No matter what I do with Shatter, it always looks awful. Any advice on how some of you have made it look good? I am trying to do something like this video......

Go here http://www.pleix.net/films.html

and watch the Sometimes video.

Sooooo.....
Is "Shatter" a filter in some software you're using?
A software application unto itself ???

Need a little more info to know how to help.

As for the example video, that would have been done with a 3D application with particle effects functionality ... C4D, Maya, Max, XSI, Lightwave etc.
The particle operations, geometry, texturing, lighting would be controlled and comped carefully to create the effect.

Wes, This might help you out a little...

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials.html?id=90

The example you gave would take alot of effort and
software to accomplish....

But this tutorial at least shows you some possibilities...

sorry....Shatter as in After Effects. It was really late last night and I have strep throat. Im blaming it on that.

yeah I saw that videocopilot tutorial. It was helpful but I think I remember he went over once in another episode of how you could use Shatter to make it look like a bullet was shooting through glass. He used 3d space and I cant figure out how to make Shatter 3d......say I create a new camera and fly around something shattering, it is still on a 2d plane.

I had another problem but I am going to have to post the video somewhere so I can show. Will work on that tonight.

that was the tutorial ... it's one of the parameters that you adjust. I remember that part in the tutorial. He had the option of expanding or reducing the parameter, and when it wasn't quite at the level he wanted, in blew the middle out only, making it look like a bullet could have been passing through.

There is actually a complete tutorial about shatter on Lynda.com. Their coverage of AE is actually very nice. Worth every penny of the subscription, IMHO. If you pay one month of courseware you are likely to get more out of it than from any book and it costs less than some texts out there. The added bonus is that you have access to the whole library, not just AE.