New Heat Distortion Plug-in Sneak Peek
October 7th, 2013

Creating realistic heat distortion in After Effects can be tricky to control using displacement maps and fractal noise AND that is why we created our own dedicated Heat Distortion plug-in! Check out the video to see it in Action.

Watch on Vimeo

Watch on Youtube

This plug-in will be available exclusively with the Flight Kit collection that also include over 200+ Jet Sound FX, 360 Sky Maps (4K), Aerial Explosion Stock Footage! The Flight Kit Pack goes perfectly with the soon to be released JetStrike Model pack available Tomorrow!

Flight Kit Product Features:

  • Over 200+ Aircraft Sound FX: Like the ones from the JetStrike teaser!
  • 25 HDR Sky Maps. Full 360 maps at 4K Resolution with various cloud types and sunsets.
  • High Definition Aerial Explosions Stock Footage!
  • Plus an advanced Heat Distortion Plug-in by Video Copilot.

Flight Kit is available separately for $99.95

UPDATE:NowAvailable!

Andrew Kramer
POSTED:
12 years ago
59 Comments
Jupes
8 years ago
Hi people, I was wondering if there is anyway to get the heat distortion plugin to work on layered alpha channels for exporting to Resolve? Cheers
9 years ago
Particle Fire / https://vimeo.com/157689486 / C4D + AE / Heat Distortion
Onyx
10 years ago
Thank you VC, can you show us a little how you created this super cool afterburner? I know we can do it with particles but it's never this beautiful. I bet you have some really cool tricks. Deeply appreciated!
Steve
11 years ago
Did you get any help with the Crash? thinking of getting the plug in but see it crashes some CS6 installs? Andrew?? Can you address this??
Thomas
11 years ago
I've the same Problem with crashing after effects after using heat distortion. CS 6 and CS 5 crash.
Any Ideas?
matt
12 years ago
I installed the heat distortion plug in and when I got to use it my after effects crashes? I tried reinstalling it but same thing happens? help!
emil
9 years ago
it crashes for me too, sometimes, when i start after effects (in a project its already being used at)

sometimes it takes a few restarts of the program for it to not crash.

I know this is not solving the problem, but it helps if you need access to your project.

usually after restarting after effects 1 time does the job for me, and the plug in doesnt crash.
12 years ago
this is sweet!
Also waiting on that VHS noise/artifact plugin you teased a while back!
mark
12 years ago
I like you guys' work...
LocutusOfBorg
12 years ago
Can anyone guide me to somewhere where I can learn to make an afterburner effect? Or - Andrew Kramer, this is for you - Can you make a tutorial about it?
12 years ago
I can set this up with nodes manually with other apps, but its cool to have this directly inside of Ae and i bet this is optimized a bit better than a manual node-based approach.
12 years ago
Bravo again VC! You guys really set the bar! Products are phenomenal, Prices are attainable, Usability is incredible!
Kai
12 years ago
Hi Andrew,

First of all, thanks a lot for this Plug-In. That's exactly what I was looking for for ages.
I have a question, though: Is it possible to loop the distortion effect? Or could this be a feature in future versions?

Thanks again, have a nice day.
Dre
12 years ago
Andrew how come we can't see to order the new pack, been waiting on this killer pack and with what it can do... oh baby! We want it, hell we need it.
cyrus
12 years ago
And also if it's possible... cheers, and great job andrew!
cyrus
12 years ago
Woaw! awsome pack... can the utilities behind controlling the airship's individual parts be applied to another pack, say with characters? and animating walk/run cycle... arms... waving... shooting??? who thinks it might be a good idea?
Tushar Deshpande
12 years ago
Hi Andrew,

This is great update, I can see in examples you are using Element 1.6.2 I am looking forward to see the update. Kindly let us know when Element update will be released.
juplo
12 years ago
salute to VC team,
i wanna share my thought if that's okay,
i really had high hopes in the future of element 3d
i see so many features in 3d programs can be totally replaced by element 3d,
i just wonder if element 3d could do more things, such as rigid body, nurbs, fracturing, bending, morphing object hey man you master 3ds max,
so i don't need other programs,, just element is enough..
timmy
12 years ago
Hey andrew amazing pack. I was wondering if we could get heli jets similar in the film 6th day. PIC BELOW.

http://pluckyoutoo.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/6daywcraft.jpg
V I P I N
12 years ago
SUPER DUPER HOT.cant wait to get my hands on it and the entire pack. A W E S O M E work Andrew
12 years ago
This isn't a reflection on the quality of the product, not even remotely, but I feel the need to point out that you're using the term Heat Signature wrong.

An object's heat signature is how it appears when viewed through an infrared camera. The blue, orange, yellow, white and red hues representative of the amount of heat emanating from said object. I.E. Predator vision.

