Can’t seem to enable velocity, spin etc
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I am following the ‘Create an explosion from scratch’ tutorial, and for some reason, I cannot get the velocity working. When I enable the velocity over time attribute, nothing happens! I follow the tutorial EXACTLY, using version 1.23. The same goes for the spin attributes.
I think I am doing something dumb, but after trying for 2 hours, I gave up. Does anyone have some tips?
Are you setting the Velocity graph to a value? You have Velocity, Velocity Variation and Velocity Overtime. The Velocity and velocity variation graphs dictate the base speed that particles spawn with, The velocity overtime graph then scales this value over its lifetime. Spin, weight etc., works in the same way.
To help learn how the different attributes affect an effect, you can view some of the effects in the emitter libraries I have available and then right click on the attribute list and select Hide Unused Attributes to only show which attributes were used to make an effect. This can help you wrap your head around how various effects work, it can be a bit daunting at first! I’ll also be adding a feature that highlights attributes are differ from their default values to help with this further.
Hope that helps!
Oh that’s handy. Can you add a keyboard short-cut to toggle Hide Unused Attributes ? 🙂
I’ll go and see what I am missing, but as I said, I was following the video tutorial exactly, so yes, I am setting all those values! Weird, heh?
I found it. Setting Velocity only on the emitter is not enough. Velocity Over Time MUST be set to something other than 0 (which is the default). Would be a good idea to default this value to 1.0, I think.
I found out something else: When I, change spin or velocity over time attributes and see no change, saving and re-loading the library fixes this. Does anyone else experience this behaviour? It tuns out I was changing the correct values, but they only seem to become active after re-loading the library.
The default values for Velocity, Spin and Weight Over Time are set to 0.0, not to 1.0. Is this by design?
I noticed that the attributes which do work immediatly, are default set to 1.0Glad you figured it out. I just watched the video again to check it’s all covered (hate the sound of my own voice! 😳 ) and setting the velocity overtime is definitely in there (at out 2:40).
I don’t think there’s any design behind them being 0 by default, maybe there was a reason that I’ve long since forgotten lol, but generally, once you set a base attribute, like velocity, weight, spin etc., then then you should always look to be adjusting the equivalent overtime attribute. The overtime attributes are what give you all the precise control over your effects.
It sounds a bit strange what you’re saying regarding effects not updating, as they should update as you adjust the various graphs/settings. They only reason you wouldn’t see anything change is if a specific graph is set to 0, for example, you’re changing spin overtime, but the spin graph or spin variation have their nodes set to 0.
To test, you could just create a brand new effect and emitter. Go to the velocity graph and drag the first node up to about 500. Then on the Velocity overtime graph drag the first node up and down and you should see the particle just shooting upwards (or downwards if you go below 0 on the graph).
@peterigz wrote:
Glad you figured it out. I just watched the video again to check it’s all covered (hate the sound of my own voice! 😳 ) and setting the velocity overtime is definitely in there (at out 2:40).
It does. That was an oversight of me. Doesn’t solve the problem I am still having though 🙂
@peterigz wrote:
I don’t think there’s any design behind them being 0 by default, maybe there was a reason that I’ve long since forgotten lol, but generally, once you set a base attribute, like velocity, weight, spin etc., then then you should always look to be adjusting the equivalent overtime attribute. The overtime attributes are what give you all the precise control over your effects.
I understand that completely. Still, I guess that you’d want these values to be at 1.0 initially in 99 out of 100 cases.
@peterigz wrote:It sounds a bit strange what you’re saying regarding effects not updating, as they should update as you adjust the various graphs/settings. They only reason you wouldn’t see anything change is if a specific graph is set to 0, for example, you’re changing spin overtime, but the spin graph or spin variation have their nodes set to 0.
To test, you could just create a brand new effect and emitter. Go to the velocity graph and drag the first node up to about 500. Then on the Velocity overtime graph drag the first node up and down and you should see the particle just shooting upwards (or downwards if you go below 0 on the graph).
I just tested that: the particle does not move… 😯 Can you test it? It works after I save and re-load the library. Same goes for the spin values. Again, its only the velocity and spin values that show this behaviour. All other values work as expected and right after I change them.
very strange! 🙂
I made a quick video to make sure we’re on the same page.
Are your Global velocity attributes for the effect set to 1? They should be as that is their default values, but that the only other thing I can think that would be stopping it, although if works after reloading the library that doesn’t make much sense.
The video plays back a bit fast, but should show you how it *should* be working anyway. Grab the video from here: http://www.rigzsoft.co.uk/files/velocity.wmv
hi Pete,
I checked: Global Velocity on the Effect is set to 1.0 by default, so that’s ok.
I just did the exact same thing as you are doing in the movie: add effect, add emitter, set emitter velocity, change emitter velocity over time. The result: no movement. And again: after saving and loading it all works as intended. I have the same result when I use the rightclick menu on a shape and select ‘create effect from shape’
I’m stumped. 😯
I can record a video as well , if you tell me what is the easiest way to do that.
ahhh, I think I’ve found it lol.
Are you in precise mode? Under Preview Menu -> Update Mode -> and select fast mode instead if it is.
That’s a bug. I’ll probably remove precise mode though as it’s not really needed now as there’s no difference between the 2 except fast is simply faster.
Amazing how these things creep in there 🙂
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