Procedural Emitter
Updated: 4 Dec 2023
Emit particles from a Procedural system.
Procedural Emitter
Method #
This node is used to emit particles from a Procedural system, using the Signed Distance Field to indicate where to emit the particles and modulate their alpha.
The transformation values of this node will be inherited by its children. Furthermore, Affectors, Shading, and Rendering nodes will only be effective to the particles emit by this emitter.
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 Randomness
How much randomness is added in the particles movement.
Life
Control the randomness for the life of each particle.
Life Randomness
Control the randomness for the life of each particle.
Emission Rate
What percentage of the particles are emitted from the emitter per second.
Max Particle Count
Set a maximum particle count for the emitter.
Respawn Enabled
Toggle whether a particle can respawn.
These properties control how the procedural system is sourced for particle emission.
Parameter Details Distance To Alpha Scale
Scale the alpha of the particles based on distance from the procedural surface.
Distance To Scale
Scale the size of the particles based on distance from the procedural surface.
Min Distance
Minimum distance away from the surface to spawn particles, facing inwards. Particles closer to the surface than this value will not be spawned.
Max Distance
Maximum distance away from the surface to spawn particles, facing inwards. Particles further away from to the surface than this value will not be spawned.
Cull Overlapping Particles
Remove particles which are too spawned close to each other.
Cull Overlapping Particles Scale
Scale the radius used to select which particles should be removed.
Min Scale
The minimum scale of the particles, if the Distance To Scale is not 0.
Max Scale
The maximum scale fo the particles, if the Distance To Scale is not 0
Use Procedural Colours
Allow the particles to pick up colours from the procedural system.
Grid Size
The number of voxels on one axis used to spawn the particles. High resolutions will result in a denser generation of particles, relative to the size of the bounding box.
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.
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 |
|---|---|
| Randomness | How much randomness is added in the particles movement. |
| Life | Control the randomness for the life of each particle. |
| Life Randomness | Control the randomness for the life of each particle. |
| Emission Rate | What percentage of the particles are emitted from the emitter per second. |
| Max Particle Count | Set a maximum particle count for the emitter. |
| Respawn Enabled | Toggle whether a particle can respawn. |
These properties control how the procedural system is sourced for particle emission.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance To Alpha Scale | Scale the alpha of the particles based on distance from the procedural surface. |
| Distance To Scale | Scale the size of the particles based on distance from the procedural surface. |
| Min Distance | Minimum distance away from the surface to spawn particles, facing inwards. Particles closer to the surface than this value will not be spawned. |
| Max Distance | Maximum distance away from the surface to spawn particles, facing inwards. Particles further away from to the surface than this value will not be spawned. |
| Cull Overlapping Particles | Remove particles which are too spawned close to each other. |
| Cull Overlapping Particles Scale | Scale the radius used to select which particles should be removed. |
| Min Scale | The minimum scale of the particles, if the Distance To Scale is not 0. |
| Max Scale | The maximum scale fo the particles, if the Distance To Scale is not 0 |
| Use Procedural Colours | Allow the particles to pick up colours from the procedural system. |
| Grid Size | The number of voxels on one axis used to spawn the particles. High resolutions will result in a denser generation of particles, relative to the size of the bounding box. |
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. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural Root | Connect a source procedural node. | Procedural Root |
| Bounding Box | Limits the area that the procedural emitter will use. | Bounding Box |
| 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 |
