Energy wave VFX test (success, with a couple quirks.)

Artwork Blender Tests
1

I’m currently doing some testing with using procedural 3D fields and volumes to create effects. It appears to, in cases where there are no complex transformations, be more efficient than using particles that react to each other and control objects. As well, it’s fully procedural and using a 3D material, making application in a scene easy.

https://s3.postimg.org/jcf6yxv9v/Untitled_2.gif

However there are a couple issues with this particular effect. I’d prefer it to glow near other objects, but the AO node is only object space. As well, there are a ring of fireflies on the far right quarter of the sphere, pretty much what I’d want, but I cannot control them. I have pretty much no clue where they’re coming from.

2

I wonder if this response to my night/day shading question http://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/47175/i-want-to-mix-cycles-shaders-based-on-self-shadow would help fake angle to source? Then a bit more tweaking to get distance to object?

3

It’s good for an explosion.