What you're describing in the video as a heat signature is actually called Heat Haze. Both distortion and haze occur when looking at something through the mixture of hot and cold air refracting light off of each other creating a mirage.

Again, not knocking the hard work that has gone into the plugin, just doing my part to educate.
dean
12 years ago
i guess next is cars and helicopters
dean
12 years ago
i don`t know what to say, but long live VC. thanks Andrew.
12 years ago
Gotta say I'm just as excited about this Kit as I am the Jet Strike pack! I could see using the Heat Distortion Plugin subtlety on the end of a machine gun barrel, etc.
Eric Kirk
12 years ago
Andrew,

I think you partially answer this with regard to the tracking of masks. You said, just manually but did you do your animation by animating the jet or animating the camera, leaving the jet basically in place? Thanks, Eric
Kirk Productions
Александр
12 years ago
Reallllllyyyyyyyyy coooool AK! Good job!
Sudhanshu
12 years ago
Hello Andrew! this plugin is intresting but im waiting when you give us collection of fume-fx blats series like you did in train vfx & flight kit
rapper.....and also like blasts in man of steel,2012 &energy collections etc if you can make it,our work will easy!
Thanks your one ideal customer & vfx lover Sudhanshu Pandey
rogerdeodat
12 years ago
will they be a new update for element 3d in order to use the jet pack ?
12 years ago
I got a question. What is the difference between using this and using Turbulence Displacement?
12 years ago
Check out the video. I show you the comparison.
jj
12 years ago
It seems that a handy feature would me to have distortion based on luminosity. as in the title shot, the distortion maps could be generated by the bright sparks with some threshold controls. But maybe this wouldn't produce a realistic result?? Anyway, sweet plugin!
Steffen
12 years ago
I see in the video, the version Element 3D v1.6.2
Also comes on 8.October a new update for Element 3D
I must say I left there full -mouthed full VCP are the biggest
I love VCP and all products of you
12 years ago
Yes but this update only opens up features for JetStrike. I don't think there are any "new features".
12 years ago
Will it come with airplanes 3D models?
12 years ago
Nope. You'll need to get the sky pack bundle or JetStrike to get the Jets.
Eric Kirk
12 years ago
At first read, it looked like you needed both a "Sky Pack" for airplanes or "JetStrike" for jets but I see in your Blog they are one in the same. The bundle is your Flight Kit and JetStrike if I read correctly?
Eric Kirk
Kirk Productions
Steffen
12 years ago
Flight Kit $ 99.95 is fully in order a very good price
and the price of the Jet Strike Pack and $ 99.95 or more
IloveVideocopilot
12 years ago
Actually $99.95 that is insane.I would pay this just for the great Plug in but but over 200 models with 4K (!) textures and 25 HDR Sky Maps.O my god i will buy this ! It is actually somemuch good stuff that i forgot to talk about the explosion stock footage.On the flight kit you can see a very good looking explosion is it integrated in the pack ?
Gayantha
12 years ago
Love the tutorial! (andrew)
This is fantastic work......good luck
Dan Steventon
12 years ago
Hey Andrew, Bit off topic, but do you do any discounts for students?
Oliver
12 years ago
Will you be making 'Heat Wave' available separately at a later date? Because although the Flight & Jet Kits look amazing, it's just not something I will be using for my work and it just seems wasteful to me to buy an entire pack for just one thing.
Ed
12 years ago
Same here. I'd like to purchase just the plugin alone.
Nou
12 years ago
I would easily pay money for the plugin itself, just like the twitch plugin
Andrew
12 years ago
This is the plug in I am looking for.
12 years ago
Are those HDR skymaps usable for lighting in vray ?
I mean, are they .hdr and prepared for that exercise ?
And what type of mapping is it ?
Thanks anyway.
12 years ago
This is gonna be great that's for sure.
PavanRzx
12 years ago
Very cool plug-in LOVE IT.....

Is this plug-in available only with the Flight Kit? I mean, is it available later separately for sale or free? The Kit is incredible as well
Jake
12 years ago
Highway To The Kramer Zone
12 years ago
Amazing! I've been looking for good heat distortion. Would be great if it was seperate though, I don't have much use for the others at the moment.

