Edit menu

Each of the first three commands on this menu presents a submenu containing all actions. Choose the command, and then choose an action from the submenu.

New

Adds a new event containing the chosen action to the event display.

Insert Before

Inserts the chosen item above each highlighted action. Available only when one or more actions are highlighted.

Append To

Inserts the chosen item at then end of each highlighted event. Available only when one or more events are highlighted.

Turn On All

Turns on all actions and events.

Turn Off All

Turns off all actions and events.

Turn On Selected

Turns on any highlighted, turned-off actions or events. Available only when one or more highlighted items are turned off.

Turn Off Selected

Turns off any highlighted, turned-on actions or events. Available only when one or more highlighted items are turned on.

Make Unique

Converts an instanced action to a copy that's unique to its event. Available only when one or more instanced actions are highlighted.

Wire Selected

Wires one or more highlighted tests to a highlighted event, or one or more highlighted global events to a highlighted birth event. Available only when one or more tests and a single event are highlighted, or when one or more global events and a single birth event are highlighted.

Copy

Copies any highlighted events, actions, and wires to the paste buffer. Keyboard equivalent: Ctrl+C.

Paste

Pastes the contents of the paste buffer to the event display. Keyboard equivalent: Ctrl+V.

The result of copying and then pasting multiple items depends on what you copied:

• If you copied multiple actions, pasting adds them all to a single new event, even if they originally came from different events.
• Copying multiple events or wires pastes them exactly as copied.
• If you copied a combination of actions and events, pasting creates a new event for each group of actions from a single event. For example, if you highlight event A, some actions from event B, and some actions from event C, copying and then pasting would add three events: a copy of event A, a second event with the actions from event B, and a third event with the actions from event C.

Paste Instanced

Pastes the contents of the paste buffer to the event display, making instances of any pasted actions and their originals.

For the results of pasting multiple copied items, see Paste, above.

Delete

Deletes any highlighted items. Keyboard equivalent: Delete.

Deleting an event also deletes all of its actions.

Rename

Lets you enter a new name for any single highlighted item in the event display. Available only when one action or test is highlighted

Select menu

By default, the Select tool is active when Particle View is open, as indicated by the arrow-shaped mouse cursor. You can use this tool to highlight, move, and copy events, actions, tools, and wires. You can also use the commands on this menu to highlight all elements, no elements, or elements by category.

NoteWhen you render using any of the Selected options, 3ds Max renders only events that are selected in the viewports. You can use the last three commands on this menu to manage and coordinate selection of events and flows between Particle View and the viewports. This also applies to use of the Views menu Shade Selected command.

Select Tool

Activates the Select tool. Choose this to return to the Select tool after using interactive tools for panning and zooming the event display. Alternatively, simply right-click anywhere in the event display to activate the Select tool.

Select All

Highlights all items in the event display.

Select None

Deselects all items in the event display. Alternatively, click an empty area in the event display.

Select Actions

Highlights all operators and tests in the event display.

Select Operators

Highlights all operators in the event display.

Select Tests

Highlights all tests in the event display.

Select Events

Highlights all events in the event display.

Select Wires

Highlights all wires in the event display.

Select Downstreams

Highlights all events after currently highlighted events. Available only when one or more events are highlighted.

Save Selected

Saves only highlighted elements in the event display to a MAX file. You can then open this file, or combine it with an existing scene with Application menu Import Merge.

NoteThe Particle View Save Selected command saves all items selected in Particle View and in the scene. So if a PF Source icon is selected in the scene, then this command will save its global event as well as any birth events associated with it. if you want to save only parts of a Particle Flow setup, first unselect everything in the scene.

Also, if an action references an object (for example, a Shape Instance operator uses a geometry object), and the action or its parent event is highlighted when you use Save Selected, then the reference object is saved as well.

Get Selection From Viewport

Highlights global events whose source icons are selected in the viewports.

Assign Selection To Viewport

Transfers an event selection to the viewports. Use this to render only particles in specific events. First, in Particle View, highlight the events to render. Next, choose this command, and finally, render using the Area To Render Selected option.

Sync Source/Events Selection In Viewport

Selects all events of any source icons selected in the viewports. You can then propagate this selection to Particle View with the Get Selection From Viewport command.

Use this function to render a specific particle flow using one of the Render Selected options.

Display menu

The first five commands on this menu are also available as icons, in the Display tools section on the right side of the bottom border of the Particle View dialog. Each command's Display tools icon is shown below.

Pan Tool

Drag in the event display to move the view. The mouse cursor changes to a hand icon. You can also pan the view by dragging with the middle mouse button or wheel button held down.

To exit this mode, right-click in the event view or choose the command again.

Zoom Tool

Drag in the event display to zoom the view. The mouse cursor changes to a magnifying-glass icon. Drag upward to zoom in, or downward to zoom out.

To exit this mode, right-click in the event view or choose the command again.

