Copyright: Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Overview

Primal Particles

Primal Particles is a trueSpace3 plugin for developing particle system animations. Particle systems can be used to create explosions, fountains, rain, snow, leaves, fire, smoke, bubbles, and many other effects.

Installation

Primal Particles is a standard trueSpace3 plugin. Please follow the instructions in the trueSpace manual for installing and accessing plugins.

Interface

The Primal Particles interface contains a button bar and a set of expandable control groups. Expand or contract control groups by clicking on the control group title. Each control group contains a set of knobs for adjusting various parameters for Primal Particles.

Primitive Itch

For updates and information regarding Primal Particles or other Primitive Itch products, consult our website at:

http:www.dnai.com\~sjmiles

or send email to

sjmiles@dnai.com

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Operation

Note: Show Animation, Show Preview Animation, and Record can all be stopped by clicking the Stop Button. Most other operations can be canceled by hitting the Escape key.

Primal Particles is operated in four steps.

1. Create Particles

2. Begin Preview Animation

3. Adjust Parameters

4. Record Animation

1. Create Particles

There are two buttons for creating particles:

The Create Particles button creates a set of randomized particles according to the parameters specified in the Creation Group.

The Decompose Object button creates particles for the faces of a simple polyhedron. Decompose object copies material information from the polyhedron to the particles. If you decompose an object, Primal Particles will not destroy the object, but will automatically mark that object as invisible.

2. Begin Preview Animation

Click the Show Animation button to begin continuous real-time animation of your particles.

You may instead click the Show Preview Animation button to show real-time animation of your particles for the number of frames selected in the Record Group. Note that these animations do not become part of your trueSpace scene until you hit the Record button.

3. Adjust Parameters

Use the various control knobs to adjust the properties of your animation. Although the control knobs can be adjusted at any time, it is most effective to adjust the knobs while the animation is playing, so that the effect of the adjustment is immediately visible. Note that adjustments to the Creation Group settings cannot be made while animation is playing.

4. Record Animation

When satisfactory settings have been found, use the Record button to begin recording your animation into trueSpace. The animation is recorded according to the settings in the Record Group. When the record process is completed, your particle system is part of your trueSpace scene, and is no longer connected to Primal Particles.

Note: At the end of the record process, if you created your particles by decomposing an object, that object is made visible and is selected, so you may delete it or edit it as necessary.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Button Reference

Note: Show Animation, Show Preview Animation, and Record can all be stopped by clicking the Stop Button. Most other operations can be canceled by hitting the Escape key.

Create Particles

Create a particle set according to the parameters in the Creation control group.

Decompose Object

Create a particle set from the faces of a polyhedron. Decompose object copies material information from the polyhedron to the particles. If you decompose an object, Primal Particles will not destroy the object, but will automatically mark that object as invisible.

Destroy Unrecorded Particles

Delete a particle set created by either Create Particles or Decompose Object. After a particle animation is recorded, it can only be deleted from within trueSpace.

Stop

Stop animation started with the Show Animation, Show Preview Animation, or Record buttons.

Show Animation

Begin continuous, real-time, interactive animation of your particles.

Show Preview Animation

Begin real-time, interactive animation of your particles for the number of frames specified by the Record group's Frames knob.

Record

Record the particle animation in the current trueSpace scene, according to the parameters specified by the Record group.

Toggle Group-On-Record

When this button is green (On), then particles are grouped together as part of the recording process. Grouped particles can be moved, rotated, scaled, and deleted as a unit in trueSpace.

Open Setup

Load a complete set of control group settings from a particle setup file.

Save Setup

Save the complete set of control group settings to a particle setup file.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Group Reference

Controls for using Primal Particles are separated into a number of expandable control groups. Expand or contract control groups by clicking on the control group title. Each control group contains a set of knobs for adjusting various parameters for Primal Particles.

For specific information on the controls in each group, see the help on:

Creation Group

Particles Group

Spray Group

Gravitation Group

Planes Group

Record Group

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Creation Group

Note: the settings in the Creation Group only apply to particles created with the Create Particles button. These settings do not affect particles created with Decompose, nor can they be changed during real-time preview.

Kind

Select the polyhedron to be used for particles. If 'Selected Object' is chosen, Primal Particles will make a copy the currently selected object for each particle. Grouped objects and lights may be used as particles via the 'Selected Object' setting.

Count

The total number of particles in the system. More particles yield more detailed effects, but will also slow down the rendering process.

Size

Specifies the size of the particles in trueSpace units.

