Shade 10 Particle Effector

From ShadeCamp

Contents 1 Particle Effector 1.1 Particle Effector Overview 1.2 Using Particle Effector 1.2.1 Particle Attributes 1.3 Rendering Particles 1.4 Creating a Particle Controller 1.5 Particle Effector Reference 1.5.1 Particle Attributes Dialog 1.5.2 Basic Tab 1.5.2.1 Emission of Particles Textbox 1.5.2.2 Preprocessed Frames Textbox 1.5.2.3 Physical Settings 1.5.2.4 Speed 1.5.2.5 Gravitation 1.5.2.6 Max Tremble 1.5.2.7 Direction Pull-down Menu 1.5.2.8 Particle Size 1.5.2.9 (Max) Width and (Max) Height Textboxes 1.5.2.10 Radomize Particle Size Checkbox 1.5.2.11 Drawing Settings 1.5.2.12 Mix Mode 1.5.2.13 Anti-aliasing Checkbox 1.5.3 Disappear Settings Tab 1.5.3.1 Fade-out Type Pull-down Menu 1.5.3.2 Disappear by Distance Count 1.5.3.3 Apply Checkbox 1.5.3.4 Existent Distance Textbox 1.5.3.5 Fade-out Starting Distance Textbox 1.5.3.6 Disappear by Frame Count 1.5.3.7 Apply Checkbox 1.5.3.8 Existent Distance Textbox 1.5.3.9 Fade-out Starting Distance Textbox 1.5.3.10 Disappear at Ground 1.5.3.11 Apply Checkbox 1.5.3.12 Ground Position Textbox 1.5.3.13 Disappear when Out of Frame 1.5.3.14 Apply Checkbox 1.5.3.15 Direction Pull-down Menu 1.6 Particle Effector Controller 1.6.1 #color 1.6.2 #gradation 1.6.3 #size 1.6.4 #speed 1.6.5 #tremble 1.6.6 #number 1.6.7 #distance and #frame

Particle Effector

Particle Effector Overview

Particle Effector is an unsupported legacy plugin for Shade. It is not included in the default install of Shade 10.

Particle Effector is actually a set of plug-ins for generating particle effects. These effects are particularly impressive when rendering an animation.

Particle effects are used for creating realistic splashes of water, sparks of fire, and so on.

Particle Effector uses a hybrid system in which the source of the particles and the particles themselves are processed as 3D data, and the particles are then rendered as 2D images.

Spheres, disks, line objects, point lights, and spotlights can be used as particle sources. For spheres and disks, particles are generated from the surface at random, while a line object generates them along the line at random. For point lights and spotlights, particles are generated from the light source position (a single point).

The direction of particle movement varies with the type of object used as a source. A sphere sprays particles along the normal to its surface (i.e. in all directions). A disk sprays them in any of five possible directions, as specified in the Particle settings. A line object sprays particles in all directions along the plane perpendicular to the tangent lines of the starting point. A point light sprays particles in all directions, and a spotlight sprays them within the range of the irradiated angle.

In addition, you can set the force of gravity, the life span of the particles, and the size of the particles.

By creating the particle-control joints, you can apply animation settings to some parameters.

Using Particle Effector

Particle Attributes

1. First select an object to be used as the Particle source. Use whatever object suits your purpose (sphere, disk, line object, point light, or spotlight).

The color specified for the object will be the color of the particles.

2. With the desired object selected, choose Set Particle Effector Attributes from the Custom tool.

In the Particle Attributes dialog you can adjust the Particle Effector settings. For more information on these settings, refer to the Particle Effector Reference below.

3. Adjust the settings and click the OK button. This adds the custom information on the Particle source to the selected object.

Rendering Particles

To render the particles, select Particle Effector from the effector pull-down menu in the Rendering Options after applying Particle Effector attributes to an object (the Particle Effector source). This process is the same for still images as well as animations.

1. Open the Rendering Options and choose Particle Effector from the Effector pull-down menu of the Effects tab.

The Particle Effector has no options to be set using the Set… button to the right of the pull-down menu.

Note: Particles will be generated every frame accordin to the number you set, and remain until they reach the life span you set. Therefore, the number of particles increases, depending on the settings. If the number of particles increases too much, the amount of memory needed may grow or the rendering speed may decrease.

2. When rendering, the particles use the selected rendering settings.

Creating a Particle Controller

Some of the Particle Effector attributes can be animated in the Motion window. To do this, create a Particle Effector Controller.

1. After applying Particle Effector attributes to an object, choose Particle Effector Controller from the Part tool in the Toolbox.

A group of joints is created for Particle controls.

2. By adjusting the Motion Settings for these joints, each parameter can be animated.

For details on each joint, refer to the Particle Effector Reference below.

Particle Effector Reference

The following is a description of all the Particle Effector settings.

Particle Attributes Dialog

Basic Tab

Emission of Particles Textbox

Sets the number of new particles generated from the source in each frame.

Preprocessed Frames Textbox

If the number is greater than zero, a certain number of particles will already exist in the first frame of the animation rendering.

Physical Settings

Speed

The speed of the emanating particles.

Gravitation

The force of gravity, acting in the negative Y direction. Negative values create a upward force.

