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MAY 14, 2003 Up and Atom! After the last exercise, I got a few e-mails asking how I created the flying swirls around the Mindsprung emblem. It is fairly simple if you know how to manipulate 3D, and in this exercise, we’ll create a 3D atom using nothing more than the out of the box After Effects Production Bundle. We’ll begin by creating the nucleus for the atom. Instead of creating something in Photoshop, or adding a blur to a layer, we’ll use a mask instead. [an error occurred while processing this directive]Create a new composition (Command+N on the Mac, Control+N on the PC). Name the composition Atom.  Create new solid (Command+Y on the Mac, or Control+Y on the PC). Name the layer Nucleus. Make the layer the size of the composition by clicking on the Make Comp Size button. Finally, since the nucleus will “glow” make the layer color white.  Select the Oval Mask Tool from the Tool Menu and from the center of the Nucleus layer draw out a circular mask that is approximately 125 pixels across.  With the Nucleus layer selected in the Timeline, press the F key to bring up the Mask Feather option. Change the feather amount to 80 pixels. The result is a glowing nucleus waiting for some electrons to orbit it.  
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