Warning : these simple tips come from a hobbyist with no formal art/animation training or experience. Don't take them too seriously.

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More special effects suggestions

Glows

Glowing objects in Moho are easy :
  • duplicate the object (or part thereof) that you want to glow
  • color the duplicate according to the glow you want
  • give it soft edges
  • lower the alpha (transparency) of the glow shape if desired

This will probably look more impressive in a dark setting

Sparkles and simple lens flares

Simple lens flares are as easy as glows : just create a circle with no outline but very soft edges, alpha to suit

Alternatively (or additionally), a circle with no edge and a relatively transparent fill with soft edges, and the same circle as a thick white outline using a soft line.

Rays (a soft edge but less so) - the radiating "arms" of the lens flare

Sparkles, or this variation of them, are just the arms of a lens flare, often animated to move and turn




Bubbles

Points to note - construction
  • considerable alpha in fill (somewhat less so for the edge)
  • use of halo fill option to give a circular gradient
  • multiple layers (just 2 in this simple example) each with a single fill/edge effect for ease of adjustment i.e. not a separate fill for each bubble

Points to note - animation (multiple bubbles)

  • separate layers for control
  • simple upwards layer movement, keyframe at end of movement
  • extra sub-layers for sideways movement, animate one movement, then cycle animation
  • animated noisy outline and fill so bubbles automatically flex and change - large scale noise (i.e. not jaggy), small offset

Bubbles that pop
You can easily have bubbles that pop by swapping the visibility of layers between a bubble layer and a "pop" shape layer (or perhaps 2 pop layers, with expanding droplets)


Quicktime, Cinepak, 160x120, 67k - same animation as GIF


Quicktime, Cinepak, 160x120, 67k - same animation as GIF

Bubbles, 2nd thoughts

  • Just an outline, with a shine

  • Use a very slight fill, perhaps

  • Fill shapes, colors ? - hmm, maybe not


More smoke

  • Simply draw the lines you wish to be wisps or "ropes" of smoke (or fog, fumes, etc.)
  • Give them a really thick soft property
  • Animate the lines as desired

Fire revisited

  • Instead of two overlayed shapes, try a divided shape with two fills
  • Still add soft edges and animated noise
  • Possibly consider another layer for hiding the base a still shape, soft edges, no animated noise

Focus

Animate the blur on two layers - one from no blur to lots of blur, the other from lots of blur to no blur.

Tip : use linear keyframes to prevent over-lap of the blur effects into external frames


Quicktime Movie, Cinepak, 153k