Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays

COW Forums : Adobe After Effects

<< PREVIOUS • FAQ • VIEW ALL • PRINT • NEXT >>

•

Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by terrycoolidge on Jul 19, 2007 at 4:05:37 pm

Would anyone care to expound on why Trapcode Shine is superior to CC Light Rays? I'm assuming it must be, otherwise why would people pay 100 bucks for it. Is it easy to explain, or is it the kind of thing that you need to experience it to really know the difference? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Return to posts index

•

Re: Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by Nico Jones on Jul 19, 2007 at 4:26:59 pm

They both give very different effects really - although to describe them they sound the same!

Shine is a little more versatile, and probably has more uses if you're clever with it. Light rays is quick and dirty but I haven't found a massive amount of useful applications for it...

Basically, shine is well worth the money.

Return to posts index

•

Re: Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by Ken Latman on Jul 19, 2007 at 4:31:36 pm

I've found that CC Light Rays is effective in some instances.
I would suggest downloading the demo and seeing for yourself. The results you get with Shine to me look better.

Return to posts index

•

Re: Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by Nick Berrisford on Jul 19, 2007 at 5:19:33 pm

I got Shine a while back and it goes deeper than Light Rays. You have way more control over the look and color of the rays (up to 5 colors) and they look more organic than Light Rays'. Also with Shine, you can use a null to take the Shine source into a 3D space in relation to the object it is emmiting from, giving a more realistic look (theres a tutorial at trapcode.com). While I haven't tried doing so in Light Rays, I'm not sure you can do that with the same results.

Demo Shine, you will immediately see it is far different than Light Rays . . . whether or not it is worth the extra money for it depends on how much you think you will need light ray effects and how sophisticated you need them to be.

Return to posts index

•

Re: Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by Darby Edelen on Jul 19, 2007 at 7:19:05 pm

In addition, Light Rays is limited to a fairly simple operation on the layer it is applied to. It basically puckers the layer to an extreme and then composites this over the original layer.

Shine, alternatively, allows you to define your own colors (or use the layer's) and creates the 'rays' based on a threshold that you can define. It is much, much more flexible.

Darby Edelen
DVD Menu Artist
Left Coast Digital
Aptos, CA

Return to posts index

•

Re: Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by Aharon Rabinowitz on Jul 20, 2007 at 1:21:26 pm

The effect CC Light Burst, is closer to shine, actually. Try it out.

But if you can spare the money, go with Shine.

It's significantly faster and has more parameters, so you have a lot more control over the look and feel.

----------------------------------------
Aharon Rabinowitz
arabinowitz(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
http://www.allbetsareoff.com

----------------------------------------
Click the link below to subscribe to the Creative Cow After Effects Podcast, and get free AE video tutorials:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=111087911

Return to posts index

•

Re: Trapcode Shine vs. CC Light Rays
by terrycoolidge on Jul 20, 2007 at 3:44:48 pm

I was just about to come back here and post that I meant to say "Light Burst" and not "Light Rays," and lo and behold... Aharon already pointed that out.

:-)

Thanks Aharon!

I meant to ask for a comparison between Trapcode Shine and CC Light Burst 2.5. Sounds like I have found out what I wanted to know, but if anyone else wants to chime in, feel free.

Return to posts index

<< PREVIOUS • VIEW ALL • PRINT • NEXT >>

FORUMS • TUTORIALS • MAGAZINE • STOCKYARD • VIDEOS • PODCASTS • EVENTS • SERVICES • NEWSLETTER • NEWS • BLOGS