User Manual

Table Of Contents
A pEmitter node’s Region controls open in the Inspector.
Particle Nodes Explained by Type
This section introduces the four types of particle system nodes available in the Effects Library.
Emitters
pEmitter nodes are the source of all particles. Each pEmitter node can be set up to generate a
single type of particle with enough customization so that you’ll never create the same type of
particle twice. Along with the pRender node, this is the only other node that’s absolutely
required to create a particle system.
pEmitter nodes have four parameters tabs:
Controls: The primary controls governing how many particles are generated (Number),
how long they live (Lifespan), how fast they move (Velocity) and how widely distributed
they are (Angle and Angle Variance), their rotation (Rotation Mode with X, Y, and Z
controls), and whether there’s spin (Spin X, Y, and Z controls). For each parameter of
particle generation, there’s an accompanying Variance control that lets you make that
parameter less uniform and more natural by introducing random variation.
Sets: This tab contains settings that affect the physics of the particles emitted by the
node. These settings do not directly affect the appearance of the particles. Instead,
they modify behaviors such as velocity, spin, quantity, and lifespan.
Style: While the Controls tab has a simple control for choosing a color for particles,
the Style tab has more comprehensive controls including color variance and Color
Over Life controls. Additionally, size controls including Size Over Life, fade controls,
and blur controls let you create sophisticated particle animations with a minimum of
adjustments, while Merge controls give you an additional level of control over how
overlapping particles combine visually. A set of controls at the bottom lets you choose
how animated effects are timed.
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