Anime Lightning Strike

HOW IT'S MADE

Anime Lightning Strike gets its crackle from 2 lightning bolts (a new jagged path on every strike), backed by 12 particle emitters. Techniques worth a look: sub-emitters set off by other particles, collisions, particles stretched along their motion, keyframed parameters and post filters (outline and invert). A scene layer (ground or a prop) shows in the studio for context and stays out of every export.

It loops seamlessly every 1 s, and 8 of its layers fire in bursts, so it pulses instead of flowing evenly. Start times are staggered from 0 s to 0.11 s, so the layers arrive one after another. To change its colour, select "Impact Spikes" in the studio and edit the Colour over Life gradient. Size on the same layer sets how big its particles are. The colour swatches by the downloads recolour every layer at once.

Layers, in draw order

1. Strike LinesparticlesOne burst of 16 shards along a line at 0.03 s. Colours range between white and pale gold.
2. ScorchparticlesA single long-lived particle that stays for the whole loop. It swells and then shrinks away.
3. Ground RingparticlesA single particle at 0.03 s. It grows as it ages. Colour runs from white to gold over each life.
4. Main Bolt, Fork Boltlightning / additiveA lightning bolt striking downward every 1 s. It forks into branches.
5. Impact SpikesparticlesOne burst of 10 shards at 0.03 s. They swell and then shrink away. Colour runs from white to gold over each life.
6. Bead RingparticlesOne burst of 34 dots from a ring at 0.03 s. They shrink as they age and slow down with drag. Colour runs from white to gold over each life.
7. Dust LobesparticlesOne burst of 18 dots from a ring at 0.05 s. They spawn "Dust Lobes Body" as they appear, spawn "Dust Lobes Light" as they appear, float upward and swell and then shrink away. Colour runs from gold to violet over each life.
8. Dust Lobes BodyparticlesDots set off by "Dust Lobes". They float upward, swell and then shrink away and slow down with drag. Colour runs from gold to pale violet over each life.
9. Dust Lobes LightparticlesDots set off by "Dust Lobes". They float upward, swell and then shrink away and slow down with drag. Colour: white.
10. RocksparticlesOne burst of 11 debris from a disc at 0.03 s. They fall under gravity, bounce when they hit something, shrink as they age and spin. Colour runs from white to violet over each life.

3 more layers are in the studio.