how would i go about animating an fx. for example. say i want light rays to come in, then to expand, and fade back out in a short clip. how would i do that. right now all i can do is give it a still fx.

If you are using Vegas, then ALL FXs come with a Key Frame Timeline. This allows us to apply an FX and alter its many variables over a period TIME, and, subsequently here, for Light Rays, you can design AND set its many variations over TIME. The FX Key Frame Timeline is located at the bottom of the Video Event FX Menu. If you can't see it, then slowly "roll" your mouse cursor over the bottom edge of the window, and you SHOULD see your cursor change to a "Window Adjust" double headed icon. Grab this and pull upwards.

You need to learn how to use these FX Keyframes. For what you are asking, they are an absolute must! And a lot of fun too!

sweet, thanks. and yeah, i know they're fun i could've done so much crap to my vid. i won't bore you with the details but...i just needed to know where to get the options. thanks!