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Particle View 125
Pa rti cle Fl ow Us er I nt erf a ce
Pa rti cle View
Select a Par ticle Flow source icon > Modify panel > Setup
rollout > Click Particle View (or press 6).
Create panel > Geometry > Particle Systems > Object
Type rollout > Click PF Source. > Setup rollout > Click
Particle View (or press 6).
Particle View provides the main user interface
for creating and modifying particle systems in
Particle Flow. The main window, kno wn as the
event display,containstheparticle diagram,which
describes the particle system. A par ticle system
consists of one or more events wired together, each
of which contains a list of one or more opera t ors
(page 2–142) and tests (page 2–210).Operators
and tests are known collect ively as actions.
The first event is called the global event,because
any operators it cont ains can affect the entire
particle system. The global event always has the
same name as the Particle Flow icon; by default,
this is PF Source ## (starting with 01 and counting
upward). Following this is the birth event,which
must contain a Birth operator (page 2–143) if the
system is to generate particles. By default, the
birth event contains this operator as well as several
others that define the system’s initial properties.
You can add any number of subsequent events to
a particle system; collectively, the birth even t and
additional events are called local events.They’re
called this bec ause a local event’s act ions t ypically
affect only particles currently in the event.
You use tests to determine when par ticles are
eligible to leave the current event and enter a
different one. To indicate where they should go
next, you wire the test to another event. This
wiring defines the schematic, or flow, of the
particle system.
By default, the name of each operator and test in
an e vent is followed by its most important sett ing
or settings in parentheses. Above the event display
is a menu bar, and below is the depot,containing
all actions available for use in the particle system,
as well as a selection of default particle systems.
Tip: TheeasiestwaytoopenParticleViewisby
pressing the
6 key. It’s not necessary to first select
aParticleFlowicon.
1. Menu bar
2. Event d isplay
3. Parameters panel
4. Depot
5. D escription panel
6. Display tools
Particle View comprises the follow ing elements:
•Themenu bar (page 2–126) provides functions
for editing, selection, adjusting the view, and
analyzing the par ticle system.
•Theevent display (page 2–131) contains the
part icle diagram, and provides funct ions for
modifying the particle system.