Go to: Synopsis. Return value. Related.
Flags. Python
examples.
emitter( [objects] , [alongAxis=float], [aroundAxis=float], [awayFromAxis=float], [awayFromCenter=float], [cycleEmission=string], [cycleInterval=int], [directionX=linear], [directionY=linear], [directionZ=linear], [directionalSpeed=float],
[maxDistance=linear],
[minDistance=linear],
[needParentUV=boolean],
[normalSpeed=float],
[position=[linear, linear,
linear]], [randomDirection=float], [rate=float], [scaleRateByObjectSize=boolean],
[scaleSpeedBySize=boolean],
[speed=float], [speedRandom=float], [spread=float], [tangentSpeed=float], [torusSectionRadius=linear],
[type=string], [volumeOffset=[linear, linear,
linear]], [volumeShape=string], [volumeSweep=angle])
Note: Strings representing object names and
arguments must be separated by commas. This is not depicted in the
synopsis.
emitter is undoable, queryable, and editable.
Creates an emitter object. If object names are provided or if
objects are selected, applies the emitter to the named/selected
object(s)in the scene. Particles will then be emitted from each. If
no objects are named or selected, or if the -pos option is
specified, creates a positional emitter. If an emitter was created,
the command returns the name of the object owning the emitter, and
the name of emitter shape. If an emitter was queried, the command
returns the results of the query. Keyframeable attributes of the
emitter node: rate, directionX, directionY, directionZ,
minDistance, maxDistance, spread.
In query mode, return type is based on queried flag.
addDynamic, addPP, particle
alongAxis, aroundAxis, awayFromAxis, awayFromCenter, cycleEmission, cycleInterval, directionX, directionY, directionZ, directionalSpeed, maxDistance, minDistance, needParentUV, normalSpeed, position, randomDirection, rate, scaleRateByObjectSize, scaleSpeedBySize, speed, speedRandom,
spread, tangentSpeed, torusSectionRadius, type, volumeOffset,
volumeShape, volumeSweep
| Long name (short name) |
Argument types |
Properties |
type(typ) |
string |
  |
|
Type of emitter. The choices are omni | dir | direction | surf
| surface | curve | curv. The default is omni. The full definition
of these types are: omnidirectional point emitter, directional
point emitter, surface emitter, or curve emitter. |
|
directionX(dx) |
linear |
|
|
x-component of emission direction. Used for directional
emitters, and for volume emitters with directionalSpeed. |
|
directionY(dy) |
linear |
|
|
y-component of emission direction. Used for directional
emitters, and for volume emitters with directionalSpeed. |
|
directionZ(dz) |
linear |
|
|
z-component of emission direction. Used for directional
emitters, and for volume emitters with directionalSpeed. |
|
minDistance(mnd) |
linear |
|
|
Minimum distance at which emission starts. |
|
maxDistance(mxd) |
linear |
|
|
Maximum distance at which emission ends. |
|
position(pos) |
[linear, linear, linear] |
 |
|
Positional emitter at world space location (x,y,z). |
|
rate(r) |
float |
|
|
Rate at which particles emitted (can be non-integer). For point
emission this is rate per point per unit time. For surface emission
it is rate per square unit of area per unit time. |
|
spread(sp) |
float |
|
|
Random spread (0-1), as a fraction of 90 degrees, along
specified direction. Directional emitters only. |
|
speedRandom(srn) |
float |
|
|
Identifies a range of random variation for the speed of each
generated particle. If set to a non-zero value, speed becomes the
mean value of the generated particles, whose speeds vary by a
random amount up to plus or minus speedRandom/2. For example, speed
5 and speedRandom 2 will make the speeds vary between 4 and 6. |
|
cycleEmission(cye) |
string |
|
|
Possible values are "none" and "frame." Cycling emission
restarts the random number stream after a specified interval. This
can either be a number of frames or a number of emitted particles.
