Particle Modules execution order from up to bottom, Emitters from left to right, so:
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Why would i need for example “Initial Size” or other module be Upper by order than other modules of Emitter?
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The same for Emitters, why would i need some emitter be Lefter than other emitter?
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Bonus relative question: Why would i need duplicated modules, for example “Initial Color” + “Initial Color”?
Give me real practical usage? At least 1 for each.
Hi newbprofi -
- In a particular emitter, the order of the modules should not matter and are primarily movable to allow you to sort them for understanding as well as for setting up LODs in your particle system. However, the engine will render things in a top to bottom order so in answer to your third question, You would in fact not want to have duplicate modules like that and the engine will automatically remove one of them, or rather will render only the last instructions it gets (so the bottom or last module always wins.)
- The Emitter order, reading left to right is actually the order in which the emitters are rendered on the screen. So you can have an emitter which is rendered first then with another emitter rendered on top (to the right of), referred to as sort order of the emitters. In most particle systems this render difference is not seen as you are dealing with an unlit translucent or additive material so they will render the same no matter the stack, but with lit particles and using the light module you will start to notice the difference.
I would highly recommend sending some time in our content example level, Effects as well as a series of tutorials done by FX artist Bill Kladis on his website, [imbueFX][3]. Although most of his tutorials are on UE3 related Cascade particles, the general principles remain the same.
Thank You -
Eric Ketchum
