Can someone help me recreate this sonar effect?

[colby |]

I've been working with a client that would like me to recreate this design element with the sonar effect into their promotional video. Does anyone know how I may be able to achieve something similar? Is this effect built in AE or is it an image that was brought in and then manipulated with keyframes? I am a beginer user of After Effects so any way I can create in a simple way would be great. Thank you! 

[Rick Gerard]

Here's the workflow:

1. If your camera is moving, decide when you want the effect to start and end, split the footage layer (Shift + Ctrl/Cmnd + d) on the first and last frame where the effect is going to be.
2. Pre-compose the section of the footage where the effect is going to be added, making sure that you Move All Attributes to the new comp and trim the layer.
3. Depending on the movement of the camera, you need to use AE's Track Camera tool or Mocha AE to accurately track the area where the "sonar" effect will be centered. The correct tool depends on the shot. The example video could be tracked with the Camera Tracker.
4. If you use the Camera Tracker, select a good spot to set an Origin and Ground plane if you use Camera Tracking. Then, use the same Target to create a Solid and a Camera. This spot could be where you want the center of the "sonar" effect to be placed.
5. Using a solid will help you visually see if the track is acceptable.
6. Create a new Layer (Solid or Shape named "Sonar Effect") for the 3D "sonar" effect. If you want a simple radiating circle, a circle shape layer would do, and you can animate the diameter. If you want the bursting dome effect, you will need to use a third-party effect, such as Video Copilot's Element 3D or Cinema 4D Lite, which is included with After Effects.
7. After you have created the 3D layer, hold down the Shift key and Parent the "Sonar Effect" layer to the Track Solid you added to the "ground," and then make the Track Solid a Guide layer or turn it off, but don't delete it.
8. Add your effect, adjust the layer blend mode, color, and timing to finalize the shot.

These are the basic steps. The success of the final composite depends entirely on how well the original shot was planned and filmed. If there is a lot of action, or other people, like someone walking down a crowded sidewalk, you may need to use Mocha AE to do the tracking. 

If you need multiple "Sonar" effects as the actor moves through the scene, you may need to use multiple copies of the shot and track it multiple times. Trimming the shot to just the frames that require an effect will save you time in the long run, as you won't waste time tracking frames that are not needed. If there is a lot of complex geometry or moving items in the shot, multiple copies of the shot may be required to get accurate tracking on each point. If you need to do that, then keep a copy of the original footage at the bottom of the timeline and turn off the pre-composed sections you used for tracking.

If you need the "sonar" effect to interact with the actor, you may also need to perform some roto (masking) and create other copies of elements in the shot, like arms or hands, so you can add the appropriate glows and reflections to the composite. I recently created something similar and ended up with about fifty layers in a 3-second shot to make a 3D growing energy ball interact with windows, opening doors, other actors in the scene, the actor's sunglasses, and the rest of the environment. It took almost 2 days. Because you are new to After Effects and compositing, try to keep the shot simple.