I want a still image layer to come on to screen by seemingly having been poured on. This is a 2d image in a 2d composition so it's all flat as if looking straight down at the surface having liquid poured on to it.
I have found a lot of liquid simulation tutorials that seem promising but they tend to look more like fairly realistic drips. What I want is for the image itself to initially become visible in a localised portion of the screen which would represent where the bottom of the stream of liquid poured off-camera from a height initially hits the solid 'surface' which in this case I guess would be the background of the composition and then for there to be disturbances like ripples radiating from this point and in their wake revealing and also displacing the image. I'd then have these ripples calm down and displace the revealed portions of the image less and less until I eventually have a fully revealed still image layer.
The exact mechanics of how this water pouring effect exactly 'reveals' the layer I haven't quite worked out, but I think if I could at least simulate the pouring liquid, ignoring the actual still image that will use this as a transition, I'll at least be part of the way there. The tricky thing is creating that kind of corona effects that you get when pouring liquid first hits a surface with a wavy little crown from which traditional circular ripples begin to radiate out.