Draw your own particle graphic
Make artwork in Draw Image, save it in Drawings and select it through the particle editor's Drawing picker. A hand-painted spark, leaf, symbol or smoke shape can become the graphic repeated by an emitter.
Art & effects
Particle Editor & Playback
Design your own particle effects inside the game, including their graphics, emission, movement, colour, size and fading. Save them in Particles and use them in your own level as placed effects or object events.
Creator guide
What you can build
Design your own particle effects inside the game, including their graphics, emission, movement, colour, size and fading. Save them in Particles and use them in your own level as placed effects or object events.
Create effects that give your level its own style: smoke from a machine, painted leaves in the wind, a magical trail or sparks on impact. An emitter repeats the graphic you choose; its starting properties and actions turn those images into a moving effect.
Creator guide
Design your own particles for your own level
You control what the particles look like, where they appear, how they move and how they change before disappearing.
Choose game artwork or a textured shape
Use the Graphic Texture chooser for game decoration artwork, or choose a Masked Object Shape with a material texture. Tune Texture Scale and Texture Offset X/Y. Current graphic shows which image the selected emitter is actually using.
Combine multiple emitters
One emitter can make the sparks, another the smoke and another a flash. Add starts another component; Clone makes a variation of the selected one. Each keeps its own graphic, generation pattern, initializers and actions.
Preview the complete effect
Watch the simulation while adjusting it. Pan and zoom the preview, choose a black, white or transparent background and use Restart to inspect its opening moment. Let longer effects develop before saving so their spread is represented.
Creator guide
14 editable starting effects
Start from a preset, change its graphics and behaviour, and save the result as your own effect.
Snowfall
A starting point for falling snow. Change the graphic, density and drift to build your own weather.
Blazing Fire
A starting fire effect that you can recolour, resize and combine with smoke.
Dry Ice
A mist-like starting effect for cold vapour and atmospheric clouds.
Coin Shower
A two-emitter shower combining coins and a separate falling graphic.
Glitter Burst
A burst built from three emitters for a layered glitter effect.
Big Explosion
A seven-emitter starting explosion combining several visual components.
Fireworks
A two-emitter setup for a launch and burst-style effect.
Rocket
A two-emitter setup with a rocket body and a spawned trail.
Waterfall
Falling drops with a separate splash emitter. Changes to the drop life, gravity or source position also change where the splash appears.
Magic Vortex
A centre-based effect with radial attraction and damping to curve sparks into a vortex.
Falling Leaves
Leaf graphics with varied rotation, spin, gentle gravity, drift and colour change over life.
Electric Sparks
A burst with hot specks, a separate flash and particle deflection against a configured bounding floor.
Metal Sparks
A short spark burst suited as a starting point for metal impact effects.
Water Splash
A one-shot splash suited as a starting point for a contact effect.
Creator guide
Control when and how many particles appear
Use continuous emission for weather and trails, or a limited burst for a hit, splash or explosion.
Emitter timing and rendering
| Control | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Emitter / Add / Remove / Clone | Select the component you are editing. Add and Clone let one saved effect combine multiple particle styles; Remove takes a component out of that effect. |
| Active | Turn the selected emitter on or off to inspect its contribution to the complete effect. |
| Pattern: Steady | Emit particles continuously at New particles/second after the initial delay. A natural starting point for snow, smoke and a running stream. |
| Pattern: Impulses | Emit during timed bursts separated by an interval. Use a finite count for an impact effect, or repeated impulses for pulsing effects. |
| New particles/second | Set the emission rate. More new particles make an effect denser, especially when they live for a long time. Balance the rate with Life and the number of emitters. |
| Repeat impulses / Impulse count | Repeat indefinitely, or switch repetition off and choose 1-30 impulses. Use count 1 when one collision should produce one burst. |
| Impulse length average / variation | Set how long each burst emits and how much that duration varies. A short burst gives a sharp hit; a longer one emits over more of the effect's motion. |
| Impulse interval average / variation | Set the gap between successive bursts and its random variation. Available for the Impulses pattern. |
| Initial delay average / variation | Delay an emitter before it starts. Separate delays let a flash, sparks and smoke enter at different times within one effect. |
| Smoothing | Choose smooth graphic sampling. Compare the result on the final background, especially with small or sharply drawn particles. |
| Premultiply Alpha | Adjust alpha compositing for the particle graphic. Inspect transparent edges in the preview when changing this setting. |
| Blendmode | Choose Normal, Add, Multiply, Screen, Erase or Below. Add is a useful starting point for bright sparks; Normal is useful for ordinary artwork. Check the combined emitters over a background like the one in the level. |
Creator guide
Choose starting properties and actions
Initializers run when a particle is born. Actions update particles during the simulation. Add a type from Available, then select it in Added to configure it.
