Advanced Lightning is a plugin for After Effects that is meant to generate realistic lightning. It is the sucessor to
lightning, although the latter is not completely useless in all situations.
Usage[]
Generally, Advanced Lightning is only useful for visual effects, as nearly any other practical usage is inefficient and can likely be substituted, such as in title introductions.
Properties[]
Lightning Type
- Direction: Lightning is directed in a predefined location. It does not stop at the Direction position.
- Strike: Lightning is directed in a predefined location. The lightning ends at Direction position.
- Breaking: Creates a rapid, broken, spread-out bolt.
- Bouncey: Emits the lightning very close to the Origin. Keeps the lightning very close together, in a fuzzball-like shape.
- -Line Break-
- Omni: Lightning is emitted downward from the Origin. Outer Radius modifies a linear wipe on the lightning.
- Anywhere: Lightning is emitted literally everywhere downward. Outer Radius performs the same as Omni.
- Vertical: Only uses one location; the Origin.
- Two-Way Strike: Works exactly the same as Strike, except has two strikes combined.
Origin: XY value that affects the position of where the lightning is emitted from.
Direction: XY value that affects the position in which the lightning emits toward. Also affects the ending position for Strike and Two-Way Strike.
Outer Radius: Exclusive to Omni and Anywhere. Affects a simple vertical wipe.
Conductivity State: Changes the seed of the lightning. Can be animated to simulate lightning movement.
Core Settings
- Core Radius: Changes the size of the core of the lightning.
- Core Opacity: Changes the opacity of the core.
- Core Color: Changes the color of the core.
Glow Settings
- Glow Radius: Changes the size of the glow emitted from the core.
- Glow Opacity: Changes the opacity of the glow.
- Glow Color: Changes the color of the glow.
'Alpha Obstacle:' (Under Research) Changes alpha of certain forks in the lightning. Appears to be useless.
Turbulence: Modifies forking seed. Another way to animate lightning.
Forking: Percentage of 1-100% affecting how much the lightning forks.
Decay: Changes how much the lightning decays from the core. A higher value decreases the spread of forks.
Checkbox - Decay Main Core: Affects as to whether the main core should decay or not.
Checkbox - Composite on Original: Affects as to whether the effect should add transparency or keep the background the layer currently has.