"Electric" semi-transparent shield effect

[CybaMephisto 0]

I'm trying to create a seamless texture that sort of resembles a force field. It is supposed to be almost completely transparent and should have sort of a "reflective impression".

Something like this:

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-36248221/stock-photo-seamless-blue-electric-lightning-storm-texture.html?src=J12gIxFw_bdQHHnM9tb7dw-1-19

Or this in more translucent and not animated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-BLfThM3JE

More along the lines of this http://www.interlopers.net/images/hl2tutorials/combine_gate/combine_gate8.jpg

 

It's hard to describe (and may be the reason why I haven't found anything). I hope the example images make it clear.

How can I create such a texture in paint.net?

 

Thanks in advance

CybaMephisto

[Eli 1,072]

The Lightning effect can help you :

[CybaMephisto 0]

I tried to get a nice overall spreading and tried to familiarize myself with the parameters, but the plugin keeps crashing after a while

Spoiler

File: C:\Program Files\paint.net\Effects\Lightning.dll
      Name: LightningC.LightningC
      Version: 1.1.3896.32593
      Author: Cookies
      Copyright: Copyright © Cookies
      Website: http://www.getpaint.net/redirect/plugins.html
      Full error message: PaintDotNet.WorkerThreadException: Worker thread threw an exception ---> System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.PropertyBasedEffectConfigToken..ctor(PropertyCollection propertyCollection) in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\Effects\PropertyBasedEffectConfigToken.cs:line 74
   at LightningC.LightningC.Render(Surface dst, Surface src, Rectangle rect)
   at LightningC.LightningC.OnRender(Rectangle[] rois, Int32 startIndex, Int32 length)
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.Effect`1.Render(EffectConfigToken parameters, RenderArgs dstArgs, RenderArgs srcArgs, Rectangle[] rois, Int32 startIndex, Int32 length) in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\Effects\Effect`1.cs:line 97
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.RenderWithClipMask(Effect effect, EffectConfigToken token, RenderArgs dstArgs, RenderArgs srcArgs, Rectangle[] rois, IRenderer`1 clipMaskRenderer) in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 161
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.RendererContext.RenderTile(EffectConfigToken token, Int32 tileIndex) in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 141
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.RendererContext.RenderNextTile(EffectConfigToken token) in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 134
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.RendererContext.RendererLoop(EffectConfigToken token) in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 106
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.DrainExceptions() in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 431
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.Abort() in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 387
   at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.Start() in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Effects\BackgroundEffectRenderer.cs:line 333
   at PaintDotNet.Menus.EffectMenuBase.<>c__DisplayClass31.<>c__DisplayClass33.<RunEffectImpl>b__23() in d:\src\pdn\paintdotnet\src\PaintDotNet\Menus\EffectMenuBase.cs:line 953

 

[Eli 1,072]

It works for me. Post the error on the plugin's page. The creator/s of the effect may help you.

[Ego Eram Reputo 2,409]

Plugin author has not been around for quite some time.