Work with per-particle attributes

You can set a number of nParticle attributes on a per-particle basis. Per-particle attributes provide additional control over how nParticles appear and behave in your simulations. For example, using per-particle lets you eliminate individual particles based on their age and set properties such as color, opacity, and mass for each particle. You can access per-particle attributes in the Per Particle (Array) Attributes section of the nParticleShape node (see nParticle Per Particle attributes). You can set these per-particles attributes using the Component Editor, a 2D texture ramp, or expressions (About particle expressions).

nParticle objects are also created with a number of internal ramps for setting per-particle attributes and varying attributes over the duration of a simulation. See Set attributes using ramps and About nParticle internal ramps and per-particle attributes.

Important notes

• You cannot key per particle attributes.
• To see which methods to use for setting a per-particle attribute, right-click in the areas to the right of the attribute name in the Per Particle (Array) Attributes section of the Attribute Editor.
• If you set the position, velocity, or acceleration and use a ramp to set its counterpart ramp attribute, only the ramp value is used.
• To avoid unexpected results, do not set a combination of values for position, velocity, and acceleration.
• Before using a expression to control per-particle attributes driven by internal ramps, set Input Scale attribute on the respective ramps to Off. This disconnects the ramps from the attributes and allows them to be set using an expression.