Cinema projector beams

Hi All,

I have a locked off series of shots taken from the POV of maybe the 3rd row from the front in a cinema. The request is to see some nice volumetric beams eminating from overhead as if coming from the projector to the screen. Sounds all quite straight forward right!

For the life of me i cannot get this to look correct. Rays just look like there fanning out from the top of the screen and dont have any depth. Ive tried projecting light rays through an image but as soon as i try and postion them in 3d space to where i want them then it all falls apart. I would normally do something like this in Cinema 4d but since updating my OS to Sonoma my Cinema 4d version doesnt work. I’d love to keep this all in Flame, is there a way? . Has anyone any ideas here. Maybe blender is going to be my friend here. I also tried the replica node with scale and position in Z but i couldnt quite get it looking organic. Thank you in advance for any advice.

Native rays matchbox with selectives looks promising. Try turning on smoke and animating it. Adding particles to the volume might help.

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Hi,
Sinan once posted a very cool example with the replica node that should do the trick.

ps: remember to turn off z buffer and put the layers in lighten .
If you need help write me.

I have a love/hate relationship with Action Rays. If you want detailed help with anything, DM me.
I also have a batch template that produces good looking rays, with smoke atmosphere and dust.

This tool really should be updated though.

Hi Greg, i would love to see your setup on this as its tough to acheive., as an update even my clients have given up on what they were thinking and have settled for an over head bright spot with some floaty dust which is more like what would be seen. Ill get there in the end.

Hey Marcus. Is this something we can get into Monday? Happy to share my setup and source clips, which I stole.

Do you have Sapphire, their rays are pretty decent for this type of thing

Sapphire rays are quite good. But they don’t exist in 3d action camera space.

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I’m in for that if we can get the timezones right.