Particle Cache
Updated: 4 Dec 2023
Caches a particle system for potentially faster and repeatable results.
Particle Cache
Method #
The particle cache node allows you to store the animation of particles to disk. This allows them to be scrubbed in time and played deterministically rather than simulated during playback. Particle cache files may be very large on disk.
Baking Panel
The file extension for particle cache is *.pcache.
When the baking is finished, you can disable the other particle emitters / affectors, as they no longer contribute to the scene.
Particle caching can generate very large files if a large number of particles is used. The frames per second will also influence the size of the cached file.
Parameters
These properties control the 3D transforms of the node. Transforms will generally be inherited by child nodes, although they can be ignored through the Inherit Transform Channels attributes.
Parameter Details Position X The objects position along the local x-axis.
Position Y The objects position along the local y-axis.
Position Z The objects position along the local z-axis.
Rotation Heading The objects rotation around the local y-axis.
Rotation Pitch The objects rotation around the local x-axis.
Rotation Bank The objects rotation around the local z-axis.
Scale X The objects scale along the local x-axis.
Scale Y The objects scale along the local y-axis.
Scale Z The objects scale along the local z-axis.
Control the inheritance of the transforms from the parent.
Parameter Details Position Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent.
Rotation Toggle inheritance of the Rotation from the parent.
Scale Toggle inheritance of the Scale from the parent.
World Position Only Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties.
Inherit Time Toggle inheritance of time from the parent.
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
Parameter Details Bake Now.. Open baking panel and begin bake
Particle Cache Cached file
Realflow Animation Load *.bin realflow file
Playback Rate Playback speed
Playback Time Offset Offset the playback Time
Looping Enable loop playback
Use Node Material Use the particle material on this node, instead of the material baked into the cache
Tints the particles colours from the emitter. To enable, add an colour ramp input to this node.
Parameter Details Colour Selection Mode Choose how the input colour affects the particles.
- Input Colour : the first colour input is the only colour output.
- Selected Single Colour : Uses the Colour selection parameter to decide which colour to use from the input ramp.
- Emission Time : colour is selected based on time at which the particle is emitted.
- Random Colour : the colour is selected randomly at the particles creation.
Colour Selection Parameters A number used to select the colour output.
These properties control the material the particles use for emission.
Parameter Details Colour RGB colour of particles.
Diffuse Control how much the light is scattered from the surface of the object.
Emissiveness Control how much light is emitted by the particle.
Life Colour Affecter Weight Controls how much the result of any Life Colour Shading nodes are blended with the particle’s colour.
Particle Scale Scale the size of the particle.
Dof Amount How much depth of field effects the particles material.
Density The density, for use in some simulations.
Temperature The density, for use in some simulations.
Cooling Rate The cooling rate, for thermal dynamics simulations.
Density Decay Control the rate of decay in the density.
Fade In Time What percentage through the particles life span the particle fades in.
Fade Out Time What percentage through the particles life span the particle fades out.
Fade Falloff Coefficient Change the weighting of the fade falloff to either speed up or slow down over time.
Inputs
These properties control the 3D transforms of the node. Transforms will generally be inherited by child nodes, although they can be ignored through the Inherit Transform Channels attributes.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position X | The objects position along the local x-axis. |
| Position Y | The objects position along the local y-axis. |
| Position Z | The objects position along the local z-axis. |
| Rotation Heading | The objects rotation around the local y-axis. |
| Rotation Pitch | The objects rotation around the local x-axis. |
| Rotation Bank | The objects rotation around the local z-axis. |
| Scale X | The objects scale along the local x-axis. |
| Scale Y | The objects scale along the local y-axis. |
| Scale Z | The objects scale along the local z-axis. |
Control the inheritance of the transforms from the parent.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent. |
| Rotation | Toggle inheritance of the Rotation from the parent. |
| Scale | Toggle inheritance of the Scale from the parent. |
| World Position Only | Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties. |
| Inherit Time | Toggle inheritance of time from the parent. |
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Bake Now.. | Open baking panel and begin bake |
| Particle Cache | Cached file |
| Realflow Animation | Load *.bin realflow file |
| Playback Rate | Playback speed |
| Playback Time Offset | Offset the playback Time |
| Looping | Enable loop playback |
| Use Node Material | Use the particle material on this node, instead of the material baked into the cache |
Tints the particles colours from the emitter. To enable, add an colour ramp input to this node.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Colour Selection Mode | Choose how the input colour affects the particles.
|
| Colour Selection Parameters | A number used to select the colour output. |
These properties control the material the particles use for emission.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Colour | RGB colour of particles. |
| Diffuse | Control how much the light is scattered from the surface of the object. |
| Emissiveness | Control how much light is emitted by the particle. |
| Life Colour Affecter Weight | Controls how much the result of any Life Colour Shading nodes are blended with the particle’s colour. |
| Particle Scale | Scale the size of the particle. |
| Dof Amount | How much depth of field effects the particles material. |
| Density | The density, for use in some simulations. |
| Temperature | The density, for use in some simulations. |
| Cooling Rate | The cooling rate, for thermal dynamics simulations. |
| Density Decay | Control the rate of decay in the density. |
| Fade In Time | What percentage through the particles life span the particle fades in. |
| Fade Out Time | What percentage through the particles life span the particle fades out. |
| Fade Falloff Coefficient | Change the weighting of the fade falloff to either speed up or slow down over time. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Colour Control Nodes | Control the colours of the particles on emission. | Colour Ramp |
| Transform Modifiers | Apply the transforms of another node to this node. | Null |
| Target Node | Modifiy the rotations of the node to always direct the z axis towards the input. | Null |
| Local Transform Override | Apply the transforms of another node to this node, relative to its parent. | Null |