How do you get 3d floating lights

[Vince Becquiot]

Actually, I believe these are simply lens flares (I’m sure Chris will correct me if I am wrong)

Another way is using a plugin I just love, trapcode Lux. You’ll be able to project a light beam as well (Means spending a little 😉

Cheers,

Vince

[Chris Smith]

Yes, they are just lens flares. However the lens flares were generated from the light sources which are floating through 3D space lighting all the molecules which I think is the key. A glowing ball of light can be made with a blur and the right transfer mode, but the key is that the light source on the objects actually change. The intro was done almost all in Maya and composited/colored in AE.

Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

[Midicon]

Thanks Chris this totally helps… since i don’t have maya… to get the same effect as the light passing by the particles should i create a ball (lens flair) and then track the movement with an expression to an actual light so that it will light objects as it goes by or do you think it would be alot of trouble to get a simple fx…

[Chris Smith]

Basically in Maya, I used simple sin, cos, and noise functions to animate the lights. In Maya there is the option to generate a lens flare from real lights. This lens flare automatically dims when occluded by objects. Don’t know if it’ll do the same effect in AE because in AE your objects are flat planes whereas in Maya they were 3D objects with depth. So when a light passes behind something there is a nice rim light, etc.

It’s a good point though that AE should do like 3D apps where it generates a lensflare from it’s lights. try what you suggested for yourself. I still think to do the effect (if you indeed do want something similar to the reel intro) is to use a real 3D app. But who knows, you may get something way more awesome in AE!

Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

[Midicon]

Actually now that you mentioned the rim light i agree with you… it won’t look just like that… because they are flat… but i think i can fake it a bit… i’ll see what i can come up with thanks for the advise… loved the real BTW…

Rob

[Chris Smith]

Gracias

Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com

[Aharon Rabinowitz]

Hi site is running a little slow at trhe moment, but Dan Ebberts has a tutorial on creating Lensflares in 3D, by using expressions to attach the flare to a light:

https://www.motionscript.com/mastering-expressions/lst-lens-flare.html

Also, trapcode has a plugin called Lux which creates certain volumetric effects with lights.

—————————————-
Aharon Rabinowitz
aharon(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com
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