Page 1041 - Kitab3DsMax

Creating Particles
and Particle Flow

very object that you add to the scene slows down Max to a small degree CHAPTER
because Max needs to keep track of every object. If you add thousands of IN THIS CHAPTER
Eobjects to a scene, not only does Max slow down noticeably, but also the
objects become difficult to identify. For example, if you had to create thousands Understanding the various
of simple snowflakes for a snowstorm scene, the system would become unwieldy, particle systems
and the number wouldn’t get very high before you ran out of memory. Creating a particle system
Particle systems are specialized groups of objects that are managed as a single
entity. By grouping all the particle objects into a single controllable system, you Using the Spray and Snow
particle systems
can easily make modifications to all the objects with a single parameter. This
chapter discusses using these special systems to produce rain and snow effects, Using the Super Spray and
fireworks sparks, sparkling butterfly wings, and even fire-breathing dragons. Blizzard particle systems
Working with MetaParticles
Understanding the Various Particle Using an object as an emitter
Systems Using particle system maps

A particle is a small, simple object that is duplicated en masse, like snow, rain, or Using the Particle Flow
dust. Just as in real life, Max includes many different types of particles that can interface
vary in size, shape, texture, color, and motion. These different particle types are
included in various particle systems.
When a particle system is created, all you can see in the viewport is a single gizmo
known as an emitter icon. An emitter icon is the object (typically a gizmo, but it can
be a scene object) where the particles originate. Selecting a particle system gizmo
makes the parameters for the particle system appear in the Modify panel.
Max includes the following particle systems:
l Particle Flow Source: Particles that can be defined using the Particle
Flow window and controlled using actions and events.
l Spray: Simulates drops of water. These drops can be Drops, Dots, or
Ticks. The particles travel in a straight line from the emitter’s surface
after they are created.

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