A few people had asked about creating lightning and energy-type discharges… I’m posting a blend file I use fairly frequently which gives a nice example of dancing energy…
http://skpjason.elysiun.com/JasonEnergy.zip
Hope this might help…
Jason 
wow, really usefull. i hadnt use the marble texture in that way yet. thanks a lot
Roel
Thanks a lot Gooster… you know everything I do is for you 
You da man!!!
Cool stuff, liked it!
Much simpler than mine… I’m preparing a tut anyway!
Stefano
Edited:
‘Slow’ is much better, lightning strokes are fractal but with a distinct direction, the ‘Massive’ one presents unrealistic ‘rings’
That would be extremely grateful, I have been trying to figure out how to do lightning for ages!
S68: Your comment about the “massive” one producing unrealistic “rings”… I know… If you place this material on a sphere mesh (with some plantary texture) it looks like a great force field effect… or if the colors are changed to orangish red… it looks like the planet is burning up…
Jason
Mmmmm… I see new rendering horizonts
Stefano