Apple Motion 5.1.1 User Manual
Page 523
Chapter 14
Particles
523
For more information on using the 3D transform controls in the HUD, see
on page 909.
For particle systems containing multiple cells, the Emitter HUD parameters simultaneously
modify the effect of each cell’s parameters relative to one another. This means that for a particle
system consisting of two cells with different scale values, changing the scale in the HUD resizes
both cells simultaneously. For example, increasing the scale in the HUD by 200% does not
change the scale of both cells to 200%, but resizes the cells relative to their original scale values.
Original particle system
Particle system scaled to 200 percent
For this reason, in emitters with multiple cells, the HUD parameters are displayed as percentages.
When you modify the parameters of a single cell, the cell parameters are adjusted directly.
Controls in the Emitter HUD
•
Birth Rate: A slider that defines how many particles are created every second.
•
Life: A slider that defines how long each particle remains onscreen (in seconds) before
disappearing from existence.
•
Scale: A slider that defines the size of each particle, relative to the original size of the cell.
•
Emission Range: A slider that defines the angle at which particles are emitted.
•
Emission Control: A graphical control that lets you modify several parameters simultaneously,
described below:
•
Emission Range (2D only): Drag the two points on the outer ring of the graphical emission
control to define the range of degrees at which particles are generated. In other words, the
Emission Range parameter defines the size of the “slice” of the pie graph that the particles
fill when generated. This graphical control adjusts the same parameter as the Emission
Range slider.
•
Emission Angle (2D only): Drag the blue arrows clockwise or counterclockwise to change the
direction in which particles are emitted (within the angle defined by the Emission Range
control).
•
Emission Speed (2D only): Drag the blue arrows outward or inward to define how quickly
particles move away from the emitter.
Use the following modifier keys to more precisely manipulate the graphical emission control
in the HUD:
•
Shift (while adjusting Emission Angle): Restricts angles to 45 degree increments.
•
Shift (while adjusting Emission Range): When working with a 2D emitter, restricts to
22.5-degree increments.
•
Command: When working with a 2D emitter, adjusts Emission Angle only.
•
Option: When working with a 2D emitter, adjusts Emission Speed only.
67% resize factor