Adriano Muraca in experimenting with an algorithm that can calculate the transformation matrix aligned on two locators in Maya, created the Thundernode for Maya, which is a Maya plugin that can generate lighting effects within Maya.
The calculation is not completely random but controlled by specific parameters
ThunderNode for Maya provides a degree of control over the lighting, unlike the standard Maya Lighting preset, giving you control over distance, seed, and offset making it possible to set the lightning to appears if the two locators are at a minimum distance to the entered value for a neat effect.
If you are interested in trying it, the Maya ThunderNode is freely available through Adriano Muraca’s site here.
