TUTORIALS FOR VFX & MOTION GRAPHICS
Free After Effects Tutorials & More Hosted By: Andrew Kramer
January 29, 2007
• Use Custom Preset to generate instant Light Sabers
• Change color and size Setting Globally with ease
 
 
TUTORIAL NOTES:
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Running Time: 11mins.


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236 RESPONSES TO "LIGHT SABERS"

by Candido avile 08/22/2010
can a track motion with a null oject be use to follow the light saber instead of moving it the light saber for each frame.
by Chyba 08/10/2010
Hi . Can you send me the preset of that lightsaber ? Thanks in advance !! Chybaka1234@mail.ru
by doosun 08/03/2010
Hi, people,

Where can I get the footage?
So, i can use it....
there is only prset and project files on this page..

Always thanks for andrew's fantastic tutorials
by Bilal Ahmed 08/02/2010
In CS5, everytime I make a movement, it makes a keyframe, then when I preview it, it just instead keyframes the moves I made, It won't even follow the lightsaber! >:C
by Johan Rynjah 08/01/2010
I love the outer glow and the lighting effect from the sabre :)
by Daniel 07/16/2010
Does this preset works in AE for mac??
by Josh 07/12/2010
When I make a change on the lightsaber, it doesn't make a new keyframe for me.
by Tanner 06/21/2010
ok i downloaded the project but i cant get in it its zipped i tried downloading adobe after effects but still nothing its zipped
by amry guerrero 06/17/2010
i cant get the to work i cant open it
by Anonymous 06/02/2010
Well, with CS5, it just became even easier to rotoscope a lightsaber. Rotobrush for the win.
by Film 06/01/2010
i need a lightsaber video footage
thk
by Joey 05/21/2010
Andrew Kramer is my best friend
by Iolo 05/01/2010
Surly it would be easier (provided there is a high shutter speed) to motion track the start and end points?
by david 04/22/2010
you rock my socks marry me
by david 04/22/2010
you rock!!!!!11 im so glad that this website is around idk what i would do without you
by josh 04/22/2010
this is a very good lesson you are so smart
by Schmogel 03/31/2010
Guys, the Plugin works for CS4... Just ignore the error.
by frederic 02/12/2010
ANDREW...MAKE THAT LIGHTSABER SO STHAT IT WORKS IN CS4 PLZ...TNX IN ADVANCE
by frederic 02/12/2010
how do u get the file into the efects and presets folder...
how do u do it.
i have adobe after effects CS4..please help
thanks. :)
by Dunnow 02/01/2010
Hi

thanks 4 all ur work and tuts

i've a problem with that preset of yours on CS4 so, can u PLEASE do it for cs4 version? sure LOTS of users will thank it
by EmpraTor 01/30/2010
Thnx man.

I think i understand xD .
by Charly 01/19/2010
Hi andrew, i,ve a problem, i try to install the light saber effect but when y try to put in a cmposition, appears an error, and the lightsaber options are red. Also in saber options says, don't exist saber controls. can you help me please? i have after effects 7.0 spanish.

thanks, and very good tutorial andrew ;)
by alex 01/18/2010
how do u make lightsaber
by Ronaldo 01/08/2010
Wowo yes that was very VERY informative. I'm a incredible noob when it comes to lightsaber effects on after effects (hey you gotta start somewhere) but this was very helpful you have no idea how helpful this was. Thank you very much
by Marcos Müller 12/29/2009
Hey Andrew!!
First of all, Thanks for all the excelent tutorials that you have for free on your website. They have helped me a lot in some new project that i'm working on, although i've never studied Video Editing, just learning by myself.

