# Gradient (Luma) Wipe — effect skill for transitions

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B appears in the order of a grayscale map (gradient, noise or the image's own brightness).

- **Type:** [Effect](https://varg.ai/how-to/effects.md) · [Transitions](https://varg.ai/how-to/browse/skills/transitions.md)
- **Slug:** `luma-gradient-wipe`
- **Status:** live
- **Publisher:** HeyGen (community)
- **License:** Apache-2.0
- **Source:** https://github.com/heygen-com/hyperframes/tree/main/registry/blocks/domain-warp-dissolve
- **Works in:** Claude Code, Claude.ai, Codex, Cursor, OpenClaw, Gemini CLI, Any MCP client, varg Studio
- **Requires:** ffmpeg, HyperFrames (npx hyperframes), Remotion, CapCut (by hand)
- **Cost:** Free — the take renders locally; generated footage, if any, bills by the model

## What it does

Built on [Domain Warp Dissolve](https://github.com/heygen-com/hyperframes/tree/main/registry/blocks/domain-warp-dissolve) by HeyGen (HyperFrames), Apache-2.0. The write-up and recipes below are varg's.

Dark-to-light areas switch first, giving soft, organic or shaped reveals instead of one straight edge.

**When:** Elegant scene changes, nature, dreamy edits; custom shapes from any grayscale matte.

**Watch out:** Noisy mattes on noisy footage look like compression artefacts.

**Timing:** 0.6–1.2 s (CapCut Gradient Wipe 0.47 s)

**Also called:** Gradient Wipe, luma wipe, luma fade, noise dissolve, Dissolve II

### In FFmpeg

Soft diagonal luma wipe with an xfade custom expression (0.15 softness band):
```bash
ffmpeg -i a.mp4 -i b.mp4 -filter_complex \
"[0:v]fps=30,settb=AVTB,format=yuv420p[a];[1:v]fps=30,settb=AVTB,format=yuv420p[b];\
 [a][b]xfade=transition=custom:duration=0.8:offset=4.2:\
expr='A*clip(((X/W+Y/H)/2-(1-P)*1.15+0.15)/0.15,0,1)+B*(1-clip(((X/W+Y/H)/2-(1-P)*1.15+0.15)/0.15,0,1))'[v]" -map "[v]" out.mp4
```
For an arbitrary matte use `maskedmerge` with a thresholded matte video, or GL `LumaWipe` via editly (1.x `luma`).

### In HyperFrames

Shader `domain-warp` from `@hyperframes/shader-transitions` placed at the cut (t = 4 s):
```html
<div id="s1" class="scene" style="background:#0a0a0a"><video src="a.mp4" muted playsinline></video></div>
<div id="s2" class="scene" style="background:#0a0a0a"><video src="b.mp4" muted playsinline></video></div>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@hyperframes/shader-transitions/dist/index.global.js"></script>
<script>
  const tl = HyperShader.init({ bgColor: "#0a0a0a", scenes: ["s1", "s2"],
    transitions: [{ time: 4, shader: "domain-warp", duration: 0.8 }] });
  window.__timelines = window.__timelines || {}; window.__timelines["main"] = tl;
</script>
```
Each `.scene` needs an explicit background-color equal to `bgColor`. Or install the ready block: `npx hyperframes add domain-warp-dissolve`.

### In Remotion

```tsx
import {TransitionSeries, linearTiming, springTiming} from '@remotion/transitions';
import {dissolve} from '@remotion/transitions/dissolve';

<TransitionSeries>
  <TransitionSeries.Sequence durationInFrames={90}><ShotA /></TransitionSeries.Sequence>
  <TransitionSeries.Transition presentation={dissolve({})} timing={linearTiming({durationInFrames: 24})} />
  <TransitionSeries.Sequence durationInFrames={90}><ShotB /></TransitionSeries.Sequence>
</TransitionSeries>
```
Total = 90 + 90 - 24 frames: the transition overlaps the two shots.
Shader presentations are built on Remotion's HTML-in-canvas: renders work out of the box (`--gl=angle`, or `--gl=swangle` without a GPU); the Studio preview needs Chrome with `chrome://flags/#canvas-draw-element` enabled. Remotion's `dissolve` is a shader dissolve with a glowing edge (lineWidth, spreadColor, hotColor), not a plain crossfade.

