81 replies to this topic

[JimH]

Ok, I'm having some fun learning how to use X-Particles. One thing I don't get is the direction modifier. It doesn't always send the particles in the direction I tell it to. Often changing the direction makes no difference.

I was also having trouble getting this to work as expected. I tried the 'absolute' setting, as well as just about every setting one at a time.

If I set the pitch to 180, I see the first particle change direction, the next few change a little, and the rest are unaffected.

Edited by JimH, 25 February 2012 - 06:45 PM.

[3DKiwi]

change operation to absolute

Makes no difference.

Maybe there's a refresh issue?

3DKiwi

[dataflow]

yeah for me it updates the end of the particles but not from where the direction is meant to change from

[spedler]

Sorry guys it's a bug due to my over-zealous cleaning up of the code just before release. I've fixed it and it'll be in a service update soon. If any registered users really need that fixed now, get in touch with me and I'll send you a fixed version.

Cheers,

Steve

[3DKiwi]

Thanks Steve. I thought there was a bug in my brain

Nigel

[rwalker]

I have a Generator creating Spheres. A Gravity modifier kicks in at 30 frames, as expected. How do I make those Spheres honor solid body dynamics, i.e. bounce off a collider object such as a floor? If I Dynamics-tag the Generator, it overrides the Gravity modifier and the spheres fall immediately. If I Dynamics-tag the original Sphere being generated, they honor the Question/Answer, dropping at the 30-frame mark, but they fall through the floor.

[rwalker]

Answered my own question - Tag the Generator, change "Trigger" to "On Collision" (from "Immediately").

[3D-Pangel]

Started working through some of the tutorial's at the X-particles site. Some of it is starting to sink in - which is no minor feat given that it is getting increasingly harder to teach this old dog new tricks.

In any case, the bomb blast tutorial (found here) on spawning is rather interesting and one which I followed exactly, but I must have missed something because I am not quite getting the same results. In that tutorial, I can not keep the initial bomb from issuing particles from the Spawn B emitter even when I have added Spawn B to be excluded from the bomb emitter. Not sure what I am doing wrong but I have attached the file for more experienced minds to review:

 X-Particle.c4d   303.78K   22 downloads

Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is driving me nuts.

Dave

[3DKiwi]

Just on my way to work so I can't check your scene.

One thing to note with the tutorial is the Freeze object doesn't actually do anything. Mike forgot to enable the position option on it to freeze any stray particles falling below the deflector.

3DKiwi

[slouchcorp]

Actuly you added the emitter to the exclude list not the modifier:) so drop Spawn B into the emitter Bombs exclude list and it won't spawn,

That tute is pretty old and done before the deflector had spawning collisions built in, so id actuly do it that way now it would be less of a set up

cheers
Mike

[3D-Pangel]

Actuly you added the emitter to the exclude list not the modifier:) so drop Spawn B into the emitter Bombs exclude list and it won't spawn,

That tute is pretty old and done before the deflector had spawning collisions built in, so id actuly do it that way now it would be less of a set up

cheers
Mike

Ahhh...that did it! DOH!

So are you saying that I don't need the Spawn modifiers at all?

Dave

[rwalker]

I saw a note regarding X-Particles and NetRender capabilities somewhere, but cannot find it now... Does this release of X-Particles support C4D NetRender?

[James Leaburn]

I saw a note regarding X-Particles and NetRender capabilities somewhere, but cannot find it now... Does this release of X-Particles support C4D NetRender?

As far as I know there is no support for net render at the moment. I'm sure the future will see it implemented.

[slouchcorp]

it depends what you need to do. you could use a deflector to make the bomb explode (send out the first lot of spawns, but you would then need a spawn modifier to make those have the trails.

hope that helps.

Regarding .NET it isn't supported in V1. there is ways around it, using nitomans baker and setting the emitter to send out TP particles.
We will be working on caching for a service release and that should open up the door for .NET

Cheers
Mike

[3DKiwi]

Question - what's a controller object? I'm working through the documentation and come across the term "Controller" on the Questions page. I've got the result of the particles changing colour but wonder what this object is.

Thanks
Nigel / 3DKiwi

Attached Thumbnails

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[slouchcorp]

controller was a legacy object ignore that, we must have missed that part in the manual, in a much older version we had a controller that held the actions.

but its been gone for a long while now.

cheers
Mike

Edited by 3DKiwi, 28 February 2012 - 10:59 PM.
removed html

[3DKiwi]

Okay thanks.

Nigel

[3DKiwi]

How's everyone going? We're hoping to see a lot more entries than there currently is.

3DKiwi

[kosmikal]

Great to have good competitor for Thinking particles. Sure this is not competiting with it directly but i think it is good addition for C4D.

[3D-Pangel]

Okay....now that I have completed my taxes, replaced the MB in my computer, replaced the vent fan in the kids bathroorm, and installed an interlock panel for a new generator - I can now get back to X-Particles. Mindless drudgery does give ones brain a chance to work on problems and I found my thoughts turning to X-Particles a lot. Couple of questions:

1) Given that the defector can spawn particles upon collision, how do you get the spawned particles NOT to pass through the deflector?

2) Can particles be spawned if they collide with another object? Or do I have to best fit the shape of one the modifier primitives to the desired object? Any thoughts to adding user-define objects to a modifiers shape library in a future release?

3) Along the lines of testing particle collision with other objects, was that the intent of the collider tag which Nigel mentioned above? This would be a neat feature and I would love to see it in a future release.

Thanks,
Dave