Advanced 3D Light Rays in After Effects!

[@ArchTeryx00]

A message from the future (2022): This actually got a lot easier witht he introduction of CC Light Rays to the effects panel. Much of the creation of the volumetric light can now be done in a single step, by applying the CC Light Rays effect to the ellipse shape. That being said, the rest of the video still applies, and if you want to create the light using this technique, it still works in After Effects 2022. (Yoiu can also extrude and bevel text with single-step effects as well in 2022).

[@XMNF]

You can also make it super easy in the Nebula plugin :)

[@tgs1766]

A message from 2023. CC Light Rays will definitely not give you the same effect that you see done throughout this video.

[@coreygun]

A message from 2026: I can't find this video anymore, maybe it's been deleted, so please don't remove it in order for this message to actually exist. Thanks.

[@nottdiego_]

@@coreygun no way

[@igobyandrew]

Message from 2025: I dont know what to believe anymore...

[@galefraney]

Your tutorials are so fantastic on every level, excellent information, creativity, quality. What sets you apart from other KZbin tutorials is that you explain all aspects (what, where, why, when, how) ... and you offer several creative examples. Most other KZbin tutorials merely explain “how” like rote recipe steps, without explaining why, when, etc. I see that you haven’t posted tutorials for quite some time. I know you are now so much in demand and working on numerous projects. But what made you so well loved within the video and design community is that you took time to give back to the community with your amazing tutorials and you also so generously offered some free plugins for people on low budgets (like myself). As you rise to higher and higher career spheres, please do not forget us regular folk ... please continue posting tutorials and occasionally throw us poor folk some much appreciated crumbs. Thanks !!!

[@1mikebowman]

I made this following your exact instructions on here and let me say....this is really cool! My first AE project....although not my own I really learned a ton. Thanks!!! Zero issue!!!!

[@МаркХаустов-д6с]

Greetings from a Russian viewer in 2020. Watching this video when I first work at AAE and place a large order at the director's request. Using your video, I created a cool background for the site from hexagons, behind which light moves and draws their outlines. I spent about 5 hours (the first work in my entire life in this program), but the result is beyond words. Thank you so much for your guide. I subscribed and liked it right away :)

[@mrgeorge88]

SOLUTION To everyone getting errors from the expression: There's a bug in some versions of AE that adds a space or line in the name of a layer in front of the text when you name it, so when renaming the null make sure to backspace before typing in "Point". Then go through the process of the pickwhip and adding the toComp expression. No more errors. Here's the final full expression- thisComp.layer("Point").toComp([0,0,0])

[@Artat4k]

You are the Man!

[@Rmcthree]

thank you soooo much....I was banging my head against the monitor and was startin' to see double!

[@mistaje]

Thank you.

[@yoeandcamp]

thanks alot man, you're right

[@raowl8761]

bruh i didnt understand can u plz tell in easy way ?

[@alexilaiho1st]

...what would the world become without you, Andrew?

[@jaystern2130]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this awesome tutorial. I have a scene where the actor was "saved", and I needed some angelic lights glowing behind him. This is perfect! Glad most of the mask rotoscoping is done :)

[@moorta82]

1 of best tutorials I have ever seen (including all other softwares tutorials, free and expensive tutorials, quick and long tutorials)

[@adarkerlight]

I watch these videos and feel all amped up and then I switch to AE and end up staring at an empty screen. I'm hopeless.

[@YahuudGaming]

+adarkerlight same problem... LOL

[@BliitzPint]

+adarkerlight haha, so same here :)

[@beybladeog]

+adarkerlight JUST DO IT.... lol

[@JesseB_YouTube]

You're not the only one.

[@ak7586]

I have an issue following the cursor, let alone come up with anything meaningful.

[@thisisferg]

This is, without doubt, one of the clearest and helpful tutorials online. What a legend. Thanks so much!

[@MichaelChin1994]

Wow...He's so smart! And good looking!