### In CapCut

Transitions tab → Basic / Mask → Gradient Wipe, Dissolve II, Dissolve III. Desktop: drag the tile onto the cut between two clips and set Duration in the right panel ("Apply to all" reuses it on every cut). Mobile: tap the small white square between clips, pick the transition, drag the duration slider, tap ✓. Tab labels and placement change between versions and regions.

### Ready-made components

- [Domain Warp Dissolve](https://skills.varg.ai/component/hf.domain-warp-dissolve/) (hyperframes): npx hyperframes add domain-warp-dissolve
- [Perlin Dissolve](https://skills.varg.ai/component/remocn.perlin-dissolve/) (remocn): npx shadcn@latest add @remocn/perlin-dissolve
- [Warp Dissolve](https://skills.varg.ai/component/remocn.warp-dissolve/) (remocn): npx shadcn@latest add @remocn/warp-dissolve
- [Grain Dissolve](https://skills.varg.ai/component/remocn.grain-dissolve/) (remocn): npx shadcn@latest add @remocn/grain-dissolve
- [LuminanceMelt](https://skills.varg.ai/component/glt.luminance-melt/) (gl-transitions): npm install gl-transitions

### Where this comes from

- [FFmpeg filters: xfade](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#xfade)
- [Remotion: presentations](https://www.remotion.dev/docs/transitions/presentations)
- [HyperFrames: @hyperframes/shader-transitions](https://hyperframes.heygen.com/packages/shader-transitions)
- [CapCut Help: transitions](https://www.capcut.com/help/transitions-in-capcut)
- [CapCut: transition categories](https://capcut.com/resource/add-video-transition-online)
- [CapCut transition names + default durations (VectCut metadata)](https://github.com/sun-guannan/VectCutAPI/blob/main/pyJianYingDraft/metadata/capcut_transition_meta.py)

## Use when

- Elegant scene changes, nature, dreamy edits; custom shapes from any grayscale matte.

## Not for

- Noisy mattes on noisy footage look like compression artefacts.

## Install

- Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg`
- Codex: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-video-edit-library -a codex -y`
- Cursor: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-video-edit-library -a cursor -y`

## Example output

https://s3.varg.ai/how-to/previews/f64f6fef6608/take-luma-gradient-wipe.mp4 — smoothleft between two shots, with the timeline strip of the edit. Footage: Cosmos Laundromat (2015), (CC) Blender Foundation | gooseberry.blender.org, CC BY 4.0; Charge (2022), Blender Studio | studio.blender.org, CC BY 4.0. (credit: Rendered by varg · Cosmos Laundromat (2015) + Charge (2022))

## More transitions skills

- [editly](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/editly.md): Declarative JSON5 video editing CLI/API: clips, titles, transitions, audio mixing, rendered with ffmpeg.
- [Mix (Cross Dissolve)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/mix-dissolve.md): The two shots blend through each other. The quietest transition: "time passes" or "this continues".
- [Dip to Black](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/black-fade.md): A fades to black, then B fades up. Marks the end of a section or a bigger jump in time.
- [White Flash](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/white-flash.md): The frame blows out to white for a moment and opens on the next shot. Energy, memory or a camera snap.
- [Pull In (Zoom In)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/pull-in-zoom.md): The camera rushes into shot A and lands, still moving forward, in shot B. The signature short-form transition.
- [Pull Out (Zoom Out)](https://varg.ai/how-to/skills/pull-out-zoom.md): The camera jerks backwards out of shot A and keeps pulling back as shot B settles in.

## Run the generation on varg

varg is one API key for the models these skills drive — Seedance 2.5, Kling 4, Veo 3.1, Wan 3, Nano Banana 2.1, GPT Image 2.5, ElevenLabs v4 and 200+ more — billed in credits, with a cost estimate before anything runs.

- Claude Code: `claude plugin marketplace add vargHQ/skills && claude plugin install varg@varg` (skill + hosted MCP)
- Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenClaw: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-ai -a <agent> -y`
- Grok and any agent that reads SKILL.md: `npx skills add vargHQ/skills --skill varg-ai`, or point it at the skill's SKILL.md
- Claude.ai, ChatGPT, any MCP client: connect `https://mcp.varg.ai/mcp`
- API key: https://varg.ai/dashboard/api · Model specs: https://varg.ai/models/llms.txt