Sparkles ~cursor theme
Red Flame ~cursor theme
Water Radiance ~cursor theme
Terranove ~cursor theme

On this tutorial we will cover the explosion effect of the four cursor themes, this will include: Explosion with particles, Fire Ball (with and without smoke) and the Ring Wave (also known as shock wave).

**For mayor help I have done two videos of all the process (but without any audio and you will need a codec for it), the file was uploaded at rapidshare.com, if you don’t know how to move on that site just ask me:

Video 1: Link2.avi.html
Video 2(this one is on a zip file because is a 8 mins. long video, i just hope that you have a fast internet connection...): Link

Download the first file (TSCC Codec).
Link for the video codec: Link

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So let’s start!

Step 1: Explosion effect using Particle System

As a first step we will need two objects. Now, go to create menu tab, in there we will need to go to Particle System and select "PArray" option, in any of the four views on the screen create the shape that will represent the effect, after that you will need to select an object, to select the object first you need to press the button that says Pick Object, and then just select one of the two spheres, after that, arrange the following settings like this:



Finally and if you do everything correct, you will just need to move the time line control up to frame #4 and you will get something like this:



Step 2: Fire Ball and Shock Wave

If you want to get a realistic explosion effect, you will need some fire and a shock wave, and for this you will need to setup six materials, each one will be 100% white color and will have this settings:

Material 1:
Self-Illumination: 100
Opacity: 100

Material 2:
Self-Illumination: 80
Opacity: 80

Material 3:
Self-Illumination: 60
Opacity: 60

Material 4:
Self-Illumination: 40
Opacity: 40

Material 5:
Self-Illumination: 20
Opacity: 20

Material 6:
Self-Illumination: 0
Opacity: 0

Now, we are gonna use the same sphere with the same particle explosion (I hope that you didn’t delete it…). First, go to create menu tab and go to "Extended Primitives" option, in there select the Ring Wave button and on the view that says "top" you will create that ring wave in the middle of our sphere, we are gonna make it small because since it will became a shock wave effect, we will make it bigger and bigger at the same time that the explosion grow up.

And now, to create the fire ball effect you will need to see the second video , he he I know, I’m so lazy but to explain this I cant only write it, you will need to see it at the second video (as I say).

See you next week, and please! Leave any good, bad or a critical comment, I don’t want to feel that I’m doing this for nothing…