Layout Rollout (Particle Paint)

Command entry:Select a Particle Paint helper.

Modify panel

Layout rollout

The settings on this rollout determine how the particles are placed on objects in the scene. The Layout settings affect all particle seeds associated with the Particle Paint helper, either before or after they are created.

Interface

[paint option]

Choose a painting option:

Paint on All ObjectsAllows particle painting on any object in your scene.
Paint on Objects ListedAllows particle painting only on listed objects. Click Add to pick objects from viewports, or By List to choose from a dialog. The names of paintable objects appear in the list. To delete an object from the list, highlight it and then click Remove.

Animated Objects

If the object on which particle seeds are placed is animated, the original stroke placement might not be at the same place as the animated surface at the time particles are born. If you want particles painted on animated objects to be born from the animated surface regardless of the surface's position, orientation, or shape by the time the particles are born, turn on this option.

The Particle Paint helper works with any animated object, whether animated by transforms or another method, such as sub-object animation, morphing, or skinning operations. If the surface animation involves a change in the number of faces (as with the Optimize modifier), Particle Paint might fail because the seeds are linked to specific faces by face indices.

Include Children

Allows painting on linked children of listed objects.

Include Group Members

For groups in the list, allows painting on all group members.

Use Mask Objects

Lets you use a mesh or patch object as a mask or frisket to block particles from being sprayed in that area. Click Add to pick objects from viewports, or By List to choose from a dialog. The names of selected objects appear in the list. To delete an object from the list, highlight it and then click Remove.

NoteMask objects block painting only where their geometry is above (or closer to the viewpoint than) the painted surface in the viewport in which the painting occurs. Also, mask objects cannot receive particle seeds.

Include Children

Linked children of listed objects also mask the painting.

Include Group Members

For groups in the list, all group members mask the painting.

Selection Filter

Restricts painting to selected areas of geometry. Choose one of the following:

NoneNo restriction.
Selected Faces OnlyPaints particle seeds only at the geometry's selected faces.
Soft SelectionUses Soft Selection on a selection of the geometry's vertices or faces. Fewer particle seeds will be placed areas where the selection falls off.

Particle Location group

These controls determine how to distribute particle seeds on the geometry.

Particle Location

This drop-down list lets you choose where particle seeds will be deposited. The choices are:

At SurfaceParticle seeds will reside on the surface of any objects on which they are painted.
Above SurfaceParticle seeds will be placed above the surface of objects on which they are painted. Set the distance above the surface with the Distance parameter.
Below SurfaceParticle seeds will be placed below the surface of any objects on which they are painted. Set the distance below the surface with the Distance parameter.
Above And Below SurfaceParticle seeds will be placed both above and below the surface of any objects on which they are painted. Set the distance from the surface with the Distance parameter.

Distance

The distance above or below the surface that particles seeds are placed. This value is expressed in units.

Variation

Adds variation to the distance from the surface that particle seeds are placed.

Separation

When on, Particle Paint attempts to keep particle seeds apart by the specified distance, expressed in 3ds Max units.

Max Attempts

When Separation is on, Particle Paint attempts to separate particles by generating seeds repetitively until the desired separation is achieved. The Max Attempts parameter sets the number of times Particle Paint will generate seeds to attempt separation. If the Distance value is low and Separation is high, the desired separation might not be achieved even after many attempts. In this case, turn on Stack Up For Separation (see following).

Stack Up For Separation

When on, instead of using repetitive seed generation to attempt to separate particles, the separation conflict is resolved by moving the conflicting seed away in the direction of the surface normal.