nParticles > Create nParticles

nParticle Tool >

Selects the nParticle Tool for creating nParticle objects.

Particle Name: The name helps you identify the object in the Outliner. If you don’t enter a name, the particle object receives a default name such as particle1.
Solver: (For nParticles only.) Specifies which Maya Nucleus solver the nParticle object belongs to. Select a solver from the drop-down list (existing Maya Nucleus solvers are listed), or select Create New Solver to create a new Maya Nucleus solver for the new nParticle object.
Conserve: Influences the motion of particles whose velocity and acceleration attributes are controlled by dynamic effects. See General Control Attributes.
Number of Particles: Enter the number of particles you want to create per mouse click
Maximum Radius: If you choose a number greater than 1 for Number of Particles, you can distribute particles randomly in a spherical region where you click. To choose a spherical region, set Maximum Radius to a value greater than 0.
Sketch Particles: When this option is selected, drag the mouse to sketch a continuous stream of particles.
Sketch Interval: This sets the pixel spacing between particles. A value of 0 gives you nearly a solid line of pixels. The higher the value, the more space between the pixels.
Create Particle Grid: Creates a particle grid.
Particle Spacing: Only active when creating a particle grid. Sets the spacing (in units) between particles in the grid.
Placement: Choose with cursor, to set the volume with your cursor, or with text fields, to set the grid co-ordinates manually.
Minimum Corner: The x, y, z co-ordinates of the lower left corner of the 3D particle grid.
Maximum Corner: The x, y, z co-ordinates of the upper right corner of the 3D particle grid.

Create Emitter

Creates an emitter with your nParticle object.

Emitter Name: The name helps you identify the emitter object in the Outliner. If you don’t enter a name, the emitter object receives a default name such as emitter1.
Solver: (For nParticles only.) Specifies which Maya Nucleus solver the nParticle emitter object belongs to. Select a solver from the drop-down list (existing Maya Nucleus solvers are listed), or select Create New Solver to create a new Maya Nucleus solver for the new nParticle emitter object.

Emitter type

Select one of these choices from the pop-up menu:

Omni: Sets the emitter type to an omnidirectional point emitter. Particles emit in all directions.
Directional: Sets the emitter type to a directional point emitter. Particles emit in the direction you specify with the Direction X, Y, and Z attributes.
Surface: Emits particles from randomly distributed positions on or near a NURBS or polygonal surface.
Curve: Emits particles from randomly distributed positions on or near a curve.
Volume: Emits particles from a closed volume. You pick the shape from the Volume Shape pulldown.

Rate: Sets the average rate at which particles are emitted per second. The rate is absolute, unless you turn on Scale Rate by Object Size, see below.

Note that emission occurs only if your animation plays two or more consecutive frames with the emitter rate set to a positive value.

If you want to see how many particles have been emitted, select the emitted particle object and examine the Count in the General Control section of the Attribute Editor.
Scale Rate by Object Size: Only available when the current Emitter Type is Surface, Curve, or Volume.

If you turn on this attribute, the size of the object emitting the particles affects the rate of particles emitted per frame. The larger the object, the greater the rate of emission. The attribute is off by default.

For surface emission, the rate is particles per centimeter of area per second. For example, a 2 cm by 2 cm plane has an area of 4 square cm. If the emission rate is 3, the plane emits roughly 12 particles each second. If you use inches or other units, Maya converts the units to centimeters to make the rate calculation.

For curve emission, the rate is particles per cm length per time unit. For example, a 4 cm curve with a rate of 3 emits roughly 12 particles per second.

If this attribute is turned off (the default), the emission rate is absolute, instead of relative to object size, which is how previous versions of Maya behave.
Use Per-Point Rates(Rate PP): See Vary emission from different points of point emitters.
Need Parent UV: (NURBS Surface emitters only.) If you turn this on in the Emitter Options window (before you create the emitter), Maya adds parentU and parentV attributes to the particle shape and sets the needparentUV attribute to on. You can use parent UVs to drive the value of some other parameter such as color or opacity.

