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Generating Particles
Generating Particles
Using a Surface
Using a Light Source
When
a particle generator is attached to a light source, it uses the
position and rotation of the light source to move and rotate the
particle generator.
To add a particle stream using a light source:
- Add a Light node to your scene.
- Double-click the new light in the schematic,
or follow the tab population rules for the Object menu (see
Selecting Objects and Populating Menu Tabs).
- Adjust the spread and position of the
light source in the Light menu. Use the Spread field to set the
spread of the particle stream. The Intensity, Falloff, and Colour
fields are not used by the particle generator.
- With the light node selected in the schematic,
do one of the following:
- Drag the particle generator node from
the node bar and place it in the schematic.
- Double-click the particle generator node.
You do not need to be in Schematic view to add a node in this manner.
A particle generator
object is added and automatically connected to the selected light
source.
- Set the particle generator's properties.
See
Customizing the Particle Stream.
- If you do not want the light source to
illuminate the scene, deactivate the light by clicking the Enable
button in the Light menu. When Enable is deactivated, the light
source is used as a particle generator only.
With a light source,
you can animate the position of the particle stream by moving the
light, changing the spread, and rotating the light. Because the
generator is a light source, you can animate the position of the particle
generator using a motion path.