Adobe 65008009 - After Effects CS4 Using Manual page 493

Last updated 12/21/2009
Advanced Lightning effect
The Advanced Lightning effect creates simulations of electrical discharges. Unlike the Lightning effect, Advanced
Lightning doesn't self-animate. Animate the Conductivity State or other properties to animate the lightning.
The Advanced Lighting effect includes the Alpha Obstacle feature, with which you can make the lightning go around
designated objects.
Chris Zwar provides a detailed description on
blood vessel capillaries.
Eran Stern provides a video introduction to the Advanced Lightning effect on the
This effect works with 8-bpc color.
Specifies the characteristics of the lightning.
Lightning Type
Note: The type determines the nature of the Direction/Outer Radius contextual control. In the Breaking type, the
branches are focused toward the Direction point as the distance between Origin and Direction increases.
Specifies the point of origin for the lightning.
Origin
This control changes depending on the Lightning Type:
Direction, Outer Radius
•
The Direction or Outer Radius control is not available if Lightning Type is Vertical.
Not In Use
•
Specifies the distance that the lightning travels from its origin. This control is enabled if Omni or
Outer Radius
Anywhere is selected as the lightning type. Use it to terminate the lightning at a defined distance from the origin.
•
Specifies the direction that the lightning travels. This control is enabled if any of the following lightning
Direction
types are selected: Direction, Strike, Breaking, Bouncy, and Two-Way Strike.
Changes the path of the lightning.
Conductivity State
These controls adjust various characteristics of the core of the lightning.
Core Settings
These controls adjust the glow of the lightning.
Glow Settings
Note: To disable the glow, set Glow Opacity to 0. This setting can speed up rendering time greatly.
Specifies the influence of the alpha channel of the original layer on the path of the lightning. The
Alpha Obstacle
lightning attempts to wrap itself around opaque areas of the alpha channel of the layer, seeing them as an obstacle.
Note: If Alpha Obstacles is set to a value other than 0, it's not always possible to preview the correct result in less than full
resolution; full resolution may reveal new obstacles. Be sure to check the result in full resolution before final rendering.
Specifies the amount of turbulence in the lightning path. Higher values result in a more complex strike
Turbulence
containing more branches and forks, and lower values produce simpler strikes with fewer branches.
Specifies what percentage of a branch is forked. Turbulence and Alpha Obstacle settings influence forking.
Forking
Specifies the amount of continuous decay or dissipation of the lightning strength and influences where the
Decay
opacity of the forks begins to fade.
Decays the main core along with its forks.
Decay Main Core
Composites the lightning with the original layer using the Add blending mode. When
Composite On Original
deselected, only the lightning is visible.
Specifies the complexity of the turbulence in the lightning.
Complexity
Specifies the minimum pixel distance between new forks. Lower values create more forks in the
Min. Forkdistance
lightning. Higher values result in fewer forks.
his website of how he used the Advanced Lightning effect to simulate
USING AFTER EFFECTS CS4
Effects and animation presets
Motionworks website.
487