Preparation

• Before you start playing around with the effects, you need to know what you need for the shot. Consult with the director and discuss the possibilities. He may need the kind of wafting smoke you get from a campfire, or he may need the kind of dark smoke you get from a fuel explosion. Ask for the footage the effect is needed for so you can tailor the effect to the shot.
  
  

Creating the Effect

• Open Particle Illusion. In the center you have the main effects view, where any effect you have added to the timeline shows as it plays. To the left of this is the "Emitter" library, where all your particle effect presets are stored for use as "Emitters." To the right is the "Hierarchy" panel, where specific attributes (such as spin, visibility and frequency) of an emitter can be modified.
  
  To add a smoke effect, go to the "Emitter" library and browse though the various categories. As you click on one of the smoke effects, it will be previewed in the small window above. Once you have found the one that fits your requirements, drag the effect onto the main view. You can use the timeline to adjust when the effect starts and ends and how it moves across the screen. For example, smoke4 from a rocket blast should move across the screen following the rocket.
  
  

Adding the Footage

• To insure that you are placing the effect where it needs to be in the scene, go to the "Layer" panel and click on the "Background Import" option. Browse to the video the director gave you and load it into the scene. Play the footage and use it to judge where and how pronounced the effect should be at each point in the timeline. Once you are done, render your effects animation and save it by clicking on the little red icon.