3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [441]
4. Open the Material Editor (by pressing the M key), and select the first sample slot. This slot includes a material named Spark. Drag the material from the Material Editor to the particle system's icon.
5. Select the Super Spray icon, right-click it to open the pop-up menu, and select the Properties menu option. In the Object Properties dialog box, select the Object Motion Blur option.
Caution
When viewing the animation, maximize a single viewport. If Max tries to update all four viewports at once with this many particle objects, the update is slow. The shortcut to maximize the viewport is Alt+W. •
Figure 41.7 shows sparks emitting from the fireworks fountain.
FIGURE 41.7
The Super Spray particle system is used to create fireworks sparks.
Tutorial: Adding spray to a spray can
The Super Spray particle system is complex enough to warrant another example. What good is a spray can without any spray? In this tutorial, you create a spray can model and then use the Super Spray particle system to create the spray coming from it.
To create a stream of spray for a spray can, follow these steps:
1. Open the Spray can.max file from the Chap 41 directory on the CD.
This file includes a simple spray can object created using a cylinder for the can base and the nozzle and a lathed spline for the top of the can.
2. Select the Particle Systems subcategory button from the drop-down list, and click the Super Spray button. Drag in the Top viewport to create the Super Spray icon, and position it at the mouth of the nozzle.
3. In the Basic Parameters rollout, set the Off Axis Spread to 20 and the Off Plane Spread to 90. In the Particle Generation rollout, set the Emit Rate to 1000, the Speed to 20, and the Life to 30. Set the Size of the particles to 5.
4. Open the Material Editor (by pressing M), and select the material named Spray Mist. Then drag this material onto the Super Spray icon to apply this material to the Super Spray particle system.
Figure 41.8 shows the fine spray from an aerosol can.
FIGURE 41.8
Using a mostly transparent material, you can create a fine mist spray.
Using the MetaParticles option
The MetaParticles option in the Particle Type rollout makes the particle system release Metaball objects. Metaballs are viscous spheres that, like mercury, flow into each other when close. These particles take a little longer to render but are effective for simulating water and liquids. The MetaParticles type is available for the Super Spray, Blizzard, PArray, and PCloud particle systems.
Selecting the MetaParticles option in the Particle Types section enables the MetaParticle Parameters group. In this group are options for controlling how the MetaParticles behave. The Tension value determines how easily objects blend together. MetaParticles with a high tension resist merging with other particles. You can vary the amount of tension with the Variation value. The Tension value can range between 0.1 and 10, and the Variation can range from 0 to 100 percent.
Because MetaParticles can take a long time to render, the Evaluation Coarseness settings enable you to set how computationally intensive the rendering process is. This can be set differently for the viewport and the renderer—the higher the value, the quicker the results. You also can set this to Automatic Coarseness, which automatically controls the coarseness settings based on the speed and ability of the renderer. The One Connected Blob option speeds the rendering process by ignoring all particles that aren't connected.
Tutorial: Spilling soda from a can
MetaParticles are a good option to use to create drops of liquid, like those from a soda can.
To create liquid flowing from a can, follow these steps:
1. Open the MetaParticles from a soda can.max file from the Chap 41 directory on the CD.
This file includes a soda can model created by Zygote Media positioned so the can is on its side.
2. Select the Create⇒Particles