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Particle FX for DAZ|Studio

Rotating Particles

When used in a Source Action the Set Rotation sets the initial rotation angles of the particles.

When used in a Flow Action the Set Rotation can change the particles rotation each time frame, making them appear to spin or tumble.  

The Transform Type has three options, Set,  Add  and Align With Velocity,  which tell whether the Operator sets the particles rotation, adds to its current rotation or aligns the particle with the direction it is going.  .   

Transform Axis  sets which axis of the particles rotation  is set or added to.    The Transform Axis options are XYZ, X, Y, Z, XY, YZ and XZ.  These options determine which  rotation axis is modified by the operator. 

Particle X,  Particle Y and Particle Z set the base rotation values that are set or added to the chosen Transform Axis.   These values are relative to the location of the Operator or the Parent To node.  

The Particle X Range, Particle Y Range and Particle Z Range set the range the value may be randomized by a Randomizer. 

By default, all Operators, Domains, Directions and Randomizers are parented to the elements that show as their parents in the scene pane.

If the Operator has a Domain then the Domain will usually have a child Randomizer that is used to randomize the placement of the particles within the Domain.   If it does not have a Randomizer, it will use a default internal Uniform randomization if the Particle X Range, Particle Y Range or Particle Z Range are greater than zero.   

Domains are used by other operators to select which particles they act upon.  If the particle is in the child Domain of an Operator, the Operator will act upon the particle.  If the particle is outside the domain, it is unaffected by the Operator.  

By default, if an Operator has no Domain, it acts on all particles passed to it.  

The Set Rotation Transform Axis Parameter has an option for Align With Velocity.  This option forces the particles to align their Y-axis with their velocity direction. 

Using this option the particles can be scaled into elongated shapes along their y-axis and the Set Rotation Operator will automatically keep them pointed in the direction they are headed as shown in this picture.

The Set Rotation operator can operate in two time modes, Scene Time and Particle Time.  

When in a Source Action, the Operator automatically runs in Scene Time.  Any keyframing of the Operators dials are applied normally.  Since an Operator in a Source Action would apply the initial rotations to a particle, this allows the starting behavior of the particle stream to be varied over time and animated.  In a Flow Action using Scene Time  would allow the effect to set all the particles rotations in a synchronized manner.  

A Set Rotation Operator in a Flow Action can be set by the constructor script to operate in Particle Time.  In Particle Time the keyframing of the dials is biased to the birth time of the particle.  The keyframes can be set as is usually done but the affect will be applied as if the zero time on the Timeline Tab is the particle's birth.

When operating in Particle Time the rotation of the particle can be controlled over time.  

When operating in Particle Time,  at each frame of scene time the rotation amounts based on  Particle X,  Particle Y and Particle Z dials are added to the particles rotation.  

See the HTML help file for the effect to see what time its operators are running on.  Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that Set Rotation Operators in Flow Actions are running on Particle Time.  

Since the time mode is set by the effect constructor the user will not have to be worried about setting or modifying it.

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