8

PArray Par ticle System 253
How particles can be distributed on an objec t :
Left: Edges
Center: Vertices
Right: Faces
• You can u se it to create sophisticated object
explosions.
Tip: A good way to create explosions is to set
theparticletypetoObjectFragmentsandthen
apply a
PBomb space warp (page 2–64) .
See also
Creating a Non-Event-Driven Particle System
(page 2–234)
Using Materials with Particle Array (p age 2–235)
Achiev ing Particle Motion Blur (page 2–236)
Using Mapped Materials with Particle Systems
(page 2–236)
Using M ul ti/Sub-Object Materials with Particle
Systems (page 2–238)
Using Spawned Particles (page 2–238)
Using Interpart icle Collision (page 2–239)
Pr ocedur es
To set up a par ticle a rray:
1.
Create an object that will become the
distribution object, providing the emitter
pattern (or exploded object) for the particle
array.
2. OntheCreatepanel,makesurethe
Geometry button is active and Particle Systems
is chosen in the objec t category list, then click
PArray.
3. Drag anywhere in a viewport to create the
part icle-system object; see
Creating a Part icle
Emitter (page 2–235)
.
4. On the Basic Par ameters rollout, click Pick
Object, and then click the object to use as t he
distribution object.
5. Adjust the various options in the Particle Array
rollouts to achieve the effect you want.
The distribution object can be any object
containing renderable faces.
The par ticle-system object does not appear in
the rendered scene. Its placement, orientation
or size in the scene has no influence on the
particle effect. To access the Particle Array
parameters after creation, open the Modify
panel and select the particle-system object (or
click any visible particles in the viewport). To
transform or otherwise modify the distribution
object, select the distr ibution object itself.
Also, you can share a single distribution object
among more than one particle-system object.
The distribution object merely provides the
template for the particles, which are actually
generated by the par ticle system.
Example: To assign three different mapped materials
to f ra gments:
1.
Apply mapping coordinates to the distribution
object, either by turn ing on Generate Mapping
Coords, if necessary, or by apply ing a
UVW
Map modifier (page 1–905)
.
2. Assign a Multi/Sub-Object material (page
2–1403)
to the distribution object.
3. Setupthefirstthreesub-materialstobe
mapped materials.