One of the reasons that this tool is so easy to use is the foresight of the developer to included prompts in each of the category’s initial pull-down menus. For example, when selecting Source, users are presented with four options and the prompts indicate which are the best choices for text vs. video. Nice touch.
The controls that follow each category leader are plainly labeled with no cutesy names. Plain and simple means easy to pick up and use. Users can control everything: rate of transition progress, size, direction, color, radius and more for all features of each category. Everything is key frame-able and any customizations or new settings that are made can be saved for later use or shared with other host applications.
A new addition to V2 is the ability to apply some distortion to your layer. While you can adjust the scale of the effect of this distortion, it is an automated feature that does the bulk of he work for you. However, users are confined to two choices: Blow In/Out and Contract/Expand. These two effects are nice and add a heightened level of energy to imagery that you apply them to. I was surprised not to find more controls over this distortion effect. The presets for the text show excellent implementations of the distortion capabilities but, given the flexibility of the other options, this one left me feeling a little restrained. For truly unique distortions like bouncing or vortexes, it will be up to the user to build additional layers with other tools to accomplish those tasks. (That’s why you earn the big bucks, right?)
The finished visual product created with V2 is stunning; no banding in the light rays, excellent fall-off, correctly scaling particles and smooth animation. It comes at the price of render time. Honestly, this isn’t a deal breaker for this plug-in because, while you can do some cool video wipes and light ray effects, the focus really is text for titling. As such, the effects don’t allow for real-time scrubbing on the timeline - at least on my slightly less than state-of-the-art workstation.
But coffee breaks and evenings were invented for rendering. Knowing that render time is going to be required for these, creating some test in lower frame sizes is probably a good way to accelerate your work flow.
I personally am a real ignoramus regarding optimizing plug-ins for faster rendering (or even creating them, for that matter). Faster render speeds would certainly be welcome, though.
V2 does beautiful work that is a direct result of allowing users to create an effect that fits the needs off the movie instead of the inverse. At $49, it’s a very reasonable purchase if you will definitely be doing some shimmering titles or need some easy headlight beams or flashlights panning the camera. As always, a little creative license allows for other opportunities to use V2.
What V2 does, it does very well. As a stand alone plug-in, it’s most assuredly a one-trick-pony. But if you need what it does, it’s a sweet tool. I can tell you that every assignment I’ve used it on leaves the client going, “Oooooooo, that’s nice.” People love light rays as evidenced by concerts and American Idol. It’s almost worth it to find an excuse to use them.
I really like this plug-in. But, there is only so many ethereal and ominous uses I need light rays for in my personal and pro work. Having a use for V2 in mind is probably a good idea unless you are a plug-in collector.