My Question is:
Is there a way of Tracking the saber so you don´t have to rearrange the position of the mask every keyframe?

by Areya 12/20/2009
can you please send me the effects and presets folder i dont hav one please please please please send me it
by Ollie 12/09/2009
can not find the .mov with your friend in the download material (light saber)

greetz, ollie
by jev 11/20/2009
ANDREW HELP PLaes i download it then put it in preset foler and when i drop nothing comes up
by ben jones 11/18/2009
i thought i would help some people you want to use the saber for adobe after effects cs4,

find the program on the hardrive where it had been installed. then go onto support files and presets. put it in there and it should work fine.

ben jones
;)
by DarthTony 11/10/2009
Hello Mr.Kramer.
You are doing a great job keep going so we all can learn ur knowlegde.
Anyway,i am using Adobe After Effects Cs4 and i can't load this one..although is a very good idea this effect with the lightsaber and it would helped me alot with my project...do u have it for Cs4?
Thank you.
by Mr. JCRP 11/07/2009
Hi,
I have been waiting to learn some real industry related stuff. I have visited a lot of other websites but all those are just some really not useful ones which we cant use in a production. The tutorials that you give are just awesome. It answers all the questions that i had till date.

COOOOOOOOOOOOL.

Thanks a tonne!
JCRP
by Armud 10/29/2009
One word...

AMAZING!

OMFG!
My head exploded!

Gratz for tutorial!
by zrz 10/28/2009
cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Ariton 10/11/2009
Hi, is there any way, for when the top of the light saber is close, and the bottom is far away, means the top should actually be big, and thick , and the bottom ( that's further away ) thinner and smaller. is there any way to do that?.

thanks, and even if not. This effect is the best :)
by Nemo 10/06/2009
this is frikkin' awesome! thx! :D
by Marian 09/13/2009
Hey,
I am from Germany and I have some problems to download this program.
can you help me??
marian
by Chyinong 08/28/2009
I from Taiwan.


???
Great?

AE~~~~~

??????????????
??????
by JOERZ 08/25/2009
You are truly an angel.. thanks for all the tut.
by nitrospide 08/13/2009
hey do u think i can get a copy of the footage u used because my camera has gone bust.
by hgo 08/12/2009
hey nice. i was wondering how i could get the preset.
email:bebe_herbert_grau@hotmail.com
by Adam 08/01/2009
Hii andrew!

My name is adam and i was wondering if you got anyspare time could you please email mme and tell me how to get adobe after effects with out paying so much thanx xD

adam_sxcbeast@hotmail.com
by Alex 07/30/2009
How do i get the preset?
by bert 07/15/2009
how can i get the effect
by Eirik Henden 07/14/2009
Hi Andrew!
I really appreciate the effort of time you put on each of these tutorials.. i really admire you'r work! We all should be thankful for what you are willingly making, and showing us! Thank you Andrew..
Regards,
Eirik Henden
by Neil 07/07/2009
Hey, will this work for CS4 i think its version 9. Please relply! thanks

-Neil
by julien 07/04/2009
hi, i am julien, can you tell me how to have adobe after effects, the same version that you have. thanks,

julien
by joe 06/27/2009
send me a light-sabre? joebeggs27@yahoo.co.uk
by Drew 06/26/2009
How do I get Adobe After Effects?
I have Adobe reader

E-Mail me!

drew-edwards@hotmail.co.uk
by Dima 06/25/2009
Hmmm, how do you add the lightsaber effect onto CS4 or CS3...?
by simon 06/25/2009
can you send me the light saber preset please???
i really need it
ty

E-Mail: siimon111@web.de
by Dimitris (Lombax) 06/19/2009
Can I Work This Preset With The "Tracker Control Motion"? I Mean Not Frame By Frame Manuality But The Lightsaber's Glow Folow My Blade Of My Video.
by matthew puetz 06/16/2009
hey andrew, just wanted to let you know that as a novice film maker I've been perusing your site, and since my first film is in fact a star wars film, I thought I'd take a look at this. Wow! Now I don't have to sit and create the lightsaber glow effect for 1800 frames just for a minute long lightsaber fight. Thanks dude, keep up the good work. Just plot two points every so often, and the thing does the rest for you.
by zachery 06/14/2009
that is so cool
by Rabbit 06/08/2009
Is this compatible with CS3
by Ron 05/30/2009
Hey Andrew
first: Amazing Tutorials!!! really great work, helped me a lot already :D
second: wouldn't it be posible to do a lightsaber with motion tracking instead of adjusting every point? (well, asuming you have footage where you can allways see the begining and end of the saber )
i'm not that far into motion tracking, but i'd like to know where it's limits are... (btw, i got mocha too, don't know if that makes any diffrence :D)