Size Jitter

Percentage variation in the size of the particles as measured from the Size setting. For example, Size = 1 and SizeJitter = 50% yields particles with sizes in the range of 0.5 to 1.5.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Particles Group

Emitter

When an emitter is selected, particles created with the Create Particles button are produced from random positions on that emitter's surface. Also, all particle motions are rotated to align with that emitter's axes. An emitter must be a polyhedron. To define an emitter, select a polyhedron in trueSpace and then click the Selected button.

Producing particles from an animated emitter is supported in Primal Particles version 1.4.1 or higher. These versions require trueSpace version 3.1 or higher.

Lifespan

The number of frames a particle will be animated before it returns to its start position and becomes inactive (not animated.) The particle will be activated again depending on the flow rate (see above.) Short lifespan settings are good for fire or sparking effects.

Lives

Specifies the number of times a particle will be animated through its Lifespan before becoming permanently inactive.

Rotation

Each animated particle rotates around its center point with a speed specified by the rotation knob. Disable rotation by positioning this knob to Off.

Hide Unborn Particles

If Hide Unborn Particle is checked, particles which are not active are positioned offscreen.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Spray Group

Flow

Flow controls the rate at which individual particles' animations are started. All particles at the start position are inactive (not animated.) Each frame, depending on the flow setting, some number of particles are made active (animated.) On Trickle, the particles begin animating slowly, one-by-one. On Explode, particles are all animated immediately.

Power

The Power setting controls the speed and forcefulness of the particles animation. The Power setting is applied to all velocity and gravtiation parameters.

Power Jitter

Power Jitter specifies a random variation in the power for each particle as a percentage of the Power setting. For example, with Power = 50%, and Power Jitter = 10%, the Power for each particle will vary between 45% and 55%.

XYZ

The XYZ knobs control the shape of the spray. For best results, experiment with these settings while watching the preview animation.

Angle

The top row of knobs controls the maximum strength of the spray along each axis. This setting can also be thought of as controlling the angle of the spray. For example, if the X strength is set on Feeble, the spray will be narrow, while if the X strength is on Strong, the spray will be wide.

Density

The middle row of knobs controls the density or spread of the spray along each axis. On Mist, the particles will have random strengths from zero up to the maximum strength (as specified by the top knob.) On Beam, the particles will always have the maximum strength for that axis.

Direction

The bottom row of knobs controls the direction for the spray. The spray can be allowed to move out in all directions, or can be constrained to only positive or negative movement along each axis.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Gravitation Group

X, Y, Z

The X, Y, Z knobs control the gravitation for each axis. Gravitation on the X and Y axes can be considered wind.

Strength

The top row of knobs control the strength of gravitation for the axis. The gravitation is applied to each particle as a simple acceleration.

Direction

The bottom row of knobs controls the direction for the gravity. The gravity must be constrained to one direction for each axis. For example, if Z is set on Negative ("-"), then particles will be accelerated downwards (towards lower Z values, gravity effect.) If Z is set on Positive ("+"), then particles will be accelerated upwards (towards higher Z values, buoyancy effect.)

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Planes Group

Floor and Ceiling

Position

The first knob controls the position of the plane on the Z axis.

Action

The second knob controls the action of plane surface. On Absorb, particles striking the surface will be returned to their start positions. On Reflect, particles striking the surface will 'bounce' off and continue animating.

Elasticity

The third knob controls the elasticity of a plane surface that is set to Reflect. On softer settings, particles will bounce less (more inelastic). On harder settings, particles will bounce more (more elastic). Note that on higher settings, energy will actually be added to the particles, causing them to bounce higher and higher.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Record Group

See example

Frames

The frames knob controls the total number of frames to be animated by Primal Particles. This setting affects the Show Preview Animation and Record functions.

PP Start

Primal Particles Start specifies the first frame that Primal Particles will actually record into trueSpace. Frames before the PP Start frame will be calculated, but not recorded.

tS Start

trueSpace Start specifies the starting frame number the animation will occupy in the trueSpace scene. This setting does not change the appearance or length of the animation, it merely shifts the animation the specified number of frames in your trueSpace project. Please refer to the example.

Direction

Specify Reverse to record the particle frames into trueSpace in reverse order. Specify Forward to record the frames normally.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997


Record Group Example

Record group Example

Frames	    	=  	10

PP Start   	=   	5

tS Start	   	=  	30

Direction	=  	Forward

0--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9   --> Frames

               ^           ^

               ^-----------^   --> Primal Particles plays these frames

3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3  3

0--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9

               ^           ^

               ^-----------^   --> trueSpace records into these frames

Note that frame numbers are zero-based, so frame #4 is the fifth frame.

Copyright © Primitive Itch 1997