OK, I'm planning on doing a short movie, in which one of characters does a DBZ-like energy beam out of his hands. What's the best and most easy way to make this? Thnx for the help! :)

I've seen this done in postwork, but postworking animation can get tricky unless you're pretty good. An alternative is using a model; either the cylinder model that comes with Poser or the "jet exhaust" model that's in freestuff. You'd have to play with the transparencies and textures, but I've used this approach for renders with good results. "Glow" effects are not that easy to reproduce well with a model, however.

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Refer to this thread for a description of how to make volumetric light. Its not simple in poser but it can be done. I've seen a couple other threads out there dealing with volumetric light specifically for animations...I think for lightsabers in their specific case, but the same principal applies. I think the volumetric light is the first thing to conquer in making your energy beam. Evo

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Well, for Me, I have found this Program to be one of "best" deals on the net. I have had a trememdous amount of fun with it, and the "library" of effects, just keeps, growing and growing. (: NO, it is not "free" but, in my opinion, it is worth, Every Penny. (: Genny

I've done this before in experimentation. I just used a cylinder prop, color white, transparency set pretty high (you'll have to experiment here.) Move the cylinder to the figure's hands, and adjust the proportions to the size of the beam that you want. If you're animating, I'd set the beam to be small in the y-axis, growing in length until it hits the target. The speed of the beam will depend on how many frames you use to make it grow. Then, I put a spotlight on the end of the cylinder where his hands were. Attach the light as a child of the cylinder beam. Set the light color, and set intensity absurdly high, like 150-200%. You may have to adjust the start/end angles of the light beam to get the effect straight down the cylinder...takes experimentation. I moved/proportioned the beam in my experiment to "grow" out of his hands, hit the target, then shrink again...this was tough. I moved the cylinder towards the target as I shrank it to give the effect of disappearing into the target. lot's of trial and error, but worth it I think.

particleIllusion is a great post-effects application, also.

http://lsmaker.uw.hu/page.php

Or, there's this little gem, free of charge. Dunno, but I think this guy's a bit of a Star Wars fan...

Dodger had a Black Ray Rifle, with a beam prop. Was free, could probably do in a pinch (it's not a black ray, actually, more blue or purple as I remember. I've used it before)