[@HarryMcKenzieTV]

i didn't see his looks though in this video xd

[@Medienmechaniker]

6:30

[@johngordon5495]

r u gay? not that theres anything wrong with taht

[@AudaciousBunny]

Oh my god, none of you understand the joke. Andrew said that halfway through the video. He's just quoting him as a joke.

[@user-nr5xp6yd8z]

​@@johngordon5495 i bet u must be like 11 years old

[@Dracogame]

Really... Thank you. I can't remember when I stopped to follow your tutorials step to step and just started to create something on my own. And after all, I still discover a lot of thing every time I see your videos. It's just amazing.

[@HAKIMARTS]

THE BEST AFTER EFFECT TUTORIALIST I SWEAR

[@AlSamsungGalaxy96]

I agree with you)))

[@MrFOuadsb]

i agree with you to i love this guy

[@HAKIMARTS]

saha wlid bladi 123 viva l'algerie

[@MrFOuadsb]

HAKIM ARTS hhhhhh :) oui viva bladi

[@GeekZS]

el jazayriin fi koli makan !!!! hhhh

[@gffgvdsfsfdsf]

New in the design world. Your videos are not confusing and straight forward. You also crack me up keep up the good work man.

[@vengeancia5243]

wow....he's sooo smart and good looking. thanks for the video!

[@lithz602]

Lol. But what does ".toComp([0,0,0])"mean??

[@gurpritamkauraneja8953]

its basically means that, the particular expression is for all the 3 axis I suppose...

Holy sh*t, you still got it. I´ve been following your tutorials for many years and they´re always amazing. Great work.

[@MrBogser]

Как всегда - На ВЫСОТЕ ! Кашу из топора может сварить!!! Респект !

[@StanRain]

For the record, this is the best "crappiest" video I've seen in along time. Thanks for the tutorials!

[@NoahShreve]

Weddings, nuclear explosions. You know, same thing.

[@GechHong]

hashaaaaaa

[@ZeaxileVisuals]

Noah Shreve 😂

[@adam-ub5fe]

Nuclear explosions, weddings. Fantastic

[@SubversiveStyle]

I think it's funny "already got the hits," you're creating great content and that'll create returning viewers and a growing fan base.

[@mackiebuena]

You're an AE Guru with a an excellent sense of humor! :)) Thanks a lot for teaching us AE!

[@patrickmcevoy1776]

Just when I think it's done you keep tweaking it to look that much better... thank you so much for these videos. They almost make me want to give up and say "**** it" but it's also motivating at the same time. Keep up the good work.

[@jacobtung8236]

It's fine if you go fast, I've got a pause button.

[@markgeater5288]

So good. I'm new to After Effects, it's great to see someone who knows what they're doing use it so efficiently.

[@ScyrousFX]

You're alive! :D

[@Stanislawluberda]

Ever look back on the creative cow days and just go "Whoa, tech has seriously changed things."? Thanks for all the practical lessons. Way more useful than other stuff I've seen.

[@ThreesixnineGF]

You are honest... and for a youtuber, this is amazing!

[@LJAdventures]

Gave it a thumbs up just because you had me cracking up at 16:55. There were great entertaining remarks all throughout the video and love the knowledge. Its a bit beyond my current skill set, but if I practice enough I'll eventually understand what the steps are really doing. A+

[@TruthSurge]

Man, another fake vid to get my click! This vid is just genius. These are like watching a movie. I just enjoy watching how you get from nothing to awesome in 15 minutes.

[@gilldetalhamentos]

In 20: 41. In the motion 15 second is a iternit.

[@kevincomerford2242]

Oh, the tocomp expression had helped me out so much when comping 3d elements. Nice job Andrew for pointing this out for people!

[@attizzoso]

The good ol' Kramer is back!!!

[@sebmikkelsen4356]

Best channel on KZbin. I’m quitting my job tomorrow and I will follow you to the ends of the earth. This is biblical

[@Andysfishing]

I really like how you explain the finer points. Do you have this in Motion5 at all. I understand the theory is the same, but I'm a real newbie. I'm looking at making a nice intro for my fishing channel.

