9

PArray Particle System 257
How par ticles can be distributed on an object:
Left: Edges
Center: Vertices
Right: Faces
• You can use it to create sophisticated object
explosions.
Tip: A good wa y to create explosions is to set
theparticletypetoObjectFragmentsandthen
apply a PBomb space warp (page 2–68).
See also
Par ticle System Usage (page 2–238)
Using Materials w ith Particle Array (page 2–239)
Achieving Particle Motion Blur (page 2–240)
Using Mapped Materials with Particle Systems
(page 2–240)
Using Multi/Sub-Object Materials with Particle
Systems (page 2–242)
Using Spawned Particles (page 2–242)
Using Inter particle Collision (page 2–243)
Pr ocedur es
To set up a par ticle array :
1.
Create an object that will become the
distribution object, providing the emitter
pattern (or exploded object) for the particle
array.
2. OntheCreatepanel,makesurethe
Geometry button is active and Particle Systems
is chosen in the object category list, then click
PArray.
3. Drag anywhere in a viewport to create the
particle-system object; see Creating a Particle
Emitter (page 2–239).
4. On the Basic Parameters rollout, click Pick
Object, and then click the object to use a s the
distribution object.
5. Adjust the various options in the Particle Array
rollouts to achieve the effect you want.
The distribution object can be any object
containing renderable faces.
The p article-system object does not appear in
the rendered s cene. Its placement, orientation
or size in the scene has no influence on the
particle effect. To access the Particle Array
parameters after creation, open the Modify
panel and select the particle-system object (or
click any visible particles in the view port). To
transform or otherwise modify the distribution
object, selec t the distribution object itself.
Also, you can share a single distribution object
among more than one particle-system object.
The distribution object merely provides the
template for the particles, which are actually
generated by the par ticle system.
Example: To assign three different mapped materials
to f ra gments:
1.
Apply mapping coordinates to the distribution
object, either by turning on Generate Mapping
Coords,ifnecessary,orbyapplyingaUVW
Map modifier (page 1–922) .
2. Assign a M ulti/Sub-Object material (page
2–1594) to the distribution object.
3. Setupthefirstthreesub-materialstobe
mapped materials.