The Display operator lets you specify how particles appear in the viewports.
The default display mode is Ticks, which is the simplest, and thus the fastest to display. It's useful for animations that use a large number of particles. At the opposite end of the complexity spectrum is the Geometry option, which lets 3ds Max depict particles as their actual shapes. In addition, the Display operator provides a variety of simple shapes that provide fast feedback in testing animation, as well as the ability to easily distinguish among particles in different events. It also lets you set the percentage of visible particles.
By default, Particle Flow automatically inserts a new Display operator in each local event you add to the system. Alternatively, you can choose Particle View 
Options menu Default Display Global. With this option, Particle Flow automatically inserts a Display operator in new global events, but does not add one to new local events.
Particles in any local event that doesn't contain a Display operator don't appear in the viewports, unless an associated global event contains a Display operator (that is, a global Display operator). If a particle is affected by multiple Display operators (for example, both global and local operators) simultaneously, 3ds Max generates all viewport particle representations at the same time.
Interface
The user interface appears in the parameters panel, on the right side of the Particle View dialog.
- Type
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Choose how particles appear in the viewports. The two-dimensional particle markers depict position only. Geometry shows how particles will actually render, in three dimensions; Lines shows speed and direction of motion; and Bounding Boxes reflects scale and orientation.
In the following list, each choice's description is preceded by the number of dimensions used by each particle representation:
- None Particles do not appear in the viewports.
- Dots (0D) Each particle appears as a single pixel.
- Ticks (2D) Each particle appears as a + sign.
- Circles (2D) Each particle appears as a small circle.
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Lines (1D) Each particle appears as a line, one pixel thick. The line's length indicates particle speed, and its orientation reflects the direction of motion. Use this option for fast, accurate feedback when experimenting with the Speed operators. Tip: When using the Lines display type with the OpenGL display driver, slow-moving particles might not appear properly in the viewports. In such cases, to see all particles, add a second Display operator in the same event and set its Type to Dots.
- Bounding Boxes (3D) Each particle appears as a bounding box. Use this option for a good representation of the final animation, at a slight cost in computational speed.
- Geometry (3D) Each particle appears as its actual geometry. Use this option for the best representation of the final animation, at the greatest cost in computational speed.
- Diamonds (2D) Each particle appears as a diamond.
- Boxes (2D) Each particle appears as a small square.
- Asterisks (2D) Each particle appears as an asterisk (*).
- Triangles (2D) Each particle appears as a small triangle.
- Visible %
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Specifies the percentage of particles visible in the viewports. This option lets you speed up viewport redrawing by reducing the number of visible particles.
- Show Particle IDs
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When on, each particle's unique index number is visible in the viewports. Particles are numbered in the order of their birth, starting with 1 for the first particle born.
- [color swatch]
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Shows the color for particles displayed using options other than Geometry, as well as for the particle IDs. Particle Flow chooses a different color at random for each Display operator added to the system. In addition to the Type options, using different colors helps to distinguish among particles in different events.
To change the color, click the color swatch and use the Color Selector dialog to choose a new color. You can also change the color without opening the operator rollout by clicking the small, circular color swatch on the Display operator in the event.
If a system has a global Display operator (that is, contained in the PF Source event), and you select its Source icon in a viewport, then you can change the color of the global Display operator from the color swatch on the Modify panel. However, changing the global Display operator's color in Particle View does not change the color of the swatch on the Modify panel.
Note: When a Particle Flow source icon is selected, all of its non-selected particles, other than those shown as geometry, are colored white in the viewports. To see all assigned particle colors, deselect the particle system. - Selected
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Choose how selected particles appear in the viewports. The choices are the same as for Type, above.