Subject: Re: laser
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 21:49:01 -0400 (EDT)

I dunno who wrote it, but here's the question:

> > I am trying to create a kind of laser effect like this, 
> > A wide laser beam, and the view when you direct it to a smoky place. 
> > The smoke create different (and crazy) views on laser. May be u can 
> > remember this from the begining of ALIEN II. I tried it on a 
> > transparent plane and changed luminosity(?) with fractal texture.. But 
> > canT get the result I want.

And here is an answer:

Model a flat square plane along the Z axis, with one edge centered at 0 
on the Z axis...save it as PlaneLaser1.  Then select the two points that 
are centered on 0 and activate the Stretch or Size tool...shrink these 
points along the Y axis so that they both meet at 0,0,0 on all axes...
then go to the Polygon panel and select remove. (this will strip all 
polygons (only one) from this object)  Save this object as PlaneLaser2 
and exit Modeler.

In Layout, under the Objects panel, select the PlaneLaser2 object and set 
the dissolve level to 100%...select PlaneLaser1 and set the morph level 
to 100% with PlaneLaser2 highlighted as the Morph Target.

Then under the Surface panel, select the surface name for your PlaneLaser1 
object (will be Default if you didn't change it in Modeler) and set the 
surface color to whatever you want...lower Diffusity to 0% and select the 
little T next to the Luminosity setting.  You will see Planar Image Map 
selected in the Texture Type at the top of the screen...click the Automatic 
Sizing button and select ok when the warning message comes up.  Now 
change the Texture Type to Fractal Noise...then select Texture Size and 
try dividing the values there by half or whatever you feel like trying. 
(don't make it too small or too big though)  Next, try setting the Texture 
Velocity along the Z axis to one tenth of what the Texture Size for Z was 
set to after you hit Automatic Sizing.  So, if your PlaneLaser1 object is 
10 meters long on the Y and Z axes, you would change the Texture Size to 
5 along the Y and Z axes and you would set the Texture Velocity along the 
Z axis to 1. (or -1 if you want the fractal noise pattern to move towards 
you)

Leave the frequencies set to 3 (default) for now and change the contrast 
to something high, like 5 or 10.  The last thing you may want to try in 
the Surface panel is turn on Additive so that dark areas of your 
PlaneLaser object will be transparent.  Also, turn on the Double-Sided 
button.

Now in Layout, rotate the PlaneLaser1 object around it's heading to about 
30 degrees, make a keyframe at 0 and then rotate it to -30 degrees and 
make a keyframe at 60.

Render this out and you should get a triangular shaped glowing "beam" 
with fractal noise patterns that spread out as they move along the the 
PlaneLaser object toward the camera...the object will "sweep" past the 
camera as if it were scanning for something.  (Like in the beginning of 
the movie 'Aliens')

If you need help with any of this, feel free to ask....

                                     -David Warner

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