[@Norwegian_Toast]

hello you got good channle!

[@NightDocs]

I want to thank you for this amazing tutorial. I just used it to create the ending shot on the trailer for my channel and it really added a professional feel! You're the best! I wish I had more than one "like" to give :)

[@nohanjohn]

the Master of AE!

[@MaskedVFX]

No plugins beat Andrew`s genius tricks

[@Nat0ri0us]

Took almost 2 hours to try and do this in after effects by watching tutorial. I'm quite an ameture with after effects but I hope to be this good someday

[@BuilderBLU]

soundspeed757 Yea Andrew krammer has actually done special effects for huge titles like Startreck Into Darkness.

[@Nat0ri0us]

BLU Builders League Unlimited that's pretty neat. It would be pretty cool to actually talk to him some time.

[@BuilderBLU]

Yea that would be amazing, I'm sure that half and hour with him would be as good as a month of tutorials

[@Nat0ri0us]

probably so

[@ORR1S]

I love your humor. Competent and humble! Keep 'em comin'

[@chilleffect]

It's like an even cooler Bob Ross.

[@carlregencia6407]

This is by far the best after effects tutorial I've watched.

[@HarryMcKenzieTV]

Funny in German that "Screen" mode is called "Negativ Multiplizieren" and i bet you know how to translate that. I wonder why.

[@HarryMcKenzieTV]

at 7:30

[@Ceonsamea]

+Harry McKenzie That's really interesting. In a lot of way, the German name makes much more sense, since screen is basically the opposite (lightening rather than darkening) mathematical operation of Multiply. (It inverts the layer and uses multiply logic, then inverts it back, to get a lightening effect.) I wonder what prompted the different choice in naming though. Is the word "Screen" simply lost-in-translation in some way?

[@HarryMcKenzieTV]

hey cool thank you for the explanation!! :) sorry for the late reply though hahaha

[@Ceonsamea]

Harry McKenzie Haha. Np! :)

[@-webster3120]

It took me quite a while to iron out all the wrinkles but I’ve finally finished. Thank you for posting this and serious congrats on landing the credits job for Star Trek!

[@magaz]

This is great... I'm having issues at 10:00 with the fractal noise part... the second I turn it to a 3D object I lose the ability to change the blending modes... Can not work out why...

[@petesmith7110]

Also having this issue

[@petesmith7110]

Just resolved the issue, change from Ray-Traced 3d to Classic 3d

[@HaLsPlayground]

Again Great Vid! I love how you always lead your vids into another practical application, really helps the creative juices flow!

[@Mr_Bloodjack]

And this is how some third party plugin sellers lost huge amont of cash! XD

[@syafiqsy9195]

You are the best performance in the world. You recognised each other and you recognised sayfiq shahzurabane

[@cressidagoa]

Great tutorial. Watched it pausing every 10 seconds. Tomorrow morning I am going to copy it exactly even if it takes me hours. Thanks Andrew.

[@charleslavoie7622]

I am blocked at 6:20, I work with After Effects CC 2017 and the software doesn't show me the pickwhip option for the Radial Fast Blur's Center trigger... Nor can I write any expressions. Does somebody know how to solve the problem ?

[@GROOVwithme]

Same here! did you manage to solve it?

[@KreedFilms]

hold the "alt" button, and click on the stopwatch

[@omarhechtenkopf7992]

THANKS!!!

[@snrozcn5033]

very thanksss

[@troyerz63]

Thanks dude... I used to doing this inside 3ds max ... you just saved me hours of render time... keep up the good work... cheers

[@AlSamsungGalaxy96]

Very cool tutorial! Greeting from Russia. Так держать!

[@McTexicanInColorado]

It took me a couple of hours and a lot of rewinding (New to After Effects), but I got 'er done. If this is click bait, then I say "more please". Thanks a lot for the tutorial.

