
• Attract attention to a window display
• Create a positive and memorable interaction in a limited amount of time

Education & Health:

• Encourage large motor movements
• Create a branded interactive sign for a clinic or school
• Highlight a message or announcement in a creative way

Events:

• Add a beautifully themed logo for a tradeshow or pop-up
• Project signage or branding on an unconventional area, like a floor or ceiling
• Reveal an announcement or wedding proposal in a unique and surprising way
• Encourage social image and video sharing

How to prepare your images

This app requires additional graphics. We highly recommend downloading the graphics used in this tutorial to use as a reference when designing your own graphics.

Images should be saved as png files. Background, Mask, Logo, and Shape images should be made at the full, final resolution and aspect ratio of your installation display.

All images except the background should be saved as pngs with an alpha channel (transparent background). The following size recommendations are for 1920 x 1080 displays, and can be adjusted for higher or lower resolutions.

Particles: 90 x 90 to 230 x 230 (does not need to be square)

Video backgrounds work best if they are MP4/H264 compression, and they should be rendered to match the resolution and aspect ratio of your installation display. Videos that are a seamless loop under 60s in length will perform best. We recommend that videos be under 500MBs for smooth performance. 

Audio for this effect should be included in the video background file.

Size Limits

The limit for all assets combined is 1GB, but each template produces a slightly different size by default based on the template itself and the other assets included.

If you want to add background audio to your effect, you can add looped audio to the video.

How to use the LUMOplay Break Apart template

We recommend connecting your final installation display to your computer as a second monitor so you can preview your final app on the intended display. If you have a full LUMOplay installation connected to your computer (including a display and a camera), you will be able to test your app as you build it.

1. Open LUMOplay, select Motion Maker from the left menu, and click Create next to the Break Apart template.

2. When the template launches, give your app a name and click anywhere on the grey bar marked Overlays to open the first menu. (NOTE: the tools may look different on your computer, particularly if you are using multiple monitors.)

3. If you want to add a logo, mask, or idle image (call to action animation), click the folder icon underneath each item to choose the appropriate image. No overlay images are used in this tutorial.

4. Open the Background menu and click the folder icon to replace the default background.

5. Open the Image menu and click the blue folder icon to replace the shape image. Adjust the shape transparency and size until they are to your liking.

6. Open the Particles menu and delete the default particles. Click the blue folder icon to replace the particle images.

Adjust the size and behaviour of the particles while testing your effect with the mouse or a touchscreen or connected camera system until the effect reacts the way you want it to.

7. When you're finished, click Save and close the template by clicking the X or hitting esc. Don't forget to give your app a name!

NOTE: If you forget to name your app, or if you accidentally close it before you're finished, it will automatically be saved to the Drafts section in LUMOplay's Motion Maker, so you can edit it again.

Publishing your Break Apart app

Playmaker: When you're ready to publish your app to your account, click Publish and confirm. You will not be able to edit the app after it's been published.

Wait for your app to upload. You will see a message when the app is successfully published.

You will find your app in the APPS list in your LUMOplay software. If you can't find it right away, use the search field to look for it by name. It will be available to every license in your account.

Playground & Free: Upload your app to save a copy to the LUMOplay server. You will be able to continue editing your app until you purchase it.

Each time you upload your app, you will be given an option to purchase it or upgrade to LUMO Playmaker and publish an unlimited number of Motion Maker apps.

When you are ready to purchase your app, you can click Purchase and you will be redirected to LUMOplay.com and prompted to log in. When you're logged in, you will be taken directly to the cart page to purchase your app.

Once the app has been purchased, it will appear in your APPS list in your LUMOplay software, and you will be able to search for it by name.

Still have questions? Contact us!