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Activity Forums Adobe After Effects How do I create a spotlight which casts volumetric light?

  • How do I create a spotlight which casts volumetric light?

    Posted by Adam Erbacher on July 12, 2008 at 11:59 pm

    Hi all,

    I’m using AE and trying to figure out a way of creating an animatable 3D-looking spotlight which casts a beam of volumetric light onto the floor.

    Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

    Adam.

    Joseph W. bourke replied 18 years, 1 month ago 4 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • Chris Wright

    July 13, 2008 at 2:13 am
  • Jeremy Fabiano

    July 13, 2008 at 10:27 pm

    If you can’t afford lux (which was going to be my suggestions)

    You can make your normal spot light, then make a new solid the same color as the light, use a mask to cut a shape out of your beam, and feather the crap out of it… won’t be as good as lux would be, but it’d be darn close, and if its not a high-def project, no one will prolly notice the dif..

    Hope it helps
    -Jeremy

  • Chris Wright

    July 13, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    you could try multiple layers of the mask in diff light strengths sandwiching other 3D layers. That would look cool, expecially if they overlapped and diffused in some parts like smoke in the air set by displacement maps.

    “buy lux or buy a lit broadway stage, record the stage with camera”

  • Chris Wright

    July 14, 2008 at 6:15 am
  • Joseph W. bourke

    July 14, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    Adam –

    There’s a free script at AEnhancers which does the job for you. I’ve tried it in AE CS3 and it works just fine…a nice flare at the light point with a cone of volumetric light. You can find it at:

    https://aenhancers.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=343

    Joe Bourke
    Art Director / WMUR-TV

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