If you turn this on in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box (after you create the emitter). Maya sets the needParentUV attribute to on, it does not add the attributes.
Cycle Emission: Cycle Emission lets you restart the random number sequence of the emission. You can use it to create simple cycles for games work.

If you set it to Frame, the sequence is restarted after the number of frames you specify in Cycle Interval.

If you set it to None, the random number generator is not restarted.
Cycle Interval: Defines the interval in frames for restarting the random number sequence when using Cycle Emission. Only available when Frame in selected in the Cycle Emission drop-down menu.

Emit from Object >

Allows you to create an nParticle emitter from an object. These options are the same as the Create Emitter options. See Particles > Create Emitter.

Fill Object >

Opens the Particle Fill Options window. Using Fill Object, you can fill selected polygon geometry with nParticles. See Create nParticles.

Fill Object >

Opens the Particle Fill Options window. Using Fill Object, you can fill selected polygon geometry with nParticles. See Create nParticles.

Solver: Specifies which Maya^® Nucleus^™ solver the nParticle object belongs to. Select a solver from the drop-down list, or select Create New Solver to create a new Maya Nucleus solver for the nParticle object.
Resolution: Specifies the grid along which of nParticles are placed in the geometry along the longest axis of its bounding box. For example, a Resolution value of 20 places nParticles (evenly spaced and not overlapping) along the geometry’ longest axis.

Fill Bounds

Sets the geometry’s fill dimensions.

Min X: Sets the lower boundary of the nParticle fill along the X-axis relative to the X bounds of the filled object. A value of 0 is full while 1 is empty. The default value is 0.
Max X: Sets the upper boundary of the nParticle fill along the X-axis relative to the X bounds of the filled object. A value of 0 is empty while 1 is full. The default value is 1.
Min Y: Sets the lower fill boundary of the nParticle fill along the Y-axis relative to the Y boundary of the filled object. A value of 0 is full while 1 is empty. The default value is 0.
Max Y: Sets the upper fill boundary of the nParticle fill along the Y-axis relative to the Y boundary of the filled object. A value of 0 is empty while 1 is full. The default value is 1.
Min Z: Sets the lower fill boundary of the nParticle fill along the Z-axis relative to the Z boundary of the filled object. A value of 0 is full while 1 is empty. The default value is 0.
Max Z: Sets the upper fill boundary of the nParticle fill along the Z-axis relative to the Z boundary of the filled object. A value of 0 is empty while 1 is full. The default value is 1.

Particle Density: Sets the size of the nParticles. When set to a value of 1, the nParticle size will match the grid spacing determined by the Resolution value and the object boundaries. nParticles which overlap with the surface of the geometry are rejected, even if the center of the particle is inside the filled geometry.
Close Packing: When on, nParticles are positioned as closely as possible in a hexagonal packing arrangement. Otherwise, nParticles are packed in a uniform grid lattice arrangement.
Double Walled: Turn this option on if the thickness of the object to fill is modeled. (for example, a mug). Otherwise, the nParticles will be created inside the wall. Double Walled may not handle all double thickness geometry in the same way.

For example, when a polygon torus is filled with nParticles, the center region of the object may be filled rather than the space between the geometry's walls. In cases similar to this, create an internal wall using a separate mesh, and then fill the internal area with Double Walled turned off.

Points: Sets Points as the nParticle style for new nParticle objects. This option uses PointsPoints as the Particle Render Type along with other pre-defined attribute settings.
Balls: Sets Balls as the nParticle style for new nParticle objects. This option uses Blobby Surfaces as the Particle Render Type along with other pre-defined attribute settings.
Clouds: Sets Clouds as the nParticle style for new nParticle objects. This option uses Cloud as the Particle Render Type along with other pre-defined attribute settings.
Thick Clouds: Sets Thick Clouds as the nParticle style for new nParticle objects. This option uses Cloud as the Particle Render Type along with other pre-defined attribute settings.
Water: Sets Water as the nParticle style for new nParticle objects. This option uses Blobby Surfaces as the Particle Render Type along with other pre-defined attribute settings, including Liquid Simulation attributes.