How can I simulate a basic snow effect

[Per Spook]

You should use a particle system, try particular: http://www.trapcode.com

Maybe the plugin even has a preset for snow, don’t remember, but it’s fairly easy to set up..

[Kevin Camp]

particular (trapcode.com) has a snow preset that is pretty close to (maybe exactly) what was used in the you tube example, called snowy_night. cc snow (bundled with ae), is close, but won’t give you the 3d perspective and depth fall off. you should be able to create a very similar effect with cc particle world (also with ae)… it’s a 3d particle system so you should be able to get the perspective, and you can simulate the falloff by setting color map changes over life of the particle.

Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Kevin Camp]

i was playing around with cc particle world… if you don’t have particular, you can create a very similar snow fall animation with cc particle world.

adjust settings for x and z radius, y position fo the producer. and angle the camera settings upwards (x rotation around -45). set particle to faded sphere and set the color to grey and white, then try setting physics animation to twirl, velocity to around 0.1, gravity to around 0.1.

that should get you in the ball park… if you have more questions, just post them.

Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Urchin]

Not sure if I have these plug-ins. Gonna play with it today and let you all know… Thanks for the posts!

[Kevin Camp]

the cc effects (cycore effects) have been bundled with ae for a while now. if you have cs3 they were installed automaticly, if you have ae7 or earlier they are on the install disk in a third-party or extras folder. both cc snow and cc particle world show up in the simulation effects.

actually, in versions prior to cs3, the cc effects may have only been bundled with ae pro versions…. but i’m not sure.

Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW

[Urchin]

Thanks everyone. CC particle world worked perfectly.

[Jeff Cottle]

Hello,..
sorry for responding with new question but i could’nt see how to post a new one.

Could anyone please show me how to fill an AE layer with grayscale particles emitted in the camera or viewer direction (or along the Z Axis), and that are colored brighter as they grow further from the emitter or closer to the camera? IE: like a particle depth map or displacement map!
Please let me know as soon as possible,thanks much,
Jeff:780 425 4914, feel free to call.