Hi guys,
me and some buddies are working on a Star Wars Fan Film Short. So far I’ve got all VFX sorted out, but I would like to try some lighting as well. I use Combustion 4. I’ve basically ran through all the particles, and though some of them are amazing, I can’t find a good one. None are lightning related, so I can’t edit them. I don’t have any experiences making particles myself. What would you guys recommend?
Some reference:
Thanks in advance 
Gotan
Looks like it’s done in 3D? There is some perspective in the picture you posted, I doubt it’s a post effect… well I have not a great experience in compositing but I’ve seen a nice plugin doing this lightning within the Saphire collection.
Yes there’s a plugin for AE I’ve heard, but I can’t find that much stuff concerning Combustion on the internet… pity 
gotan
u can create a blach layer tiff with alpa
in 3d composite
After put the particle an d try to rotate in z
maybe youll reach3d effect.
U can edit your own particles… throw the particle panel c3 for mac
It’s been a while since I’ve used combustion, but if you don’t want to spring for the genarts sapphire plugins, could you do an animated spline of some sort that gets wider as it approaches the camera (to get the perspective), and then put a glow on top of that to get the bright electric effect?
I highly doubt the force lightning effects were 3d, it would be much faster, easier, and cheaper to do it in post.
You could do it the way they did it in Return of the Jedi which is rotoscope it frame by frame.
Well I don’t have a particle system that looks like a lightning one, as I’ve written.
It’s been a while since I’ve used combustion, but if you don’t want to spring for the genarts sapphire plugins, could you do an animated spline of some sort that gets wider as it approaches the camera (to get the perspective), and then put a glow on top of that to get the bright electric effect?
I highly doubt the force lightning effects were 3d, it would be much faster, easier, and cheaper to do it in post.
Well could you explain me animated splines a bit more? I have some overall knowledge, I know photoshop and I know a good basis of Max and Combustion but im no professional. I’ve just started with visual fx.
Rotoscoping would be ok, I’ve considered that, but for me it would be far easier to try and get a particle effect because it probably looks better and saves loads of time…
gotan
AE has a plugin for exactly these kinds of effects named Advanced Lightning, but that doesn’t help you very much i guess as this is c4…
In 3dStudio Max you can try one Digimation plugin called Lighting. It is used for making storm effects but it is very likelly you are looking for. But it is for Max. You will need to render and composite afterward.
Yeah, that might work. Thanks for the replies!
But I’ve come across this tutorial for AE: http://www.geocities.com/pixelmagic2002/forcelightningtutorial.html
It came out OK, although I had to get the glow and stuff done in Photoshop, then do a lot of converting files and stuff, and it took me about 1,5 hour.
But I’ll just check out what’s best and see what looks best. Thanks again for the replies 
gotan
Just to throw this in here. I think something like 60 percent of plugins for aftereffects work for combustion too. I think that’s right, hope I’m not going crasy. Cuz I used to think it sucks how there’s so many AE plugins…
I’m bettin you’ve already checked out http://boards.theforce.net/board.asp?brd=10015 if not it’s a great place for fan film help. I know that a guy named pixelmajic (I believe that was his name) perfected a lighting technique and wrote a tutorial…I’ll try to find it in my comp and post it up.
EDIT This isn’t actually PixelMagic’s tutorial, but it’s close. It’s by Funk-E.
I could try that. I prefer working in Combustion to AE because I just love combustions interface, it’s so easy and it great for working quickly.
gotan
That´s funny ,99% of the people will say the exact opposite !
I just chose combustion because it is infinate times more powerfull than AE.
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