[@GhostsGraphics]

Wow if thats the iphone prototype i cant wait to see the android that they ripped it off from :p Thanks for the tutorial andrew!

[@MehranIsmayilzadeh]

Andrew YOU ARE REALLY GRATE/ I`m really not only watching and learning a lot of stuffs from you , but also get a fun )) Tanx a lot you dude !!!

[@SpiritmanProductions]

Many thanks. ;)

[@JonathanNinnin]

Still watching Andrew in 2018 just for the puns. Brightening up my days at work.

[@Muzly]

Whenever I convert a layer into a 3D layer, I no longer get the options to set it to Screen mode. I have to change it back to a 2D layer, set it to Screen mode then change it back to a 3D layer. The only problem is that it isn't working the way it does on your composition. Is there a reason for this?

[@ahmadmoussaoui4513]

Same problem here

[@Muzly]

Ahmad Moussaoui I figured it out. Change the 3D mode to classic 3D. You can't change blend mode with ray traced.

[@FearTheHippo]

There is a button on the bottom of the timeline that looks like a circle and square intersected, click it to expand the Transfer Control pane.

[@abdulla1780]

same

[@DoRC]

This was fun to watch. I just got my full cc account after outgrowing filmora wondershare in about a week. I have never touched AE or PP before today. I have a lot to learn!

[@SidMercutio]

yOU REALLY NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND DETAIL EVERYTHING YOU DO.... I end up pausing and going back only to see you did something you didnt say AND you're going so fast :/

[@Miguel151169]

I used to feel the same way you do, but you just have to get used to using the software so you can know where everything is at. I would practice by watching the tutorials twice then do what I learned from the video.

[@warner6495]

or you can hit pause like everyone else. How are you gonna tell him what he NEEDS to do. you`re ridiculous.

[@MaghoxFr]

Yeah, it's better to make a 90 minute detailed video aimed at retards who can't use the pause button.

[@SidMercutio]

Jamal Warner I'm ridiculo........Tell him what to do? O_o Umm......

[@MichaelPari]

I set mine to 2x speed & pause

[@mokaffyeee]

its so beautiful man ,don't stop your tutorials

[@highendlowlifeprod.]

why do I lose mode switch when changing a layer to 3d?

[@aeplug-aftereffectstutoria9210]

Raytrace i think

[@Optimus97]

I never had expression problems with this effect, and I love this very much.

[@d415izmyne]

anybody figure out how to do the effect with the phone?

[@jasonbasanta484]

The guy is the GOAT of After Effects. VC

[@goldDEN1000]

Русские поддерживают Эдрю Крамера! Продолжай делать такие видео-уроки!

[@DestrinProductions]

I'm going to use this idea for my new channel intro, thanks so much! Plus, this is a SIX year old video and it STILL holds up!

[@meJevin]

Как всегда шикардос

[@ChristheFuzzy]

Awesome tutorial! Learned lots more besides the volumetrics just by watching the rest. Thanks so much!

[@Link3131a]

1 person got too many dislikes on his videos hahahahah

[@Controvi]

Dude You really made my day :) Was thinking it would all be amazingly hard but it isnt. And you really explane it clearly and with great humor :) Thx man!

[@Acharknews]

i cant at 6:16 ! no english and im noob ! " we gona old click to the stop watch ..." what lol i have not the "pic wipe" !!! dont apear !

[@Acharknews]

+acharknews.com الشرق للأخبار‎ ok its "alt" !

[@pp7800]

Pick whip

[@cuentosnicaraguenses]

@@Acharknews Thank you very much, I could not find it.

[@LaneCarter]

Thank you so much. I actually need to do this effect for a short film I've been working on and I was wondering how to do it. This is awesome! Light rays are the new lens flares.

[@Phuey]

i shouldn't watch this

[@ps2u]

I really enjoy your tutorials they are always fun and very informative, can't wait to try this out some time!

