Inconsistent particles.

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 2:42 am

This as a problem relating to particles. I've seen topics on LM that offer suggestions but nothing that has helped.

I have five mice, each with a jet pack fired by particles of tiny coloured spots.

Earlier in the project, the particles work fine but later on they start to fire 'dashes' of spots rather than a constant stream.

One link I've seen suggests that having the particles 'on at start' was the solution but this hasn't helped. Another talked of there being problem with particles that affects only one layer. I've still not been able to rectify.

I've tried duplicating the problem in a new project but it works fine.

It's like 'particle fatigue', if there is such a thing!

The identical particle set up is used in these two projects, and you can see the difference in the stream of dots. TOP: recreated project; particles firing well. BOTTOM: original project with the 'dashed' stream.

I've also included the particle settings.

http://web.me.com/richardhookway/Site/A ... stuff.html

Thanks for your time.

Also, occasionally I've seen images pasted into discussions on this forum. I've tried dragging and pasting, without success. Please excuse my ignorance, but how can I achieve this.

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:52 am

Could you possibly bundle up one of the jet packs nto an anme file and post it? It's easier to find a solution when you have a copy of the file. Other than that my best guess is you could try decreasing your particle Lifetime (frames) and increase the velocity.

Cheers
D.K

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:11 am

Thanks DK

I've tried decreasing lifetime and increasing velocity but it makes no difference.

Here is a mouse + jet pack, I hope. I've not needed to attach a file before! I'll see if these work.

jet pack.anme.zip
jet pack.anme

No. I'll try again.

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:17 am

Hi Greysnarthur.

The link does not work. You'll need to upload it somewhere and then copy paste the full url into the "URL" parameters on the thread menu at the top RHS when you post next

D.K

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:17 am

DK

Hopefully it's here!

http://web.me.com/richardhookway/Site/A ... stuff.html

Thanks again.

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:19 am

Hi Grey.
I think I fixed it.

http://www.wienertoonz.com/mousefix.zip

In your particle settings you must turn off
1.free floating
2.Evenly Spaced
3.Randomize Playback

Cheers
D.K

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:44 am

Thanks for that DK

That does get rid of the 'dashes' but I lose the flowing back and forth of sparks I'd wanted. It could be I'll have to forfeit that.

However, it still doesn't explain why the particles work as I would like at the beginning of the project, but goes all 'dashy' come the end! Odd!

I should have said, I'm running Anime Studio 5.6 and couldn't open the file. Thanks anyway.

Grey

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:17 am

Sorry Grey....I don't quite follow what you mean by the flowing back and forth of sparks? The file works perfectly for me. The particles are flowing nicely with no dashes. If you repost the other file I can save it in AS 5.6 for you....I deleted the original and only have the asV6 version.

Cheers
D.K

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:56 am

DK

There's a video on the same site that shows what I was trying to describe.

The original anme file is also there.

http://web.me.com/richardhookway/Site/A ... stuff.html

Grey

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:31 am

Hi Grey.

What do you want the particles to do? Those examples look ok to me.

Cheers
D.K

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:29 pm

They do look both fine. They are both fine. The problem is, when I set the particles to be 'wavy', as on the left, I sometimes get them being produced intermittently, as a sort of dash of particle dots.

You can see the effect on the screen grab above the movie on…

http://web.me.com/richardhookway/Site/A ... stuff.html

It doesn't happen at the begging of the project, only after time. That is why I was wondering if there was some problem that could evolve over time.

Deselecting 'free floating' and 'evenly spaced' does seem to solve the problem but it is not how I am wanting the particles to behave.

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 12:45 pm

Ahhh....I see....the particles tend to "Freeze" in one spot as they fall. Looks like always as they are changing direction The only thing I can suggest is attach the straight shooting particle stream, (the one that doess'nt break up), to a bone and either animate the bone so that the attached particle stream rotates with the character direction or apply some limited Bone dynamics to it that will operate automatically.

D.K

Greysnarthur · Post by **Greysnarthur** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:18 pm

Do you know if the freezing is an AS problem, or is it my set up somewhere?

Thanks for your time and suggestions. I'd not thought of attaching bones to a particle.

Grey

DK · Post by DK » Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:35 pm

Hi Grey.

It certainly looks like a bit of a bug and I'm not sure what causes it.

Cheers
D.K

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:30 pm

Without the "exact" same file that is causing this it's tricky to figure out. Is it possible to get the actual file that produces this effect with the keys in place? tell me which key frame the "steps" start to occur? You indicate they start "later" in the time line or "after a while".

I don't think this is a bug I think that it has to do with the lifetime of the particles which is based on frame count. The life span of the particles is set to 24 frames. This means they die and start in "24 frame" intervals. A pack of particles is emitted... they fall and spread out over 24 frames then they "die". A new batch is emitted.

During "normal" playback the particles "overlap" and there are no gaps. I think during fast motion of the layer these gaps appear because the 24 frame life time of the particles is spread out further.

This causes the "steps" or "gaps". Every 24 frames a new set of particles are emitted. If the character is moving faster than that and it spreads out you see the gaps. You may need to just play around with those settings or instead of having ONE particle layer with a TON of particles have TWO layers with half as many. Each layer is "offset" on the lifetime of the particles to hide the gaps.

-vern