9

Mesher Compound Object 375
Procedure
To use a Mesher object:
1.
Add and set up a particle system.
2. Click the Create panel> Geometry >
Compound Objects > Object Type rollout >
Mesher button.
3. DraginaviewporttoaddtheMesherobject.
The size do esn’t matter, but the orientation
shouldbethesameasthatoftheparticle
system.
4. Go to the Modif y panel, click the Pick O bject
button, and then select the particle system.
The Mesher object becomes a clone of the
particlesystem,andshowstheparticlesasmesh
objectsintheviewportsnomatterwhatthe
particle system’s Viewpor t Display setting is.
5. Apply a modifier to the Mesher object, and set
its parameters. For example, you mig ht apply
a B end modifier and set its Angle p arameter
to 180.
6. Play the animation.
Depending on the original p article system and
its settings, as well as any modifiers applied
to the Mesher object, you might be getting
unexpected results. This typically occurs
because the bounding b ox for the modifier, as
applied to the particle system, is recalculated
at each frame. For example, with a bent Super
Spray particle system set to spread out over
time,astheparticlesstreamawayandseparate,
the bounding box becomes longer and thicker,
potentially causing unexpected results. To
resolvethis,youcanuseanotherobjectto
specify a static bounding box.
7. To use another object’s bounding box to limit
the modified Mesher object, first add and set
up the object. Its position, orientation, and size
are all used in calculating the b ounding box.
8. SelecttheMesherobject,andgototheMesher
stack level.
9. In the Parameters rollout, turn on Custom
Bounding Box, click the Pick Bounding box
button, and then selec t the bounding box
object.
Theparticlestreamusesthenew,static
bounding box.
Tip: Yo u c a n u s e a n y o b j e c t a s a b o u n d i n g b o x ,
so it is often fastest to use the particle system
itself. Movetotheframewheretheparticle
system is the size you want and pick it.
In the following illustration, you can see a Super
Spray particle system (left) and a Mesher object
derived from the Super Spray (rig ht). A Bend
modifier is applied to the Mesher. In the center
isaboxobjectbeingusedasacustombounding
box. The b ounding box applied to the B end
modifier is visible as an orange wireframe when
the modifier is highlighted in the stack.
Using a custom bounding box with a bent par ticle system
To modify the particles aspect of the Mesher,
edit the original particle system.
To m o d if y t h e c u stom b o u n d i n g b ox , m ove ,
rotate,orscaletheboundingboxobject,and
then reapply it using the Mesher o bject.
At this point, both p article systems wi ll render.
The original particle system must exist in order