What’s up! Anyone notice how sad particles look when they are played against slow piano music? Well here is a test I did using CC Particle World linked to a 3D NULL! I used several copies featuring different settings to serve as the smoke particles and the light debris.  I think CC Particle World has great potential to create amazing particles but it may take a little more work when compared to Particular.

Another cool tip: Once I completed the particle animation, I put the comp in a new comp and slowed it down 200% so the particle movement is slower and also more depressing in a happy good way!

Now close your eyes… and imagine what it would like with some Optical Flares!

Download Project File (CS3)

Watch Sample Video

I was playing around with Particular 2 and came up with this particle swirl using a couple of smoke images as particles. I love that Particular 2 reacts to the lighting as well as fake shading to make the particle seem more volumetric.

Here is what I did, in Particular 2 custom particles are called Sprites, so once you select this as your particle type, the texture slot becomes available to use my smoke video that is included with the project download.  I stretched the particle area and rotated the world transform to make it look like a twister. I added a couple of lights to give it coloring and a BG gradient.

Check out the screen shot for particle settings and my timeline. You may want to see this tutorial using Particular 1.5 to get started with the smoke element.

Download Project CS4
(Sorry but I sometimes forget to use CS3 so more people can open it but the smoke element is inside the Footage folder for you to experiment. )

Here are a few grunge projects based on the Ancient Titles tutorials for your using-pleasure. I’ve also included 3 high-resolution textures and discovered a great free font called: Humanst521!

Download Project AE CS3

Sample Pic

NOTE: To view blog posts that contain project files or free downloads, just click on the “Project Files” tab at the top.

You might also check out this free project from an earlier post.

When opportunity knocks, it helps to have a camera.  OK, so this replica Oval Office may not be the real thing but it is a cool backdrop for something…

To fair, I have no idea what anyone is going to do with this but it just seemed cool to have a 180-degree view inside the home of the greatest US president.

Sample Video HD
Download AE Project and Images (CS3 .aep & jpgs)

I combined several pictures into a panoramic using the panoramic script from AeScripts.com, which is an After Effects script marketplace, where you might finds things you didn’t even know you needed.

Feel free to use for your projects but please refer to our License for usage.

BTW:
I don’t post often but some people have wondered about our twitter page.

After Effects lights can be moved around in 3D  space but a lens flare effect can only move in 2D space on the X and Y axis. So how can you add a 2d lens flare to a 3D moving light?

The secret is using a simple expression on the “Flare Center” of the lens effect.

1. Alt Click on Flare Center stop watch to add expression

2. Type this in the expression box:

thisComp.layer(”Light 1“).toComp([0,0,0]);

NOTE: Just change “Light 1” to the name of your light.

This tip can be found in the bump map tutorial around 6:15 for those who would like to see it in action. View Tutorial

Dan Ebberts has an ever useful “3D Lens Flare” case study on his website that includes distance falloff. Check that out.

Here is an anamorphic lens flare project too.

Did you know that CC Particle World allows you to use an image (or texture) as a custom particle type? Just select the “Textured QuadPolygon” and a texture roll-out becomes available that allows you to choose a layer along with some other options.

Here is a fun project file that uses a custom particle type to create the image-based glowing lights.

Download Project CS3

Since creating the Earth Zoom tutorial back July 2007, I have always wanted the clouds to look more realistic. Although the fractal noise was a decent solution, nothing compares to the real thing. Recently on my travels, I was able to capture some images that might just be the solution to a better earth zoom. I actually shot them with the intention of sharing them here.
Obviously I travel by cape.

Download Hi-Res Images

Use them professionally too! License

Sometimes it takes an idea to push the limits of After Effects. The title above is created entirely inside of After Effects using the same technique from the recent Ancient Titles tutorial.

I used multiple copies of the radial blur at different lengths to get a realistic shadow falloff. And although the title is not actually true 3D, it really holds up visually.

Download Project File

Image Sample