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Customer requested glowing globe….Stumped
Hey Guys,
New to the board, but I’ve been stumped on a project I’ve been working on. The customer wanted locations they’ve installed equipment at to glow on a globe, we had hoped that our workaround would keep them happy but they want an effect (I’m sad to say similar to the Universal Logo effect – available on Youtube), or essentially points of light eminating from points on the globe as it turns. Any way to light up distinct points would work, it just has to look cool? Any suggestions or tutorials? I am researching point lighting in 3dsMax and have tried to find some way to wrap the lights on the 3D globe in After Effects.
The original vid is on Youtube enter url here /user/elmedia1#pau1/pcpGhgx8Rb8. The globes at :21, any suggestions would be unreal, Thanks!
Mike
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7 Replies
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Hi Mike,
I don’t know if this helps you at all but the easiest and fastest way to get that effect is not in after effects (although it can be done in a rather lengthy way…) but in sony vegas using a built in plug in called “light rays”.
you can email me for a tutorial or if you are really stuck you can send me your elements and i’ll do it up for you. i can send you an element you can comp in or i can get you the finished comp depending on how big your source is.
i had this issue a few years back with a glowing orb for an fx shot that need atmosphere, tracking and was already comped into a shot full of smoke and it actually turned out to be a fairly high end looking shot.
(this was after particle effects, maya etc etc…)feel free to contact me there.
cheers
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oh, you might want to post your link again.
(i am already quite familiar with the universal logo…but…you might wanna post it again..) -
Although that is quite an offer from Blair to do it for you, I hope this helps …
I had to recreate the Universal Globe once and it turned out pretty nice using just two Photoshop layers and a few AE plugins.
It was quite a while ago so I don’t recall every detail, but basically make a flat and wrapable map of the globe in Photoshop (wrapable meaning the left and right edges fit seamlessly). In fact, you might even be able to download one from a NASA or USGS website.
Make a new Photoshop layer with small white stars over the areas you want to highlight and leave the rest of that layer transparent.
Bring the PSD into AE as a comp and, while I don’t recall exactly which plugin I used, there are several AE plugins that can bend a flat layer into a 3D sphere and rotate the sphere accordingly (BCC Sphere, various displacement map or mesh warp type plugins, etc.).
Apply to the stars layer any one of the plugins that emit light rays … Trapcode Shine is probably ideal, but several others do similar (i.e., I think the CycoreFX plugins included with AE have one called something like Light Rays, one of the small AE plugin companies has one called Volumetric Lighting, etc.).
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Yes, After Effects comes with CC Light Rays.
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You Tube URL /watch?v=IaKpzB1XAkM
I would like the points to be more distinct but the same idea. Thanks for your help!! I will look at the tutorial then may inundate you ;).
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https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/952084
I am getting Blair’s tutorial as we speak, but I thought I’d play with your approach also it sounds promising. I’m thinking, I Start with the 3D Sphere, map both layers with Boris Sphere, then apply a Trapcode Ray effect that moves with the camera as the sphere spins lighting up the layer of the stars?
I found the post above that would indicate it could work.
Thanks Again!!
Mike
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It was a long time ago so, unfortunately, the details are what I don’t recall very well and, of course, that’s where the devil is, so to speak. I don’t recall whether I had to precomp the globe layers, when I applied the light emitter (i.e., before or after precomp) or whether I needed any kind of workaround for any issues I may have encountered.
Another thought … if you have 3D Invigorator, you could use a 3D model of a globe and a similar method to apply the light streaks. I don’t even recall whether 3D Invig was around yet when I did mine.
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