<p>A quick and dirty solution would be to try applying a fast blur effect over the particle layer to the point they look like smoke.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-11T02:17:39.567Z
2017-02-11T02:17:39.567Z
Edgar E. 
<p>You might check out the fantastic 'Saber' plugin from Video Co-Pilot. I've used it for similar "smoky trails" effects before, and it works like a champ. There's also a video tutorial on the same page to show all the various parameters to get the look you want.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2016/03/new-plug-in-saber-now-available-100-free/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2016/03/new-plug-in-saber-now-available-100-free/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-19T22:53:26.170Z
2017-03-19T22:53:26.170Z
Daniel Kelley
<p>The particles are a good start, as Edgar suggested a blur - probably vertical only would help. If this is too obvious, you could use temporal blur or in other words, echo. The echo effect would smear them all together. Setting the number of echoes to something like 16 or so and winding down the echo time to say a 10th of your frame duration would probably work (though you will find that echo slows things down dramatically. I usually turn it off after I've got it set up and only re-enable it at render time). To give the trails a more swirling look I'd apply a little bit of turbulent displace. This will give some atmospheric er, turbulence to them.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-12T03:51:12.837Z
2017-02-12T03:51:12.837Z
stib
<p>I'm trying to achieve the following effect:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/762TM.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/762TM.jpg" alt="Effect"></a></p>

<p>Here is the problem: I can't achieve the effect using particles. Some of them spread and linger around. Is there a way to achieve a similar effect without using particles or is there a way to solve the extra particle issue? Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>I uploaded the animated version in <a href="https://youtu.be/TQGYrqstOWw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">youtube</a>, so you all can see how the effect looks in motion.</p>

<after-effects>
How to achieve this "trail effect" - After Effects
Nokdef
# How to achieve this "trail effect" - After Effects

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-17)

I'm trying to achieve the following effect:

[![Effect](https://i.sstatic.net/762TM.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/762TM.jpg)

Here is the problem: I can't achieve the effect using particles. Some of them spread and linger around. Is there a way to achieve a similar effect without using particles or is there a way to solve the extra particle issue? Thanks in advance.

I uploaded the animated version in [youtube](https://youtu.be/TQGYrqstOWw), so you all can see how the effect looks in motion.

**Tags:** after-effects


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-02-11. Score: 1

A quick and dirty solution would be to try applying a fast blur effect over the particle layer to the point they look like smoke.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-03-19. Score: 0

You might check out the fantastic 'Saber' plugin from Video Co-Pilot. I've used it for similar "smoky trails" effects before, and it works like a champ. There's also a video tutorial on the same page to show all the various parameters to get the look you want.

<http://www.videocopilot.net/blog/2016/03/new-plug-in-saber-now-available-100-free/>


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-02-12. Score: 0

The particles are a good start, as Edgar suggested a blur - probably vertical only would help. If this is too obvious, you could use temporal blur or in other words, echo. The echo effect would smear them all together. Setting the number of echoes to something like 16 or so and winding down the echo time to say a 10th of your frame duration would probably work (though you will find that echo slows things down dramatically. I usually turn it off after I've got it set up and only re-enable it at render time). To give the trails a more swirling look I'd apply a little bit of turbulent displace. This will give some atmospheric er, turbulence to them.


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