Blizzard Particle System

Command entry:

Create panel

(Geometry)

Choose Particle Systems from the drop-down list.

Object Type rollout

Blizzard

Command entry:Create menu

Particles

Blizzard

This is an advanced version of the original Snow particle system.

TipTo animate particles following a path through space, use the Path Follow space warp.

Blizzard viewport icon (emitter)

Snowflake particles in a blizzard

Procedures

To create a blizzard particle system:

On the Create panel, make sure (Geometry) is active and Particle Systems is chosen in the object category list, then click Blizzard.
Drag in a viewport to create the Blizzard emitter; see Creating a Particle Emitter.
The icon appears as a plane with a perpendicular line pointing in the direction of emission.
Adjust the various parameters on the command panel.

Interface

This section describes the Display Icon group in the Basic Parameters rollout, the Particle Motion group in the Particle Generation rollout, and the Material Mapping and Source group in the Particle Type rollout. These are the only controls unique to Blizzard. The other Blizzard rollouts and their contents are identical with those in Particle Array, except that Object Fragments and associated settings are not available on the Particle Type rollout. See PArray for details or choose from the following list for rollout information.

Particle Generation Rollout (PArray)

Particle Type Rollout (PArray)

Rotation and Collision Rollout (PArray)

Object Motion Inheritance Rollout (PArray)

Particle Spawn Rollout (PArray)

Load/Save Presets Rollout (PArray)

Basic Parameters rollout > Display Icon group

The emitter specifies the location where particles are generated in the scene. It has a geometry you can display in viewports, but it isn't renderable.

The emitter is displayed as a rectangle with a vector pointing out of one side. The vector shows the direction in which the system emits particles.

You set emitter parameters on the particle system's Basic Parameters rollout, in the Display Icon group.

Width and Length: You implicitly set the initial value of these parameters when you drag in a viewport to create the emitter. You can adjust the values on the rollout.

The space occupied by the particle system at any given time is the result of a combination of its initial parameters (such as size of the emitter, and speed and variation of emission) and any space warps that have been applied.
Emitter Hidden: Hides the emitter in viewports. When off, the emitter is displayed in viewports. The emitter is never rendered. Default=off.

Particle Generation rollout > Particle Motion group

Specifies the number, size, and motion of particles.

Speed: The speed of the particle at birth, in units per frame.
Variation: Applies a percentage of variation to the speed of emission for each particle.
Tumble: Amount of random rotation of the particles.
Tumble Rate: Speed at which the particles rotate.

Particle Type rollout > Mat'l Mapping and Source group

Emitter Fit Planar: Maps particles at birth, based on their point of emission from the rectangular Blizzard emitter icon. The UV range of the mapped material runs from 0 to 1 over the width and length of the emitter.