Quick Effect: Create a Mac OS X Leopard-style Aura Effect

Jan 21st in Motion Graphics by Mohsin Amjed

In this tutorial you learn how to create an aura effect which can used as a background for a dramatic title, similar in style to the default desktop background shipped with Mac OS X Leopard. This is a simple effect with an attractive end result that will be of use to all users of After Effects.

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Author: Mohsin Amjed

Mohsin is a young graphic and motion graphic designer. He has experience with almost every Adobe software made and has more then three years of experience. He currently resides in Virginia, USA, and seeks to establish a strong presence on the web. You can view Mohsin’s latest work on deviant art, flickr, and youtube, just search his name!

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Requirements: Trapcode Shine (download the trial version here).

Instructions: Click 'View Full-screen' button (bottom right corner) to see this HD tutorial at maximum size. Click screen to pause, click again to play.

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User Comments

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  1. PG

    Steve Mullen January 21st

    Cool effect, could be used in a lot of ways. Thanks!

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    insic January 21st

    very cool effect. thanks for the tutorial

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    halli January 21st

    lovely effect ;) good work

    http://www.quickurl.biz

    ( Reply )
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    DKumar M. January 21st

    nice show Mohsin….. Thanks for sharing!!

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    cameron January 21st

    beautiful and simple to do

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    gk January 21st

    cool effect,
    but teenagers learning After effects can’t afford $300 Particular!! or any of the infamous trapcode plug-ins.
    Please, please, try to create tuts that don’t use plug-ins. Anyone not using AE professionally wont likely have pricey Trapcode stuff.

    ( Reply )
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    mamjed January 21st

    hey thanks guys! this was my first screen cast ever (as you may be able to tell) i was so nervousness while i was recording (even though this was my 5th try!) ill try to come up with some more useful quick effects for the future!

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    Nate January 21st

    Oh now thats cool. I might try it…
    http://www.looneylunar.com/

    ( Reply )
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    Chris January 22nd

    @gk – You say “teenagers” using After Effects can’t afford a $300 plugin for a $1000 application? You do realize that right? If you can afford the application then you can surely afford the plugins like Trapcode’s plugins.

    ( Reply )
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    efszijukej January 22nd

    chris, thought the same :D

    nice tutorial btw!:)

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    Ahmed Mohsen January 22nd

    Awsome!
    keep up the good work
    http://www.motionsociety.com/

    ( Reply )
  12. PG

    Billy January 22nd

    Good effect….but yet another very, very basic (basically beginners) tutorial. One after another around here. Where oh where are the advanced tuts?

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      Billyisungrateful like most getting knowledge for free July 19th

      Hey Billy why don’t you create one then? I visualize you with a thumb in your mouth whining about this. You came here for a reason right? Okay then!

      ( Reply )
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    Leonardo January 22nd

    Good effect and Tutorial!
    I training a lot !!!

    http://www.kibesteira.com.br – Enjoy

    ( Reply )
  14. PG

    mamjed January 22nd

    I must agree, some advanced tutorials are in call for. these have been some fairly easy tuts. Maybe AETuts is working on a PLUS section for the advanced tuts.

    ( Reply )
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    Mike January 22nd

    Nice

    ( Reply )
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    Michal J. January 23rd

    @Billy

    Maybe no one submitted advanced tutorial so far? Waiting as well but simple tutorials can show some new ways.

    ( Reply )
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    mosen January 23rd

    hey
    nice tutorial. maybe you shouldn´t have tried to explain the title/action safe area :)
    also i think that changing first and last evolution keyframe on the second aura would have been a more elegant way of makig the two look different. (no speed change and also no extra layer.)
    i am looking forward to more complex tutorials from you, especially if you think that there are no complex ones on here yet (which might be true, still i am curious what you will come up with that is more complex).
    good stuff anyway. i saw that you also have no perfect way of centering stuff (you were just going for the center by the title safe area, which i do too). i wonder why you can´t type in the position of an object (like in illustrator or so). or can you?

    cheers

    ( Reply )
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    leblebi January 23rd

    thanks for the tutorial.
    there is one point i do not agree. if the first frame and the last frame will be the same it means when it loops the animation freezes 1 frame in every loop.so you should slide end keyframe 1 frame to the right for seamless loop.for slow animations maybe it doesn’t mater but fast ones it does.

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    T.Baurain January 24th

    Loved it! As a novice to After Effects, this was a easy to follow tutorial. I love Trapcode Shine!

    ( Reply )
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    Chinonso Anyaehie January 24th

    amazing effect, just that in Nigeria here it is hard for tutorials to load.
    am appealing to Aetuts to make there tutorials written as well as vedio

    ( Reply )
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    Staiko January 24th

    Thank you very much, very impressive stuff !

    ( Reply )
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    Jen January 25th

    Good Stuff! Most of the tutorials I find are very bland.

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    Misael Arroyo January 29th

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    davedog34 January 30th

    top stuff, really special

    ( Reply )
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    Joel A. Glovier January 31st

    Wow, I’ve never even worked with after effects, I’m primarily a graphic designer but so interested in moving into the motion graphics realm. Just watching this tutorial helps me see how the interface works in after effects and some of the basic functions of creating motion graphics.

    Lots to learn yet!! Great tutorial.

    http://www.jagdesignideas.com

    ( Reply )
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    Daluz February 17th

    Great ! Thanks from Brasil!

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    Charles February 17th

    solo queria decirte que esta bueno el tutto, pero en ingles…quisiera uno en español….seria genial…

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    CgBaran Tuts April 22nd

    Nice effect thanks

    ( Reply )
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    juan July 26th

    GOOD effects. thanks

    ( Reply )
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    d3vans January 8th

    awesome effect….

    ( Reply )
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    kyle zbylut February 5th

    when I finished there are 2 lines in the back ground forming an X how do I get rid of them?

    ( Reply )
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