Saber Workflows: Advanced Neon, Energy & Laser VFX in After Effects

Why Saber Remains the Ultimate Free After Effects Plugin

Released by Video Copilot, Saber is a 100% free, GPU-accelerated plugin that generates energy beams, light sabers, neon signs, and laser effects. It includes 50+ built-in procedural noise types, dynamic glow falloff, and automated mask tracing.

Step 1: Tracing Text & Vector Logos with Saber

1. Create a black Solid Layer named [Saber_FX].
2. Type your text on a layer above, right-click the text layer, and choose Create > Create Masks from Text.
3. Copy the generated masks onto your [Saber_FX] solid.
4. Apply Effect > Video Copilot > Saber.
5. Under Customize Core > Core Type, change Point to Point to Layer Masks.
6. Set Composite Settings (under Render Settings) to Transparent so background layers remain visible.

Step 2: Customizing Noise, Core Size & Distortion

• Glow Intensity & Spread: Lower Core Size (to 1.5) while increasing Glow Spread (to 0.15) for a sleek, modern neon aesthetic rather than a blown-out blob.
• Energy Turbulence: Under Glow Distortion, increase Distortion Amount and animate Wind Speed to make lightning arcs crackle along your logo outline.

Step 3: Motion Tracking Saber Beams to Live Footage

To attach laser beams to moving actors or vehicles from our Raw Clips Library:

Track your target using the built-in Tracker or Mocha AE. Apply the tracking data to a Null Object, and link Saber's Core Start and Core End coordinates to the Null's position via simple pick-whip expressions.