In each case the number is specified by the cycleInterval
attribute. Setting cycleEmission to "frame" and cycleInterval to 1
will then re-start the random stream every frame. Setting
cycleInterval to values greater than 1 can be used to generate
cycles for games work. |
|
cycleInterval(cyi) |
int |
|
|
Specifies the number of frames or particles between restarts of
the random number stream. See cycleEmission. Has no effect if
cycleEmission is set to None. |
|
speed(spd) |
float |
|
|
Speed multiple. Multiplies the velocity of the emitted
particles by this amount. Does not apply to volume emitters. For
that emitter type, use directionalSpeed. |
|
normalSpeed(nsp) |
float |
|
|
Normal speed multiple for point emission. For each emitted
particle, multiplies the component of the velocity normal to the
surface or curve by this amount. Surface and curve emitters
only. |
|
tangentSpeed(tsp) |
float |
|
|
Tangent speed multiple for point emission. For each emitted
particle, multiplies the component of the velocity tangent to the
surface or curve by this amount. Surface and curve emitters
only. |
|
volumeShape(vsh) |
string |
|
|
Volume shape of the emitter. Sets/edits/queries the field's
volume shape attribute. If set to any value other than "none",
determines a 3-D volume within which particles are generated.
Values are: "cube," "sphere," "cylinder," "cone," "torus." |
|
volumeOffset(vof) |
[linear, linear, linear] |
|
|
Volume offset of the emitter. Volume offset translates the
emission volume by the specified amount from the actual emitter
location. This is in the emitter's local space. |
|
volumeSweep(vsw) |
angle |
|
|
Volume sweep of the emitter. Applies only to sphere, cone,
cylinder, and torus. Similar effect to the sweep attribute in
modelling. |
|
torusSectionRadius(tsr) |
linear |
|
|
Section radius for a torus volume. Applies only to torus.
Similar to the section radius in the torus modelling
primitive. |
|
awayFromCenter(afc) |
float |
|
|
Initial velocity multiplier in the direction away from the
center point of a cube or sphere volume emitter. Used only with the
cube and sphere volume emitters. |
|
awayFromAxis(afx) |
float |
|
|
Initial velocity multiplier in the direction away from the
central axis of the volume. See the diagrams in the documentation.
Used only with the cylinder, cone, and torus volume emitters. |
|
aroundAxis(arx) |
float |
|
|
Initial velocity multiplier in the direction around the central
axis of the volume. See the diagrams in the documentation. Applies
only to volume emitters. |
|
alongAxis(alx) |
float |
|
|
Initial velocity multiplier in the direction along the central
axis of the volume. See the diagrams in the documentation. Applies
only to volume emitters. |
|
randomDirection(rnd) |
float |
|
|
Magnitude of a random component of the speed from volume
emission. |
|
directionalSpeed(drs) |
float |
|
|
For volume emitters only, adds a component of speed in the
direction specified by the directionX, Y, and Z attributes. Applies
only to volume emitters. Does not apply to other types of
emitters. |
|
scaleSpeedBySize(ssz) |
boolean |
|
|
Indicates whether the scale of a volume emitter affects its
velocity. |
|
needParentUV(nuv) |
boolean |
|
|
If aNeedParentUV is true, compute parentUV value from each
triangle or each line segment, then send out to the target particle
object. You also need to add parentU and parentV attributes to the
particle object to store these values. |
|
scaleRateByObjectSize(sro) |
boolean |
|
|
Applies to curve and surface emitters, only. If true, number of
particles is determined by object size (area or length) times rate
value. If false, object size is ignored and the rate value is used
without modification. The former is the way Maya behaved prior to
version 3.0. |
|
 Flag can appear in Create mode of
command |
Flag can appear in Edit mode of command |
| Flag can appear in Query mode of command |
Flag can have multiple arguments, passed
either as a tuple or a list. |
import maya.cmds as cmds
cmds.particle( p=((-1, 5, 2), (2, 2, 2), (3, 3, 3)), n='particles' )
cmds.emitter( 'particles', r=300, mnd=1.5, mxd=2.5, n='emitter' )
cmds.particle( n='emitted' )
cmds.connectDynamic( 'emitted', em='emitter' )
# Creates a particle emitter.
cmds.emitter( dx=1, dy=0, dz=0, sp=0.33, pos=(1, 1, 1), n='myEmitter' )
cmds.particle( n='emittedParticles' )
cmds.connectDynamic( 'emittedParticles', em='myEmitter' )
# Creates a point emitter.