greetings from germany! Ron
by Hi Mr Andrew! 05/29/2009
YOU THE BEST!!!! I like this program
i live in Russia!!! im speak russia!
good luck, Andrew
by Matthew 05/23/2009
Hi Andrew!!!
Can you please tell me where I can get the preset please!!!
My e-mail is matheus11397@yahoo.com.br
Thank You Very Much!!!

PS: Great Tutorial!!!

by luke0978 05/22/2009
can you please send me the preset. Thanks
by Friedemann 05/19/2009
i dont get how to make the motion blur
by Felix 05/11/2009
Could you please send me the lightsaber preset?

afterflower@sina.com

Thanks!
by Rebecca 05/07/2009
Is there any way I can get the light saber footage? I have the preset but I don't have any footage to follow along with. Thanks
by Lyubi 05/02/2009
hi andrew could you please send me the preset i dont know where to find it an if you cant do that, please tell me where to get it
my email is yelling_is_fun@hotmail.com
thanks in advance
by Jake 04/30/2009
can you make this work for cs4?
by Brady 04/29/2009
can i get the saber preset thing
by Jaimiko 04/21/2009
WAU! excelente tutorial, thanks!
by Ad 04/17/2009
guys just download the project and it is inside there! great tut andy thanks for all your tutorials helped me loads keep it up!
by Uri 03/29/2009
Just a quick tip-
next time just track motion!
create a noll and all that crap and just parent one of the position parameters of the saber to the position of the noll and it will become a lot easier..
by MichOpL 03/24/2009
Great ! pleas send me the Light Saber preset :D
my e-mail is micho_1991@o2.pl
ty :D
by Michael 03/22/2009
can you send me the preset mscullin544@gmail.com thanks
by Ricke 03/22/2009
Hi I thogt that was cool, but wher do i download the pogram to do it?? and I dident understand how to get that andrew cramer mapp. Can you pleas help men or send some links?? Thanks.

Trollkarlen95@hotmail.com
by RICKY 03/21/2009
please send me the preset rickymt14@gmail.com
by Brian 03/16/2009
Can u plz send me the lightsaber preset, ming1037@hanmail.net, thanks ^^
by Sunny 03/14/2009

Could you please send me the lightsaber preset?
by sunny 03/14/2009
Really very nice
too good
i like it
i like your voice Realy
Thanks
by Hatakraa 03/11/2009
Could you please send me the lightsaber preset?

saber_sword212@yahoo.com

Thanks!
by Hendy 03/06/2009
Hi, I know that everyone has asked this but... where is the saber preset, and could you send it to me if possible? Thanks!
by Jotalegend 03/01/2009
Hey Andrew Were did you published the saber effect
by Habib 02/27/2009
send me the Light Saber preset, please !

habibspider@hotmail.fr

Thanks
by grishio 02/20/2009
hey great work, coud u send the light saber presets,
thanks
hrwet89@hotmail.com
by Gray911 02/18/2009
Can you send me the Light Saber preset, please?

rattle-snake_91@mail.ru

Thanks =)
by Christer 02/01/2009
like i said before great tutorial. but my question is. when can you make a tutorial for making the heroes flying effect :)
by R.J. 02/01/2009
sweet that was a gret video I never new thet you can actoaly make a lightsaber becaus I'm a big fan of star wars buy
by Christer 01/31/2009
Hay ther.. i must say the this is a great tutorial i learnd alot from this :D keep upp the good work. now i will try learn gunfire :D
by Dan 01/29/2009
Hello Andrew Kramer. I had a question about your lightsaber preset. Is it compatible with CS3 Professional? Because whenever I use it, either the lightsaber doesn't show up or a window opens saying that the preset or whatever could not be found. If it is not compattible with CS3, could you make a preset that is? Thanks.
by Sindre 01/20/2009
Hi andrew im a big fan! and i just wondering. how do i get the lightsaber plugin or wathewer it is please tell me!..:)
by VoltisArt 01/04/2009
PRESETS: Are at the grey Project button next to Watch...the server seems slow for me, but it's there.
Also READ the "Please Read" disclaimer down between here and where you go to comment BEFORE posting problems!
_ _ _