Zoom Region Tool

Drag in the event display to define a zoom rectangle. The mouse cursor changes to the image of a magnifying glass inside a zoom region. When you release the mouse button, the display zooms to show only the area defined by the region.

To exit this mode, right-click in the event view or choose the command again.

Zoom Extents

Sets the zoom to show the entire particle diagram in the event display.

No Zoom

Sets the zoom to the default level. This is the level displayed when you first open Particle View in a given session.

Parameters

Toggles display of the parameters panel, on the right side of the Particle View dialog. Default=on.

Depot

Toggles display of the depot, below the Particle View dialog. Default=on.

Description

Toggles the Description panel, to the right of the depot. Default=on.

The Description panel displays a brief description of any action highlighted in the depot.

Options menu

This menu contains a number of options useful in analyzing and debugging particle systems.

Default Display

Determines whether the Display operator is applied locally or globally to new particle systems and events. Default=Local.

• GlobalWhen you create a new particle system, Particle Flow adds a single Display operator to the global event. It does not add a Display operator to each new event.
• LocalParticle Flow adds a Display operator to each new event. This lets you easily distinguish particles in different events in the viewports.

Action Order

For predictable results, don't use similar actions in the global and local events. However, if comparable actions do exist in both the global event and other events, Particle Flow applies them to the system in the order specified here. Typically, the effect that's applied last is the one that's visible in the particle system. Default=Locals First.

For example, consider a situation in which the global event contains a Shape operator set to Cube, and the other events in the same system contain Shape operators set to Tetra or Sphere. By default, Particle Flow applies the global Shape operator last at each integration step, overwriting any local shapes, so all particles would be cubes. But if you set Action Order to Globals First, the local shapes are applied last, and particles appear as tetrahedrons or spheres, depending on which event they're in.

• Globals FirstAt each integration step, Particle Flow first applies actions in the global event, and then actions in the other (local) events. Typically, the result is that actions in the local events override comparable actions in the global event.
• Locals FirstAt each integration step, Particle Flow first applies actions in the local events, and then actions in the global event. Typically, the result is that actions in the global event override comparable actions in the local events.

Update Type

This setting determines how Particle Flow updates the system when you change a parameter during playback. Because the state of the particle system at any given frame can depend on events in previous frames, using the Complete option can provide a more accurate depiction of the result of the change, at a cost in speed; it takes more time to recalculate the entire system starting at the first frame. Default=Complete.

• CompleteWhen you change a setting during playback, Particle Flow updates the entire system, starting at the first frame.
• ForwardWhen you change a setting during playback, Particle Flow updates the system starting at the current frame.

Track Update

Provides options for visualizing the particle system status in Particle View.

• Particle CountAdds a tab above each event that shows the number of particles in the event. The global event's count shows the total number of particles in the particle system.

  Use this, in addition to the ability to display particles differently in each event, to trace particle progress through the system.

• Update ProgressHighlights each action in color whenever Particle Flow evaluates it.

  The highlighting is very fast, but this option can add significant computational overhead to the particle system, with the result that real-time playback might skip a greater number of frames. To see all frames, turn off Time Configuration Real Time.

Use Dynamic Names

When on, action names in events are followed by their most important setting or settings, in parentheses. When off, only the names appear. Default=on.

Tools menu

The Tools menu in Particle View provides several utilities for managing Particle Flow.

Synchronize Layers

Synchronizes Particle Flow geometry with source objects. Use this option after you move PF Source objects to different layers. The Synchronize Layers option does not change objects' layers, but rather synchronizes Particle Flow geometry with source objects so they will function correctly.

• MAXScript particleFlowUtility.synchronizeLayers()

Repair Cache System

Repairs the cache system if it stops working.

If a Cache operator ends up in a different event from the one it was originally placed in, whether through direct manipulation or from being merged into another Particle Flow system, the operator might stop functioning because of ID conflicts. In such cases, use this function to restore the cache to working condition.

• MAXScript particleFlow.repairCacheSystem(bool doReport)

Preset Manager

Opens the Particle Flow Preset Manager dialog (see following).

• MAXScriptparticleFlow.presetManager()

Particle Flow Preset Manager dialog

You can use the Preset Manager to save a scene as a preset for later retrieval via Preset Flow in Particle View. Keep in mind that all objects in the scene are saved as a part of the preset, regardless of whether they are part of the Particle Flow. This ensures that any Particle Flow reference objects are included in the preset.

To save a new preset, enter a Preset Name and Preset Description, and then click Save Scene As Preset Flow.

Preset Name

Enter an identifying name for the new preset.

Preset Description

Enter a description for the new preset.

Presets

A list of the current presets in the system. Click a preset to see its description.

Save Scene as Preset Flow

Saves the current scene as a preset. The preset is saved as a pair of files: preset_name.txt with the description of the preset; and preset_name.max file with the scene itself. Both files are saved in \plugcfg\Particle Flow Presets\ within the install folder. Since presets are saved as files, it is possible to exchange or modify the presets by manipulating the files.