I'll still probably buy though! XD
12 years ago
i want this plug in!!!! how much is this?
12 years ago
Impressive! The mask can be applied as normal layer (medium) and the control layer (with the plug) and animated mask as usual, if present plugin? Or work a little differently?
12 years ago
nice.................................
meet
12 years ago
Heyy can u release it now....please m ready to buy...plz release it asap...
MONDO18
12 years ago
Awesome work as usual sir! The possibilities are endless. Another essential purchase! What time will it be available in Europe?
Patrick J
12 years ago
Are all of the explosions in the kit generated with FumeFX or are there some real explosions in there as well?
Patrick J
12 years ago
I ask as it says "stock footage" are there any elements pre-keyed like Action Essentials as well as the fully CG explosions?
12 years ago
CG!
Patrick J
12 years ago
Awesome! Thanks for the response.
It is released tomorrow as well right? or are you making some final tweaks to it for release later this month?
Patrick J
12 years ago
AWESOME! Thanks again Andrew!
Is there a price that can be released yet for the bundle or do we have to wait until tomorrow for pricing? Sorry for all of the questions, just excited! Last Q. I promise Have a great day!
JMS
12 years ago
I would guess no as it seems a little impractical to film real aerial explosions, but fumefx splosions look cooler anyway. And of course they will be pre keyed
Patrick J
12 years ago
@JMS
I definitely agree and since we use FumeFX at our studio if we wanted to customize an explosion to match a VC one it would be a much better composite. I just figured as HUGE as VC and AK are they had a budget to blow up a couple airliners for real and film it from his private helicopter. hahaha We appreciate everything Andrew! I've been following since you had only a handful of tutorials. You're truly an inspiration and an innovative force in our industry!
troy
12 years ago
you always come up with awesome solutions! i love you man!
James
12 years ago
I hate to ask more of this plug-in, which is amazing and easy to use btw, but if you could add another setting like groups. Element3D for example has five groups and each group can control various of things to have a different look than another group. Same thing for this plug-in. Let's say I want mask one to have really intense distortion and mask two to be really subtle and going in a certain direction. IF this can be done that would be awesome, if not it doesn't matter, it's still a killer plug-in.
Patrick J
12 years ago
Did Alex contribute/work on this pack? He is pretty great with 3D! Been a fan of amateurmedia from the beginning! The models look great and I really am excited for tomorrow.
Timber_Wolf_2
12 years ago
Wow. That's awesome! Very powerful! Now to try to get my boss to fork over the money for it...

One question: how are you able to apply a mask to the layer and not have it mask out the image? Shouldn't there have been just a circle left when you drew a mask over the engine? Does the plugin over-ride the masks transfer mode?
12 years ago
The Plug-in Overrides this. But there is an option to turn that off.
JMS
12 years ago
That seems a little too much like witchcraft..I'll be using on an adjustment layer.
Timber_Wolf_2
12 years ago
It's cool that it can do that, but I can see it being confusing and generally outside the norm for most people's workflows. I'm sure most will treat it like JMS here... but still, that's really cool. Way to innovate and develop!
Jeremy Abbott
12 years ago
As he explains in a post above, adjustment layers don't have alpha channels so the mask doesn't have the same effect as applying directly to the layer. You're better off either using the layer like he says or another layer as track matte.
12 years ago
when we can get cars pack and fantasy city pack
Patrick J
12 years ago
Bravo again VC! You guys really set the bar! Products are phenomenal, Prices are attainable, Usability is incredible! How do I go about putting an add that links to VC on our upcoming site?
12 years ago
what amazing man i cant wait anymore please make it now i wanna get it
Dan
12 years ago
So will there be a way to attach the control mask to tracking data?
12 years ago
That is more of a function of After Effects. We just use regular mask data. I find hand animating the mask works fine for this effect since it is not that precise anyways.
Dan
12 years ago
Sick. You're right, I guess heat turbulence doesn't need to be all that precise anyway
12 years ago
Does the effect have to be on the footage layer or does it work with adjustment layers as well?
JMS
12 years ago
Im guessing this wont work out of the box by just dropping onto an element layer? Masks and e3d layers dont play nice...
12 years ago
Holy..... You sir are the king of turning hard brain work into one simple action! oh......and you're on fire
12 years ago
Great Andrew,

can I adjust the intensity of the effect by tuning the opacity adjustment of the mask? For example, if I have two masks like you in the example, but I want the right one to have a less visible effect, can I just turn down the opacity of that mask and it adjusts the effect, too?

cheers
Dino
12 years ago
Yes. That works. Mask Opacity affects the intensity. There is also a layer selection that allows you to use a matte.
12 years ago
Amazing! Thanks for the reply, Andrew.
12 years ago
Now that is HOT!!!
Well done VC, another triumphant addition to an already flawless bunch of products!
Impaczus
12 years ago
PLEASE RELEASE IT NOW!
James Park
12 years ago
Andrew this is awesome! I really can't wait. You have made the perfect tools to allow us to make some awesome digital dogfights. I was wondering in this pack, do you also have models for the interior cockpits? If not, please make that available in future update! That would complete the picture making this the most definitive tool for digital aircrafts.