How to Make Photon Torpedoes with Simple Lens Flares

Open up Layout

Immediately save your scene file as Photon Torpedo Setup

then create a NULL object and call the null **Photon Torpedo Controller**

Then create a point light - call it Master
for the point light give it these properties in the light panel:

in the flare setting panel give it these settings:

with that done - parent that point light to the controller null.
Then make two cloned copies of that light - you will now end up with three lights each called Master1, Master2 and Master 3.

Adjust the settings for Master 2 like this:

      

and the settings for Master 3 Like this:

 

As the second pair of point lights were clones they would all be automatically parented to the null - so no worries there.

Now for the trademark photon streaks:

Clone Master 3 and then make the following alterations to that light:
First rename it to "Streaks" and then make these adjustments...

     

 

 

Now click on the envelope button for the Flare's rotation angle and set it to something along these lines..

When you've done that clone that Streaks light

you'll now have two identical streaks lights called Streaks 1 and Streaks 2

go to streaks two and adjust it's flare properties like so....

then open up the graph editor for Streaks 2 and adjust it's properties like so:

 

What you've now done is create two point lights with varying rotations on the streaks for the trademark photon effect

delete all other non essential lights from the scene and then save the scene

you will now be able to load as many of these photons as you desire into further future scene compilations

What does it look like when you key-frame the null and animate it??
like this: (each 300K)

 

you can easily make quantum torpedoes by loading the parent scene template - changing all the colours to a suitable blue and then saving that as a different template scene called Quantum's

NB. some users have reported seeing a WHITE WALL when following this tutorial and have asked what the problem is:

The problem is down to the fact that you have your camera too close to the lights and thus when you render you get a scene that is flooded with the light output.

The photon effects were designed to be used in scenes that included starships that were typically up to 1000m in length or more and when representing the photons flying between these ships the distances involved would easily be Kilometres between starships. However when you are working on a very small scale such as say a battle between smaller shuttlecraft the solution is to ramp down the NOMINAL DISTANCE settings for each of the lights that have Lens flare properties to a more suitable distance setting.

I would suggest creating a few sets of these photons for import that work at various scales.

 Back to top