Matter is a very cool little app that lets you add realistically reflective objects to your photos. When you’ve placed the object, it beautifully reflects the environment around it, and it creates shadows making the effect look eerily real.
Matter is free for a few days, but we never know when the freebie will end. Even if you have to pay a couple of bucks, I find the app really worth a purchase.
How it works
Start with any one of your photos. I think a landscape photo will work best. Pick a shape from the menu, and insert it into the scene. You c an resize, rotate, adjust the shadows, and control the shadow opacity and strength. The object itself can have a variety of options, letting it be highly reflective, all the way to transparent. You can also output your creation as a video, and then of course, export your photo to your camera roll or the usual social photo services.
The app also lets you join a community of other after artists.
Using Matter
Using the app is easy, with on-screen guides. You can move your object by dragging with two fingers. One finger will rotate it along any axis. There’s a large library of primitive shapes, but there are some add-on packs sold as an in-app purchase. I did fine with what was provided in the base package.
A new update lets you add music to your shoots, and you can export your scene as a moving video loop.You can also let the objects pulse to the music.
Images are shared at full resolution, but the app allows you to change the aspect ration and the quality when you export.
Matter is about as much fun as you can have with photos for free or a couple of bucks. It’s not an app that you will use everyday, and it works best with landscapes, at least in my view.
The output is very realistic, and you can use a masking tool to cut off portions of the imported shape if you want it to fall behind something in your photo or you want to ‘bury’ the object.
The Bottom Line
Matter is a beautiful little app. It’s been around for awhile, but it keeps getting worthwhile updates.
This is the kind of app I enjoy playing with while waiting for a flight, or if I’m stuck somewhere with not a lot to do.
Matter requires iOS 7 or later. The music integration requires iOS 8 and Matter worked just fine under iOS 9 beta.
Download Matter
App Store link: Matter – Add 3D Objects to Photos – Pixite LLC
Matter 1.3.1
Effects Quality
Resolution and Image Quality
User Interface
Price/Value
Matter is a very cool little app that lets you add realistically reflective objects to your photos. This is the kind of app I enjoy playing with while waiting for a flight, or if I'm stuck somewhere with not a lot to do.
