Made in UE5. Textures made in Adobe 3D Substance Designer.  Meshes made in Maya.  Read about some things I learned from this study! 

• Event Timing & Handlers: Used event handlers for tracking an enemy vs. triggering out of range, ensuring smooth transitions. (See screenshots for the two different systems I tested)

• Emitter Timing: Layered event handlers within each emitter to accurately match the original effect's timing.

• Solar Aesthetic: Focused on color and emission to replicate Destiny 2’s solar feel.

• Glow & Intensity: Balanced warmth, glow, and emissive values to create a fiery, radiant look.

• Authenticity: Tuned the smoke, explosions and other effects to maintain visual fidelity to the source material.

Made in UE5. Textures made in Adobe 3D Substance Designer.  Meshes made in Houdini and from Quixel. My first crack at an enviornmental effect. Here's some challenges I faced:

• Continuous Effect Challenge: Unlike most VFX, this effect remained on screen for a long time, requiring extra polish.

• Material & Texture Refinement: Learned the importance of high-quality materials and detailed textures to maintain visual appeal over time.

• Long-Term Visual Consistency: Tweaked the material and spiral mesh used to create the whisp effect to prevent it looking repetitive and bland.

• Color Adjustments: Refined color values to ensure the effect stood out while blending naturally with the environment.

• Iterative Improvements: Regularly adjusted materials to ensure the effect stayed engaging, especially the "aura" around the sword.
  
  

I will come back to this effect and refine it even more with what I learned in this part of my study!

Made in UE5. Textures made in Adobe 3D Substance Designer.  Animation from Mixamo.