Grant,

Video editing isn't quite yet for the faint of funds, but it's getting much better over time. Used to be in the $20,000 range, so $600 is pretty nice, considering. :) I'm not into it myself yet, but yeah, new Adobe programs are not what most of us would call cheap.

You may be able to find used copies on eBay or another program to do this kind of thing on a lower budget. Andrew's presets will not work with other programs, but the directions in the tutorial are pretty universal to video and photos.

The biggest breakthroughs he offers are the additive formulae for the glow and the two-point line, which is easier than manipulating four or more points.

It takes time, but with a little fiddling you can come up with this kind of effect in any photo or video editing software. (Well, not Windows paint, but almost anything above that!) Just use your favorite movie stills or photos as reference for the illumination and play with layer filters.
by Grant Frownfelter 12/30/2008
so basically you can only do this if you are really rich this program costs like 600 dollars if im wrong tell me
by Sam 12/30/2008
Hi Andrew. Can you send me the preset of that lightsaber ? Thanks in advance !! retribution.svk@gmail.com
by Peri Chain 12/29/2008
Hey Andrew. Could you please send me the light saber preset. I would really appreciate it.
by cajsa 12/29/2008
Hello! ^^ I've got a problem. I have got after effects cs4 on my computer and I wanted to do this effect, and I did excatly as Andrew said, I think, but my light is like standing still. It moves but it doesnt follow the saber but it moves like it.. :) what am I doing wrong? can someone please send me a message and tell me how i should do? ^^ it would be nice since I have to have this video finnished soon :)
my email: c.wilen@aland.net
sorry for my bad english
by Nino 12/28/2008
hi everyone I just want to ask about the before post about Alpha levels and Simple Choker I´ve tried almost everything trying to put in the AE cs3 and AE 7.0 the light saber in all its versions but nothing happens always appears that warning No exist: Saber Control please if somebody can help me; and try to be clear with the anwers
thank you so much.
by Mike 12/22/2008
Andrew:

Great tutorial. I was doing it the old fashioned way with the 4-point masks frame by frame, and while this tutorial doesn't make short work of the frame by frame aspect of it (motion tracking anyone? lol) it does cut the amount of work in half. One thing I noticed though. Something I do in contrast to what you do when the sabres intersect.

I was playing around with it, and noticed that if you do instead of using the lighten transfer mode, if you use add instead, yes it affects the color a little, but it also gives you a soft glow at the intersect point, to simulate a. energy surge when they connect.

In the tests I've done, the color loss is minimal, but then again, to each their own.

Love your work man, and Keep it up!!


Regards
Mike Phelps
Technical Supervisor
Fairfield Public Access Television
by boby 12/15/2008
Andrew YOU ARE BEST!!!!
and for noobs here :D just download the project file, there is the light saber effect.. dont spam here that you want it :D just download..
AND BIG THANS to ANDREW! like your tutorials..
by Tobias Ripper 12/13/2008
Why Can't u use a motion tracing?
by Andrew 12/13/2008
GUYS GUYS GUYS!!!!!! Click project for a ZIP with his presets zip. It has 6.5 and 7.0, but I tried it and 7.0 Preset works with CS3! Just follow the install guide thats in the zip.
by Tom 12/04/2008
you can find the download under were it says project files next 2 watch up the top!!!!
by filippo soncini 12/02/2008
the same effect for after effect cs3 exists???????????????
by Noah S 12/01/2008
I know everyone probably asks this, but i can't find the download for the preset and i ask that you could send it to me! Thanks a bunch
by Ryan 11/27/2008
great tutorial but were do you get the lightsabe preset from i really want to find out i have brought most of your packages but cant seem to find it
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