Particle trails

[Rush]

Because Irrlicht doesn't allow particles to leave trails, I've written a patch that implements it. Basically, it's adding an emitter that makes the particle system act as trail generator for another particle system.

These screenshots show a simple explosion-like particle system without and with trails:



The zip with the patch contains some usage information, but I'm posting here the code with which the second screenshot was generated:

Code: Select all

 IParticleSystemSceneNode *particle_node = scenemgr->addParticleSystemSceneNode(false);
 particle_node->setParticleSize(dimension2d<f32>(10.0,10.0));
 IParticleEmitter *emitter = particle_node->createPointEmitter(vector3df(0.0,0.1,0.0),10,20,
                         SColor(255,255,255,255),SColor(255,255,255,255),
                        4000,4500,180);
 particle_node->setEmitter(emitter);
 emitter->drop();
 particle_node->setMaterialFlag(EMF_LIGHTING,false);
 particle_node->setMaterialTexture(0,driver->getTexture("fire.bmp"));
 particle_node->setMaterialType(EMT_TRANSPARENT_VERTEX_ALPHA); 

 IParticleSystemSceneNode *trail_node = scenemgr->addParticleSystemSceneNode(false);
 trail_node->setParticleSize(dimension2d<f32>(10.0,10.0));
 emitter = trail_node->createTrailEmitter(particle_node,60,200,0.0,
                                                         vector3df(0.0,0.0,0.0));
 trail_node->setEmitter(emitter);
 emitter->drop();
 IParticleAffector *affector = trail_node->createFadeOutParticleAffector(SColor(0,0,0,0),200);
 trail_node->addAffector(affector);
 affector->drop();
 trail_node->setMaterialFlag(EMF_LIGHTING,false);
 trail_node->setMaterialTexture(0,driver->getTexture("fire.bmp"));
 trail_node->setMaterialType(EMT_TRANSPARENT_VERTEX_ALPHA);

Download the patch here: http://taidus.w.interia.pl/particle_trail_patch.zip

[Mr_Bloodworth]

Nifty...

Question from a artest/noncoder...

Isnt this just making more "particles" that get smaller in size over time?

As in...insted of one "particle" its making like ten that over time get smaller (seconds whise)?

still cool.

As an artest im still wating on tool sets for all this stuff you guys are making for this engine.

[Rush]

Not smaller in size, because in Irrlicht all particles in a system have the same size. It looks like that with the fadeout affector, which decreases a particle's alpha value over time so it appears more and more transparent.

[Electron]

Nice work
BTW something like this is already in IrrlichtNX.

[Mr_Bloodworth]

Nifty...

Question from a artest/noncoder...

Isnt this just making more "particles" that get smaller in size over time?

As in...insted of one "particle" its making like ten that over time get smaller (seconds whise)?

still cool.

As an artest im still wating on tool sets for all this stuff you guys are making for this engine.

Is This being applyed to ALL particals?

When using particals for flames like a torch you need...direction (x,y,z and any angle inbetween),rotation (CCW,CW),size (px,%),transparency.

This could effect things of that nature...Is it self contained..as in some sort of "flag"...

I i diont make sence im sorry.

Just askin.

[Rush]

Um... I'm not sure if I understood the question.

It creates a new particle for each particle in the base system, in short intervals (e.g. 50 ms). This increases polygon count quite a bit, but I think the effect's worth it.

The variables it takes from the "base" particles is position and optionally color (including alpha). AFAIK, particle rotation doesn't work in Irrlicht.