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Bias Lets you choose how to distribute the scaling variation within the
specified range or ranges. Default=None.
■ None No bias; scaling variation is distributed equally through the range.
■ Centered Scaling variation is concentrated near the middle of the range;
that is, at 0.0%.
With this choice, scaling will occur more frequently with low percentage
values than with ones near the values you set. In other words, most scaling
variants will be close to the specified scaling value.
■ Towards Minimum Scaling variation is concentrated near the lower end
of the range (base-variation); that is, most scaling variants will be smaller
than the scaling value.
■ Towards Maximum Scaling variation is concentrated near the upper end
of the range (base+variation); that is, most scaling variants will be larger
than the scaling value.
Animation Offset Keying group
If you animate the Scale Factor or the Scale Variation settings or both, the
software can begin applying this animation to all particles as of the start frame
of the animation or the first frame of the current event, or to each particle
based on its age. For instance, if you set Sync By to Particle Age, and set Scale
Factor keys at frames 0 and 30, then the software will animate the scaling
factor for each particle between its birth and its 30th frame of existence, if the
particle is in the scaling event or a prior event. Following this example, any
particle that has already reached its 30th frame of existence before reaching
the event will enter the event fully scaled. That is, the software will apply the
Scale Factor value that you set at frame 30 to each particle aged 30 or above
at the moment it enters the scaling event. However, any particle that leaves
the scaling event before reaching age 30 will stop scaling as of its exit frame.
In other words, with respect to particles in other events, animation of action
parameters is retroactive, but not post-active.
Alternatively, if you set Sync By to Absolute Time, the scaling is animated
from frame 0 to frame 30 of the animation, regardless of particle age, and even
if no particles are in the event at that time. Or, if you set Sync By to Event
Duration, the scaling animation is applied to each particle as of the time that
it enters the event.
2870 | Chapter 14 Space Warps and Particle Systems