9

Creating a Particle Emitter 239
metaparticles. The metaparticles blob together
forming a stream. Add a Path Follow (page 2–71)
space war p to send the stream down a trough.
Explosions
Part icle Array (PArray) (page 2–256) uses another
object as its particle emitter. You can set the
par ticle type to use fragments of the emitter object
to simulate the object exploding.
Volume Ef fects
Part icle Cloud (PCloud) (page 2–253) constrains
its particles within a specified volume. You can use
Particle Cloud to generate bubbles in a glass of
soda, or b ees buzzing inside a jar.
Cr owd s
Super Spray (page 2–249), Blizzard (page 2–251),
Particle Array (page 2–256),andParticle Cloud
(page 2–253) can use instanced geometry as their
particle t ype. You can create a stream of ants, a
flockofbirds,oracloudofdandelionseedsusing
instanced geometry particles.
Creating a Par ticle Emitter
After you choose a particle system type to add,
you create the particle system icon in the scene.
The icon serves different purposes depending on
thetypeofparticlesystem.
As an emitter: The icon defines the starting
location and direction of the particles. Spra y,
Snow, Super Spray, Blizzard, and Particle Cloud
use the icon as the par ticle emitter.
As a placeholder : The icon ser ves only to hold
the parameters for the p article system. The
particles are emitted from another selected object.
Particle Array and Particle Cloud use the icon as
aplaceholder.
You can choose whether Particle Cloud uses its
icon or another selected object as the emitter.
Procedures
To create emit ter icons:
Drag in a viewport to set the size and
orientation of the particle emitter icon for
Spray, Snow , Super Spray, Blizzard, and Particle
Cloud.
Spray, Snow, Blizzard, and Particle Cloud use
theiconsizeastheareaofparticleemission.
Super Spray emits particles from its center
regardless of its icon size.
All particle systems align the particle direction
w ith the Z axis of the creation grid.
To create placeholder i cons:
1.
Draginaviewporttosetthesizeofthe
placeholder icon for Particle Array and Particle
Cloud.
Thesizeandlocationoftheparticlesystemicon
has no effect on the particles.
2. After placing the particle system icon, click
Pick Object on the Basic Parameters rollout to
select the object to use as the particle emitter.
Using Materials with Par ticle Ar ray
The material that appears on the p articles comes
from one of three places:
The particle system itself
The material assigned to the distribution object
(PArray only)
The material assigned to the instanced objects