Rain effect

[EdwardMartinIII]

I have a still image and I'd like to make it look as if rain's sluicing across the scene.

When I used Premiere for this sort of effect, I'd make a couple of different 'slanted-lines' slides, with alpha channels and slide them across. Three or more made the rain seem fairly random. But with After Effects, I have even more opportunities to look silly.

I was thinking using the particle playground with a huge mouth up off-screen, shooting a high density of grey particles diagonally across the frame very rapidly.

And actually, I'll have different levels of rain because there are different depths to this image. So, there's a way-distant background image of a mountain, then a bunch of rain, then a foreground of people looking at the mountain with a big alpha channel mask around 'em, then a little more rain, then me. I figure I'd be doing a couple layers of particle playground for this.

Does anyone else have a better idea?

curious,


Edward

Like Lovecraft? Know Photoshop? Got time for the Unspeakable?

http://www.petting-zoo.org/Movies_Dreamquest.html

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

Well, I found a great and useful tutorial at

http://www.fanflicks.com/innervision/tutorials/aftereffects/rain01/rain01.htm

Enjoy the fruits of my labor!

Cheers,


Edward

Like Lovecraft? Know Photoshop? Got time for the Unspeakable?

http://www.petting-zoo.org/Movies_Dreamquest.html

 

[fox6design]

there is a rain plug-in. Studio effects...final effects... not sure the vendor, but do a search.

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

Yeah, that's how I found the last one.

Generally now when I want rain, I use Particle Playground. Makes for long render times, but the effect is nice. Same for snow, a hail of spears, cats, whatever.

I try to find ways to make my existing tools to the job, rather than strapping on a bunch of plug-ins.

Now in some cases, there are plug-ins that are fabulously handy. When I'm building starscapes, I prefer using Flaming Pear's glitterato, lunarcell, and solarcell plug-ins. Those are just terrific (I only wish I could use them in After Effects and animate those components!

Cheers,


Edward

"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door

 

[fox6design]

I am so with you on Glitterado and Flaming Pear. You can animate lunarcell to a degree... you can export a Photoshop image with Lunarcell as a flat texture, then wrap it around a sphere in some 3D program. Combined with KPT6 lens flare, Ive made great starscapes.