Quick Tip – Add Lux To Your Lights (Without Lux)

on Dec 14th 2012 with 25 comments
Tutorial Details
  • Requirements: After Effects,
  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Run Time: 6:53 min

Here is another QuickTip for those of you who still haven’t procured the amazing Trapcode Suite. Though we advise you get the plug-in yourself, here is a handy little tip to to help generate the look of Trapcode Lux.

If you’d like to get a little more in-depth with this technique you can read Satya’s Blogpost.

Republished Tutorial

Every few weeks, we revisit some of our reader's favorite posts from throughout the history of the site. This tutorial was first published in February 2010.

QuickTip

Download QuickTip .flv

File size 36MB

 
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I am an aspiring Motion Designer influenced by Generative Art. I am always willing to work with interesting people and you can follow me on twitter @gutsblow.  

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  • Maneco

    Thanks for the great technique!

  • jenzung

    cool!

  • Fab

    yes, thanks!

  • madison

    really cool thank you

  • BHO

    Very cool tip, Keep them coming please!

  • http://www.tripodbg.com Stefoto

    Very interesting technique! Simple yet powerful! :) Great tutorial.

  • Richard Williams

    Thanks, Satya. Well done, sir!

    • BERT

      how do you create the logo?

  • http://erichinson.com eric

    nice discovery! thanks man!

  • matt

    sweet action!

  • Vailancio

    Thanks

  • Krimzon

    great idea!
    might be able to use a distance to object command to regulate the z position or intensity of the light in comp 2 to solve the zoom issue…
    z position of solid in comp 2: Math.log(light position in comp 1,camera position comp 1)

  • http://www.media-geeks.com christopher kirkman

    I haven’t quite gotten the formula to work, so anyone with more scripting experience is more than welcome to finesse this to work better, since I’m just piece-mealing, but my theory is that if you link the camera distance to the light position, you can change light intensity, giving the illusion of a size-changing point.

    I’ve got this script in my light on Comp 2, which can get a more experienced scripter started:

    decay = -.001;
    noFalloff = 200;

    C = comp(“Comp 1″).layer(“Camera 1″);

    d = length(C.transform.position,transform.position);
    if (d < noFalloff){
    value;
    }else{
    value/Math.exp((d – noFalloff)*decay);
    }

    You can kinda see where this is going. I snagged bits of code off from Dann Ebbert's Light Falloff script to help from here: http://www.motionscript.com/design-guide/falloff.html

    • http://www.gutsblow.com/ Satya Meka
      Author

      It is quite possible to control the z-position of the light in the Light Comp, with an exponential function, like the one you stated above. But, in the end its just complicated for users. There is another method, where one can sync the camera’s in the light comp and the destination comp. It works without the need of any expressions at all, but the solids don’t resize automatically if zoomed out and its again not feasible.

      • http://www.media-geeks.com christopher kirkman

        except that I’m not controlling the z-position, at least not in theory, I’m controlling the intensity of the light based on the camera’s assumed proximity to the light. The higher the intensity, the larger the light looks without actually affecting the amount of light being reflected on the plane below.

        Trouble is, I stink at math, and I’m only slightly better with motion scripting. I appreciate you taking a look though, and thanks for the tutorial.

      • http://www.gutsblow.com/ Satya Meka
        Author

        It is definitely a good idea to control the intensity instead of the z position. But in theory, when you zoom out the effective radius of the light decreases, but not its intensity. I guess your logic works in many cases, but I intentionally didn’t get into crazy math functions in the tutorial just so that people won’t be confused. But its good to hear someone experimenting ;)

  • http://www.cyphermesh.com Juan

    Hell Yeah! Wish I found this first prior to purchasing Trapcode goods…ahh well…freakin awesome to know in case you dont have all your tools for your fix.

    Keep sharing the knowledge.

    Thanks Satya

  • Raoul

    Really nice Satya, it’s been a while since you’ve post a tut ^^

    Best,
    R.

  • Agnes Lusotti

    why there isn’t tutorial with After Affects and Blender (3D open soucer software) working together? Do they really work together?

  • http://www.pleasewhisper.com/ Ed

    Interesting tip, however perhaps an even simpler method that yields even greater control (you can zoom, pan, tilt, etc with the camera) is to create a solid. Mask with an ellipse. Add whatever color correction and glow effects you need. Then make it 3D and auto orient the solid to the camera.
    Example:
    http://www.pleasewhisper.com/crap/lightTest.mov
    Note – added some fractal noise to the orbs just to illustrate the orientation step a little further.

    • http://www.pleasewhisper.com/ Ed

      Forgot to add – copy the position of the lights to the position of the solids.

    • http://www.gutsblow.com/ Satya Meka
      Author

      Ed, I did think of such a method. But when you zoom out, the size of the solid remains the same and it becomes render hog to increase the size of the solid exponentially.

      • http://www.pleasewhisper.com/ Ed

        Gotcha. Point taken. All depends on the actual shot needed I suppose and how a camera needs to move. Cheers.

  • Loay Emad

    Thanks A lot

  • http://URL(Optional) dude

    Get Trapcode, so much easier, ya know, and looks alot better IMO but nice tuts still can get some cool effects from using this technique! DEF WILL TRY IT OUT!