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Special Effects software

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:27 pm
by sillyanimate
Hi I use Anime Studio Pro 11 on my computer....
I want to make like a magical girl Anime or cartoon...

Any good software for special effects?
I am kinda on a budget
And I like something easy to use and HD export

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:35 pm
by synthsin75
Particle layers in AS.

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 10:37 pm
by slowtiger
Particle layers, glow effects, masks with lots of blur, animated colour changes, animated masks, layer blend modes. It's all there.

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:26 am
by hayasidist
I'll add frame-by-frame to that list for "pop" / "wham" / "fizz" / "transform" / ... splashes.

If you can say or sketch out the concept of what you want in more detail I'm sure there'll be loads of help

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 10:25 am
by slowtiger
Your main problem with research is to know the right term for a certain effect. Was it glow? fog? beam? or what?

Usually first I search for a good example image from a show/ film I can name. The I google "what's the name of that effect in (film title) at (time code)" Some otaku out there surely has asked this before. With the correct name, I google "how to do (effect name)". In most cases I will get Photoshop tutorials, or AfterEffect. Study these. You will find tools which are just the same in AS, only have different names. The basic concepts of masking, blur, blend mode, layer order are the same in all programs.

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 1:59 pm
by dueyftw
Flame Painter.

Dale

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:43 pm
by neeters_guy
Flame Painter 3 doesn't export animation, but a companion product just released called Amberlight 2 does.

Another particle effects software is Timeline FX.

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 11:58 pm
by ruscular3d
Special effect on the cheap I would recommend Dogwaffle's software called "howler 9.6"

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 4:46 pm
by sillyanimate
Sadly, I don't want to pay monthly or yearly payments for after effects.

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:36 pm
by herbert123
sillyanimate wrote:I guess will use after effects....
to YouTube I go
So you've taken out a subscription, right?

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:54 pm
by Psmith
OpenToonz also has an extensive set of FX built into the software. Probably more effects than most people will ever need. Also, OpenToonz has particles which can be used in conjunction with these effects.

Here is a tutorial showing how to use shading and glow effects:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcZ2pnC ... Ob&index=3


Greg Smith

Re: Special Effects software

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:09 pm
by Greenlaw
HitFilm Express is free. It's a subset of the full program but maybe it can help you with what you want to do. I'm not exactly sure what's missing from the free version but it might be worth a look. I mainly use the plugin version of HitFilm's tools for AE and they have some really unique and useful fx tools.

By 'Magical Girl, I'm guessing you mean like Sailor Moon or Puella Magi Madoka Magica? If so, I think this might do the trick.