Using CC Filters and Displacement Maps to Create Fire

This tutorial comprises 2 parts. Part One is about how to make the burning text "FIRE". Part Two is about how to make the burning lunt.
(lunt=torch)

Make the flame

First, we should make the core of the fire. I selected CC filters to make it. (They are packed with AE6.5 and easy to control. Particular playground or Trapcode particular can work too, but the particular system created by Particular playground is too simple and pale. Trapcode Particular is powerful, can make the fire more colorful, but it is a little hard to control and in this case, CCfilters are just enough. By the way, if you are using an AE5.5, you can use FE filters instead of CC filters. They are almost the same.) Here are the steps:

• Create a composition named "core". Set a proper size and length for it. (I set 720*576 /30seconds)
• Create a text layer and input: "FIRE" (or any other words you like)
• Note:
  Choosing a bold font is better than choosing a single one.
• Apply Effect > Simulation > CC PS Classic
  Here are the settings for the filter: (please, especially pay attention to the red underlined parts.)
  

• Now the particular system seems a little strange with crude edges.
• Put another core composition in to this composition, place it above the other one. Change the matte mode of the other layer to "alpha matte 'core' ".
• Here is the shot of the timeline window:

Now it is time to make the fire.

• Create a now composition named "fire"
• Put the composition "color" into it. It looks more like smoke than flame. So we must make it ethereal by a trick.
• Apply Effect > Distort> Displacement Map
• Duplicate this layer.
• Apply Effect > Stylize>Glow to the UPER one and switch the transparence mode to "add", adjust the opacity if necessary.
• Here are the settings for the effect window:

And the timeline window:

Now your fire should be like this:

If not, check the last steps, rectify the mistakes and adjust the settings till you succeed.

NOTE:
The size of the text will affect the result. Different settings for the particular system should be used in different cases.


Make the Melting Text.

Before making it we should prepare a displacement map for it.

• Create a new composition named "Displacement"
• Make a solid layer.
• Apply Effect > Render > Fractal Noise
• Here are the settings:
  Remember to add key frames for Evolution parameter. (Set the first frame to 0 circle and the last frame:2circle)

Now let's make the text.

• Open the composition "core", copy the text layer. Go back to the composition "fire" and paste it. Remember to locate the text layer above all the other layers. Delete all the effects applied to this layer.
• Put the composition "displacement" into this comp. Hide it.
• Set the fill color of the text to red and the outline color to yellow.
• Apply Effect > Stylize> Roughen Edges
• Add key frames for Evolution parameter. (first frame:0circle~last frame:20circle)
• Apply Effect > Stylize> Glow
• Apply Effect > Distort> Displacement Map
• Here are the settings:
  

You should have results similar to this:

If not, check the last steps, rectify the mistakes and adjust the settings till you make it.

In this part, we will make a burning lunt in a similar way.

1: To create a burning flame.

• Create a new composition named "Core of lunt" .
• Copy the "FIRE" text layer from "CORE" composition and paste it into this comp.
• Double click the text layer. Input: "O". Change the font to "Impact".
• Notice that the shape has changed a lot. You can also try other letters. Letters in font "Wingdings" can often be pretty.
• Create a composition named "color of lunt". Dye the flame as you did in the composition "color" above
• Create a composition named "lunt" (you'd better set the size to 720*900), and put the composition "color of lunt" into it.
  
• Put the layer "color "at the bottom and hide it.(It will be used as the displace map)
• Apply Effect to "color of lunt" > Distort>Displacement
• Here are the settings:

• Duplicate this layer and adjust its size, make it smaller. Change the transparence mode.
• Notice that the flame doesn't look very realistic. It lacks texture especially at the inside part of the flame. So we'll make an inside flame for it. But before that, we should create a displacement map for it.
• Create a new composition named "displacement2" in the same way with the composition "displacement". Place it at the bottom. Hide it.
• Here are the settings:
  

• Duplicate the layer "lunt color"
• Apply Effect > Distort> Displacement Map
  Set it like this:
  

The timeline window:

The Flame should look like this:

2: Make the lunt.

• Set key frames for the scale and opacity with the wiggle tool to imitate a pulsing shallow.
  Now we have finished making the lunt.

The Final Step:

Assemble the burning text and lunt.

If you're satisfied with this effect, render it.


Feel free to ask questions in the After Effects forum at CreativeCOW.net.