I've always been a big fan of quality audio and here is a great video that highlights what goes into such amazing sound. And if sound doesn't get you excited, there are some really cool guns around 4 minutes too!

We recently added a new feature to Optical Flares to generate native Motion Blur. This makes a lot of sense because when your light source is moving rapidly it becomes blurred and naturally the flare elements should follow. Sorry for the back-to-back plug-in updates but this one is actually fun!

The feature is simple to use, just turn on motion blur for the layer and comp switch, then adjust the samples in the plug-in Motion Blur roll-out.

The light streaks in the sample video are made with Particular and the light is moving with a wiggle expression.

Remember, too many motion blur samples can be slower so adjust the value as needed for your project.

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If you are interested in learning more about Optical Flares with tutorials and examples, click here.

See Sample Video

Alright like most of you, I spent a lot of this weekend thinking about underwater explosions and more specifically... underwater IMPLOSIONS!

See, when an explosion or charge is set off underwater the force of the explosion diminishes and the pressure of the surround water collapses in. Take a minute to visualize this... feel free to include sound effects as needed. So naturally I started experimenting with ways to create the effect using clips in our Action Essentials 2 kit and I think the results are pretty convincing.

For the tutorial I wanted to incorporate it into a cool scene but my bathtub was full of my kids toys so I had to build my own underwater silent destroyer!

The first thing I did was buy a 3D model from an online marketplace, then I brought it into 3DS max for lighting and animation. In After Effects I added the atmosphere and built the exciting implosion!! Stay tuned.

See Screenshots

Hey just a quick note, there is a new version of Optical Flares 1.2.129 that addresses some various bugs and performance improvements for Mac and PC. As we continue to develop new plug-ins this page will also serve as a location to find and get new versions.

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The wire monster is back... but this time it's personal. Not really, but my goal was to create a material that was somewhat translucent or plastic. I don't know why I have been experimenting so much but I REALLY don't know why I even post it. Oh well.

For the technical folks, I used a light material blended with a reflective material instead of sss. About 2 min to render at 1K rez.

See High Resolution