[@prod.hxrford3896]

lol, 74 dislikes

[@Jonahrattler]

+SURREAL Studios they must not know how to follow along lol

[@ktbffh4115]

176 dislikes now

[@stephencrown]

You're probably the best tutor on this planet! thanks a lot! love your videos.

[@csxe]

the concept of this helped me create my own type of rays actually.

[@adamehrlich2863]

i was thinking batman literally the entire video!! when you finally did it I had to subscribe. Awesome tutorial :)

[@indiemike-ish]

I always learn something from your tutorials. Even from very simple effects. Thanks!

[@erickmonstavicius5628]

1 minute vídeo: "Good, he says it is very easy" 20 minutes after: "Well... let me buy a template... searching for volumetric light" What amazing tutorial! Congrats, it is fantastic. If I had time I would study deeply these techniques. It is saved to my fav videos!

[@AMERiNORGE]

Stumbled on a cool option with this set up that makes the light appear to shine out of the letters instead of from behind solid ones. To do it just hide the "Light source" layer then on the text layer click the second box in switch mode. Its the one between the Shy and quality boxes.

[@HidriBorhene1]

welcome back andrew

[@equality7713]

I love it when he casually says 'okay, that looks pretty cool' and Im over here like 'FUCK YEA IT DOES!'

[@LaneCarter]

This is one of my favorite tutorials.

[@nadimkazi87]

Wow!! Just wow! U rocked back then and u gonna rock in future! ✌️

[@nwskis]

This was an amazing tutorial, really helped me to get to know different tools etc. Thank you for making this!

[@HarryMcKenzieTV]

here again after 1 year lol, i don't remember watching the later part with the window, eve more amazing!

[@veel1995]

Thanks for this super-helpful and beautiful vid! If it wasn't for generous people like you, learning this stuff would be torture.

[@retrofraction]

Wow thanks for the tutorial, I really enjoyed that credits scene cause in 3D it looked ridiculously good!

[@KaaBockMehr]

best after effects tutorials so far!

[@ZeekSuds]

Good technique. I've ran a consulting business on the side for a while. Remind people why they hire you.

[@AngelPerez-ds2lw]

Thank you for this tutorial. Totally helped me out. Even as a newbie I was able to complete it from start to finish and I am using this for my game title.

[@LilloPerez]

Great tutorial; as a beginner, it helped me to add sunlight to an underwater effect. Thanks.

[@didierdjhallmannvernabel387]

i just start AE but you are the most easy and quick teacher on the web thank you

[@pealock]

If you find yourself doing a lot of volumetric lighting effects, I would recommend Trapcode Shine. It goes on sale for 60 bucks all the time (normally 100) and really takes a lot of the heavy lifting out of the equation!

[@PrometheusPhamarus]

hi guys! Mainly a lightwave user here.. I tried it for the first time with after effects cs3, worked almost perfect except some minor errors when starting to add expression, but I could get by that..and it worked in the end...the Only thing missing though, in the tutorial the shadows are not moving if you move the point null, simply because I think you forgot to parent the actual Real light to the point null, I did that and the shadows follows changes correctly when moving the point null. Cc fast blur is really nice, and I have tested it on some lightwave hypervoxels baked clouds, but only on the direct photage, when I become comfortable with this technique I might be able to produce better godrays. Many thanks for the tutorial, it is great. Michael/aka prometheus on newtek forums.

[@BrokenWorldMovie]

That was awesome! Thanks for taking the time to make these!

[@aarondraws7699]

exactly the effect i was looking for, looks excellent!

[@BrianBerneker]

Great job Kramer! I don't begrudge you selling your plugins, but please keep on making great tutorials like this for your fan base!!!

[@nicklaytonUK]

My next post apocalyptic wedding video is going to say thank you. (This is marvellous by the way - thank you).

[@SMDParsa]

Thanks from all of you. You are amazing I am watching, liking and sharing your videos. Keep it up. And thanks again from Video Copilot.

[@digimaso1]

Andrew, awesome, not only is a learning process, but you are funny as hell!!! Cheers bro, keep up the good work!