Hey all, I'm working on a project for class, and I've decided to get really creative. I'm designing a short animation to emulate some of the proccessing capabilities of a steel company. I have the stmaping and deformation part down, but I'm having some trouble getting the welding part down.

What I would like to do is have a blue laser trace the outline of a cut out and have the contact surface emitting smoke, sparks, and a little flame, all the while having a really bright point light flickering along with the effects. So far I have the light under control, and I dont think animating the whole scene will be very difficult, however I am having trouble getting the smoke and fire effects to render out convincingly. Is there anyone experienced enough with these effects to help me out? Thanks all.