Using the Blender Lightning Effects

1. Go to file append.
2. Locate where you saved the lightning effects on your computer.
3. Select the effect you wish you use and then go to the groups
category and select the lightning effect group.

You can append the lightning effect into a layer by itself if you like. This might make
selecting the keyframes to move the animation in time easier.

4. Grab the empty and moving it into position where you would
like it to be in the scene using the move, rotate, and scale tools.
5. Find out which frame you would like it to start animating on.
6. Under the animation tab at the top or by going to the dope sheet,
select all of the key frames for the lightning effect and move them
so the first key frame is on the frame you want the animation
to start.

Tips

In the node editor you can also edit the material to your liking.

For the lightning effects, the empties will always be pointing in the direction of
the animation.