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4. In the Particle Generation rollout, set the Emit Stop value to 100 and the Life value to 60 with a Variation of 50. Set the Particle Size value to 5.0 with a Variation of 30.

5. In the Particle Type rollout, select the Standard Particles and the Constant options.

6. Open the Material Editor (by selecting the M key), and name the selected sample slot steam. Click the map button to the right of the Opacity value, and double-click the Mask map type from the Material/Map Browser. In the Mask Parameters rollout, click the map button and select the Noise map type. Then click the Go to Parent button to return to the Mask map, click the Mask button, and select the Gradient map type. For the Gradient material, drag the black color swatch to the white color swatch, select Swap in the dialog box that appears, and enable the Radial option. Finally, drag the steam material to the PArray icon.

Figure 41.16 shows the steam vent at frame 60.

FIGURE 41.16

A Plane object positioned beneath the vent is an emitter for the particle system.

Using the PCloud Particle System

The PCloud particle system keeps all emitted particles within a selected volume. This volume can be a box, sphere, cylinder, or a selected object. The emitter icon is shaped as the selected volume. This particle system includes the same rollouts as the Super Spray system, with some subtle differences.

The options on the Basic Parameters rollout are unique to this system. This system can use a separate mesh object as an emitter. To select this emitter object, click the Pick Object button and select the object to use. Other options include Box, Sphere, and Cylinder Emitter. For these emitters, the Rad/Len, Width, and Height values are active for defining its dimensions.

In addition to these differences in the Basic Parameters rollout, several Particle Motion options in the Particle Generation rollout are different for the PCloud system as well. Particle Motion can be set to a random direction, a specified vector, or in the direction of a reference object's Z-axis.

The only two presets for this particle system in the Load/Save Presets rollout are Cloud/Smoke and Default.

Using Particle System Maps

Using material maps on particles is another way to add detail to a particle system without increasing its geometric complexity. You can apply all materials and maps available in the Material Editor to particle systems. To apply them, select the particle system icon and click the Assign Material to Selection button in the Material Editor.

Cross-Reference

For more details on using maps, see Chapter 17, “Adding Material Details with Maps.” •

Two map types are specifically designed to work with particle systems: Particle Age and Particle MBlur. You can find these maps in the Material/Map Browser. You can access the Material/Map Browser using the Rendering⇒Material Map Browser menu command or from the Material Editor by clicking the Get Material button.

Using the Particle Age map

The Particle Age map parameters include three different colors that can be applied at different times, depending on the Life value of the particles. Each color includes a color swatch, a map button, an Enable check box, and an Age value for when this color should appear.

This map typically is applied as a Diffuse map because it affects the color.

Using the Particle MBlur map

The Particle MBlur map changes the opacity of the front and back of a particle, depending on the color values and sharpness specified in its parameters rollout. This results in an effect of blurred motion if applied as an Opacity map.

Note

MBlur does not work with the Constant, Facing, MetaParticles, or PArray object fragments. •

Tutorial: Creating jet engine flames

The Particle Age and MBlur maps work well for adding opacity and colors that change over time, such as hot jets of flames, to a particle system.

To create jet engine flames, follow these steps:

1. Open the Jet airplane flames.max file from the Chap 41 directory on the CD.

This file