Legacy:Part 01 DM-Siesmic Canyon Cascade Particles

ToDo: Add more images of the Cascade particle emitter browser, showing the steps described in this section.

First thing I need to do is make the particle material. I use the setup shown in Tiles #01 and #02

I gave all the rotators different speeds, ranging for about 15 to 25, some of them I made negative to increase the turbulance. Everything else I left at default values. Note: the textures are using the channels independantly, the first texturesample connects using the red channel, the second the green, and the third is connected to the blue.

By adding these 3 values and dividing to get the average I combine them to produce a swirling nebulous looing particle, the shade of grey is also independant to the transparency of the sprite, and the rotator values for each color channel should be set to quite different speeds.

After connection the 1st block to the emmisive channel, and the second to the opacity, I click the main block (where te other blocks output connects too) and change the global properties of the material.

BlendMode should be BLEND_Additive, so that the combined textures are added together.

LightingModel should be set to MLM_Unlit.

The particle is done, I click the left most green tick at the top, then close the material editor.

Next you can either right-click in the preview panel, or go through the File menu to make a new ParticleSystem, after a few seconds cascade should open, if it doesn't double click the new ParticleSystem you have just made to open the editor.

In the pannel on the top right, Right-Click and add a new ParticleSpriteEmmiter.

Making sure the Particle Emmiter is selected in the top right, go down to the bottom and left and change the following properties...

RequiredModule -> bUseLocalSpace to Checked

RequiredModule -> SpawnRate -> Constant to about 25

In the top right select the LifeTime tab, and change these properties...

Lifetime -> Distribution -> Min to 2.5

Lifetime -> Distribution -> Max to 3.0

The next tab in the top right is Initial Size, select it and change the following...

StartSize -> Distrbution -> Max -> X to 256

StartSize -> Distrbution -> Max -> Y to 256

StartSize -> Distrbution -> Max -> Z to 256

StartSize -> Distrbution -> Min -> X to 224

StartSize -> Distrbution -> Min -> Y to 224

StartSize -> Distrbution -> Min -> Z to 224

For Initial Velocity in the top right, change the following in the bottom left...

StartVelocity -> Distrbution -> Max -> X to 8

StartVelocity -> Distrbution -> Max -> Y to 8

StartVelocity -> Distrbution -> Max -> Z to 160

StartVelocity -> Distrbution -> Max -> X to -8

StartVelocity -> Distrbution -> Max -> Y to -8

StartVelocity -> Distrbution -> Max -> Z to 128

In the top right you will now need to right-click directly below the list item in the list and add 'Location -> Initial Location, this will allow us to determine where the objects will spawn, I have used the following values in the bottom left...

StartLocation -> Disxtribution -> Max -> X to 2

StartLocation -> Disxtribution -> Max -> Y to 2

StartLocation -> Disxtribution -> Max -> Z to 2

StartLocation -> Disxtribution -> Min -> X to -2

StartLocation -> Disxtribution -> Min -> Y to -2

StartLocation -> Disxtribution -> Min -> Z to -2

To make the fog fade out, we need to add a Color -> Color Over Life to the list in the top left. You will then need to look for a button on the new Color Over Life tab, it looks like a green squigly line, and is on the top most right hand side of the tab. this will add a graph in the bottom right.

Going over to the bottom left section of the screen, you will see a little blue triangle pointing down on the farthest most right hand side of ColorOverLife -> Distribution, left click this and select DistributionVectorConstantCurve.

On the right where the graph is, hide the color graph by removing the yellow dot on the right of the tab named ColorOverLife, and ensure that the AlphaOverLife has a dot on the right hand side. Then using right click on the almost purple line, add a node, and move it to about 0.1,0, so that the particles start their alpha at about 0.25, add another node, and move it to 1,0, so that by the time the particle has reached the end of it's life it's alpha equals 0 or totally invisible.

Another tab needs to be added to the top right called Size -> Size By Life, add it's graph by clicking the squigly line on the right, in the bottom left some properties need to be changed...

LifeMultiplier -> Distribution -> ConstantCurve -> LockedAxes to EDVLF_XYZ

With the LifeMultiplier -> Distribution, click the blue triangle pointing down and select DistributionVectorConstantCurve, and on the bottom right pannel, where the graphs are make sure the only thing visible is the LifeMultiplier graph, by ensuring it is the only one with a yellow dot in the right side of it.

Add a node on the graph, and move it to around 0.1,0 - then add another and move it to 1,1 - this will make the steam start at off with a 0.1 multiplier, gradually rising to 1.0, making it grow as it rises, combining this with the alpha, it should also fade out as well.

Manipulate the image in the top left till you have a view you like, and go to the menu bar and select View -> Save Cam Position, then close the editor.

By selecting this emmiter in the Generic Tab of the Generic Browser, and the Emitter actor in the Actor tab, you can then right click and add these to the ground in the 3D render preview of the toolset.