most of the effects i have seen in avs are well known computer graphics techniqes that have been adapted to avs. most good computer graphics techniques boil down to mathematics though.
for example, i beleve that unconed's fiber optics preset was based on ray tracing, which is itself based on the physical model of light but needs some reasonably complicated maths to make it work right.
i think a lot of presets are made with just messing about though, trying to get cirtain effects but ending up with something diffirent.
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