What this effect does
Smoke and dust sit in the mid-ground and background — they create depth separation, soften harsh AI edges, and add environmental storytelling (battlefield haze, alley fog, sunlit particles). Glow layers integrate magic, neon, fire, and rim light so effects feel emitted from the scene.
When to use it
- Alley, battlefield, and ruins environments that feel too clean
- Magic casting scenes needing aura and ambient light
- Visual novel CG rooms with moody lighting
- Xianxia mountain mist and spiritual energy atmospheres
- Night city neon scenes needing light bloom
Step-by-step workflow
- 01
Identify depth planes in your base image
Foreground character, mid-ground props, background sky or architecture — atmosphere goes between planes, not on the face.
- 02
Add Smoke or Dust from Atmosphere category
Place haze lower in the frame for ground dust, upper for sky mist. Keep Intensity low at first (30–45%).
- 03
Add Glow or Light Leak for light sources
Match glow position to visible lights — moon, fire, neon sign, magic orb. Use Soft Glow style preset.
- 04
Reorder layers in the stack
Atmosphere usually sits above background but below sharp character detail. Drag layer cards to test order.
- 05
Tune Warmth per layer
Warm dust for sunset deserts; cool smoke for moonlit or cyber scenes.
- 06
Compare with all atmosphere layers toggled off
You should feel depth and mood, not a fog machine on maximum.
Best Studio settings
- Smoke · Intensity 40%
- Environmental depth; avoid covering eyes.
- Dust · Subtle Texture · 35%
- Sunbeam particles and battlefield grit.
- Aura / Glow · Soft Glow · 50%
- Magic and rim light integration.
- Vignette · Intensity 30%
- Pairs with atmosphere to focus the subject.
Common mistakes
- Smoke layer at 100% — character disappears
- Glow not aligned with actual light sources in the base
- Same atmosphere preset on every scene regardless of setting
- Placing dust on the character face instead of mid-ground
- Skipping layer order — glow behind smoke vs in front changes everything
Export tips
- VN developers: export at native CG resolution for your engine
- Animated MP4 atmosphere loops coming to FX Studio — plan static PNG workflow for now
- Test on OLED dark backgrounds for night scenes