Max Tremble

The maximum speed of the vector component perpendicular to the particle direction. A value of 0 causes the particles to travel straight ahead.

Direction Pull-down Menu

This parameter sets the direction of generated particles, and is enabled only when a disk is used as the particle-generating source.

Front

Particles are generated along the normal to the surface of the disk.

Reverse

Particles are generated in the direction opposite to the normal to the surface of the disk.

Double Sided

Particles are generated in both directions from the surface of the disk.

Radial from Circumference

Particles are generated radially out from the circumference of the disk.

Random from Circumference

Particles are generated from the circumference in random directions.

Particle Size

(Max) Width and (Max) Height Textboxes

The size of the particles in the rendered image(s) in pixels. Fractions of a pixel are also possible.

Radomize Particle Size Checkbox

When this checkbox is on, the particle size is fixed according to the following two parameters. If it’s off, the following two parameters specify the maximum size of generated Particle.

Drawing Settings

Mix Mode

The type of blending mode used.

Anti-aliasing Checkbox

This checkbox controls whether anti-aliasing is performed for the particles when they are drawn.

Disappear Settings Tab

Fade-out Type Pull-down Menu

You can specify how the particles disappear when they reach the end of their life span by choosing Color, Size, or Color and Size.

Color

The particles become gradually transparent before disappearing.

Size

The particles become gradually smaller before disappearing.

Color and Size

This option produces a combination of the above two settings.

Disappear by Distance Count

Apply Checkbox

Turn this checkbox on to set the life span of the particles based on the distance traveled. The following two settings will then be enabled.

Existent Distance Textbox

The distance the particles will travel during their life span.

Fade-out Starting Distance Textbox

The distance the particles will travel before starting to fade-out. The particles will fade out according to the Fade-out Type pull-down menu described above.

Tip: If the Existent Distance and Fade-out Starting Distance are set to the same value, the particles will not fade out, but disappear suddenly (cut out). The maximum tremble is not included in these travel distances.

Disappear by Frame Count

Apply Checkbox

If this checkbox is on, the life span of particles is determined by their duration (the number of frames). The following two settings will then be enabled.

Existent Distance Textbox

The number of frames the particles will travel during their life span.

Fade-out Starting Distance Textbox

The number of frames that will pass before the particles begin to fade-out. The particles will fade out according to the Fade-out Type pull-down menu described above.

Note: If the # of Existent Frames and Fade-out Starting Frames are set to the same value, the particles will not fade out, but disappear suddenly.

Disappear at Ground

Apply Checkbox

If this checkbox is on, you can make particles disappear when they reach the XZ plane (Y coordinate) at the specified height.

When the Y coordinate of a particle reaches the value set in the Ground Position textbox, the particle disappears.

Ground Position Textbox

This textbox is enabled when the Disappear at Ground checkbox is on. You can specify the height (Y coordinate) at which the particle disappears.

Tip: These two parameters can be effective for simulating rain or snow falling from the sky.

Note: If you position the particle-generating object lower than the value specified in the Ground Position textbox, no particles will be generated.

Disappear when Out of Frame

Apply Checkbox

If this checkbox is on, particles disappear when they move out of the rendering window. This is on by default.

Direction Pull-down Menu

Particle Effector Controller

#color

If an object or part is placed into this joint, all the particles will be colored using the Diffuse color of that object or part.

If you move multiple objects/parts into this joint and make a motion setting as shown for the #color joint, you can create an animation where the particle color will vary sequentially through the Diffuse colors of the shapes/parts in the Browser listing in order from top to bottom, just as with a Morph joint. The Motion curve can be any shape you like

Set a Diffuse color for these parts

#gradation

Generates particles with different colors in each frame.

1. color changes the color of all the particles no

matter when they were created, while #gradation sets the color of each particle at the time of creation. Each particle keeps its color throughout its lifetime. Therefore, if multiple colors are set, a color gradation will be seen from the particles with the longest duration to those with the shortest.

Note: This joint takes precedence over the #color joint.

#size

You can change the size of all the particles by making a Motion setting for this joint.

The actual size is calculated by multiplying the joint value by the size set in the Particle Attributes. The joint value (size multiplier) can range from zero to two.

#speed

You can change the speed of the particles by making a Motion setting for this joint.

The joint value is multiplied by the speed set in the Particle Attributes.

Since any type of joint can be used here, you can move the particles in reverse by using a negative value, if a rotator joint is used. (Refer to the “Notes on Particle Control” below.)

#tremble

You can change the maximum tremble of the particles by setting a Motion setting for this joint.

The joint value is multiplied by the Max tremble per frame value set in the Particle Attributes. By default, the maximum tremble joint value (multiplier) ranges from zero to two.

#number

By making a Motion setting for this joint, the number of particles generated per frame can vary.

The joint value ranges from zero to two, and is multiplied by the # of Particles per Frame set in the Particle Attributes.

#distance and #frame

By making a Motion settings for these joints, the life span of the particles can be changed.

These joints become effective only when the Disappear by Distance or Disappear by Frame Count checkbox is on in the Particle Attributes.

In this case the joint value (0.0 to 2.0) is multiplied by the Existent Distance or # of Existent Frames set in the Particle Attributes. For each frame, first the #distance, then the #frame is evaluated, and particles disappear when either condition is met. | ||