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Lightning


    The Lightning effect creates lightning bolts and other electrical effects, including a "Jacob's Ladder" effect (as seen in old horror movies) between two specified points in a clip. This effect is automatically animated without keyframes across the time range.

    Start Point

    Specifies where the lightning begins.

    End Point

    Specifies where the lightning ends.

    Segments

    Specifies the number of segments that form the main lightning bolt. Higher values produce more detail but reduce the smoothness of motion.

    Amplitude

    Specifies the size of undulations in the lightning bolt as a percentage of the clip width.

    Detail Level and Detail Amplitude

    Specify how much detail is added to the lightning bolt and any branches. For Detail Level, typical values are between 2 and 3. For Detail Amplitude, a typical value is 0.3. Higher values for either option are best for still images but tend to obscure animation.

    Branching

    Specifies the amount of branching (or forking) that occurs from the main lightning bolt. Branches appear at the ends of segments. A value of 0 produces no branching, and a value of 1.0 produces branching at every segment.

    Rebranching

    Specifies the amount of branching from branches. Higher values produce tree-like lightning bolts.

    Branch Angle

    Specifies the size of the angle between a branch and the main lightning bolt.

    Branch Seg. Length

    Specifies the length of each branch segment as a fraction of the average length of the segments in the lightning bolt.

    Branch Segments

    Specifies the maximum number of segments for each branch. To produce long branches, specify higher values for both the branch segment length and the branch segments.

    Branch Width

    Specifies the average width of each branch as a fraction of the width of the lightning bolt.

    Speed

    Specifies how fast the lightning bolt undulates.

    Stability

    Determines how closely the lightning undulates along the line defined by the start and end points. Lower values keep the lightning bolt close to the line; higher values create significant bouncing.

    Note: Stability and Pull Force Simulate a "Jacob's Ladder" effect. When used together, these controls cause the lightning bolt to snap back to a position along the start line after it has been pulled in a direction specified in Pull Force. You may need to adjust values before you find the required effect. A Stability value that is too low does not allow the lightning to be stretched into an arc before it snaps back; a value that is too high lets the lightning bolt bounce around.

    Fixed Endpoint

    Determines whether the end point of the lightning bolt remains fixed in place. If this option is not selected, the end of the bolt undulates around the end point.

    Width

    Specifies the width of the main lightning bolt.

    Width Variation

    Specifies how much the width of different segments of the lightning bolt can vary. Width changes are randomized. A value of 0 produces no width changes; a value of 1 produces the maximum width changes.

    Core Width

    Specifies the width of the inner glow, as specified by the Inside Color value. The Core Width is relative to the total width of the lightning bolt.

    Outside Color and Inside Color

    Specify the colors used for the lightning bolt's outer and inner glows. Because the Lightning effect adds these colors on top of existing colors in the composition, primary colors often produce the best results. Bright colors often become much lighter, sometimes becoming white, depending on the brightness of colors beneath.

    Pull Force

    Specifies the strength of a force that pulls the lightning bolt in the direction specified by the Pull Direction value. Use the Pull Force value with the Stability value to create a "Jacob's Ladder" effect.

    Pull Direction

    Specifies the direction of the Pull Force. The lightning bolt is pulled in this direction.

    Random Seed

    Specifies a starting point for randomizing the lightning effects you have specified. Because random movement of the lightning may interfere with another clip, typing another value for the Random Seed starts the randomizing at a different point, changing the movement of the lightning bolt.

    Blending Mode

    Specifies how the lightning is added to the clip.

    Normal

    Simply overlays the lightning on the clip. To render lightning by itself, use Normal on a transparent clip.

    Add

    Adds the color values, producing lighter colors.

    Screen

    Multiplies the inverse brightness levels of the clip and the lightning and uses the resulting colors, which are always lighter.

    Rerun at Each Frame

    Controls the frame-by-frame generation of the lightning. Selecting this option regenerates the lightning at each frame. To make the lightning behave the same way at the same frame every time you run it, do not select this option. Selecting this option may increase rendering time.