Here’s a short video of one of the types of things I’d like to know if it’s possible to do in Blender, hopefully without any expensive paid add-ons…
I’m going to be experimenting with “visible light waves” type things, and haven’t done anything like this so am not sure where to start.
thanks
I think there’s two things going on here - I think the main ‘waves’ are just a simple plane with a texture that creates the emission/transparency, and then there are separate particles rising upwards
Hmmmm I had a little play, got kind of close… Alternatively, maybe it could be made by a load of particles/geometry nodes setup, or fine cylinders extruded along a path…
Yes I would try with a wave and a noise to create a bit of disturbance, and particles all around the object:
You got closer than me - I think with a bit of depth of field yours would be pretty much there!
Yes exactly, a bit of depth of field
This is great. Thanks all. Going to do a bit of experimenting 
Thanks again…
I’m rebuilding the example above to understand everything…trying to figure out how transparency can be set for the wave texture - I can’t seem to figure it out on a practice file I’m building. How can I get the black to go completely transparent here? (nodes just left in place because… that’s where I left them)
Look at the moonboots example…
Plug the Color ramp into the Fac. It is a mask - not the color provider. Add a Diffuse/Emitter/RGB/whatever to the Mix Shader for the color…
Remember to go into the Shader >> Setting section and set Blend Mode to Alpha Blend. And Shadow Mode to Alpha Hashed if you want shadow to get cast.
Watch this…
Consider using that effect on Mesh Lines scattered over the plane and add small icospheres to give the random dust like effect in the video you linked to.
Just saw this video myself and remembered your post…
Possibly, the whole effect you are trying could be done using this - once horizontally with tubes, once vertically with spheres.