All 9 initializers
| Control | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Alpha | Set the initial transparency of each new particle. Use the average and variation to start particles with consistent or varied opacity. |
| Collision Radius | Set the radius used by the particle simulation's collision and deflection behaviour. This describes the simulated particle, independently of the visible graphic's outline. |
| Life | Set how long a particle starts with to live, with optional variation. Age advances its lifetime and Death Life removes expired particles. Short lives keep trails compact; longer lives let them travel farther. |
| Mass | Set the initial particle mass for actions that use it, such as forces. This is part of the particle simulation, separate from a level object's physics body. |
| Omega | Set the initial angular velocity. Add Spin to apply that angular motion over time; vary it to give falling leaves or debris different turns. |
| Position | Choose where new particles appear using a point, area, line, contour or composite zone. Configure animated-position behaviour and inheritance where the chosen position settings expose it. |
| Rotation | Set the starting angle of each graphic. Variation gives a collection of leaves or confetti different orientations. |
| Scale | Set initial particle size and its variation. This changes each particle graphic; Play Particles Scale later scales the complete saved effect in the level. |
| Velocity | Set the starting motion using the velocity zone. Use a narrow directional range for a jet or a wider distribution for a burst, then add Move to update positions. |
All 26 actions
| Control | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Accelerate | Change speed using the configured acceleration. Combine it with Move so the changing velocity produces visible travel. |
| Acceleration Zone | Apply acceleration within a chosen zone. Use the zone and direction settings to make a local acceleration region in the effect simulation. |
| Age | Advance particle age and remaining life. Its Multiplier changes the rate at which particles pass through their lifetime. |
| Alpha Curve | Animate opacity over life, with start/end values, lifespan regions and easing. Use it for a gentle appearance, a fade-out or a flash. |
| Collide | Enable collision behaviour between particles in the simulation. Configure Collision Radius and Mass for particles that need this interaction. |
| Color Gradient | Change particle colour over life using a gradient. For example, move sparks from a hot colour to a cooler colour as they fade. |
| Damping | Reduce velocity over time. Use it to make an explosive burst slow down or to soften motion in a vortex. |
| Death Life | Remove particles when their remaining life expires. Pair it with Life and Age to prevent a continuously emitting effect from keeping old particles indefinitely. |
| Death Zone | Remove particles according to a selected zone, with an Inverted option to reverse the test. Use it to end a stream at a chosen region. |
| Deflect | Bounce, contain or wrap particles using a chosen deflector. Available choices are Bounding Box, Wrapping Box, Bounding Circle, Circle and Line. |
| Die | Mark particles for removal when this action runs. It is an explicit removal action for effect setups that need it. |
| Explode | Apply an outward explosion-style influence using its position, strength and range controls. Use it to push the simulated particles into a burst. |
| Follow Waypoints | Guide particles through configured waypoint positions. Loop repeats the path; the action also exposes its Massless option. |
| Gravity | Change motion with configured fields. A Uniform field pushes in a common direction; a Radial field acts relative to a centre and can shape a vortex. |
| Impulse | Apply an impulse using a configured direction zone. Use it when the simulation needs a change of particle velocity. |
| Move | Update particle position from velocity. Its Multiplier scales the movement response; a velocity initializer without a movement action does not itself make a travelling trail. |
| Mutual Gravity | Apply attraction between simulated particles, with strength, epsilon, range and mass behaviour controls. Use it for interacting clusters rather than independent straight trails. |
| Normal Drift | Add drift using the action's direction zone, maximum and mass behaviour. Use it to loosen an otherwise uniform stream. |
| Oriented | Turn graphics towards their direction of movement, with a Factor and Offset. Useful for sparks, drops or long shapes that should point along their path. |
| Random Drift | Add randomly changing drift from its direction zone and scale settings. Use it for wandering smoke, drifting leaves and less regular motion. |
| Scale Curve | Grow or shrink each particle over its life, with start/end values and easing. Combine it with Alpha Curve for smoke that expands while fading. |
| Sine Drift | Add oscillating sideways motion. Its settings control the push and wave cycles over particle life, useful for swaying streams. |
| Spawn | Emit particles from another selected emitter at the triggering particle's position. Choose On death or Throughout life, set direction/velocity inheritance, and offset the spawn point relative to the source particle. |
| Speed Limit | Cap particle speed to keep fast-moving particles within the desired response. |
| Spin | Rotate graphics using their angular velocity and the action's Multiplier. Combine it with Omega for rotating leaves, fragments or confetti. |
| Velocity Field | Change the velocity using a Uniform or Radial field. Use it to guide particles through a consistent directional or centre-based motion pattern. |
All 8 position and direction zones
| Control | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Single Point | Start all particles at one location, useful for sparks from an impact or a small nozzle. |
| Circle | Choose positions throughout a circular area. |
| Rectangle | Spread starting positions across a rectangular area, useful for a wide weather emitter. |
| Line | Choose positions along a line, useful for a strip of falling drops or sparks. |
| Sector | Use a sector-shaped distribution when you want a directional fan or arc. |
| Circle Contour | Emit around a circle edge rather than throughout its interior. |
| Rectangle Contour | Emit around a rectangular boundary. |
| Composite | Combine several child zones into one distribution. Composite zones do not nest inside one another. |
Random-value settings use an average and a variation around it. Start with zero variation while tuning the main motion, then add variation for a more organic effect. Particle zones, collision actions and deflectors are configured inside the effect simulation; object-contact playback is the separate level event described below.
Creator guide
Save your effect and use it in your level
Your saved effect can be placed directly in the scene or played by another object when it is created or collides.
Place a custom effect in the level
- Finish the graphics and motion in Particle Editor. Restart and watch the complete effect, then Save it under a name you will recognize.
- Open Particles from the right-side menu. The library shows your saved effects and lets you reopen, duplicate or delete them.
- Select the saved effect tile to arm it for placement, then tap the desired position in your level.
- Move, resize and rotate the placed effect with the object tools. Use Scene Object when the placement should be scenery without a physics body; its scene layer controls where it belongs.
- Enter Play and test it with the level's actual background and camera. Save the level with the custom effect included.
Play your effect from an object event
- Select the object that should produce the effect and open its Particle Settings.
- Choose your saved effect through Particle Effect. Turn on Play Particles When Created, Play Particles On Contact, or both as the scene requires.
- For a contact effect, set Minimum Contact Force To Play Particles so light touches do not produce the same response as a strong hit.
- Set Play Particles Scale. Enable Position Offset to place it away from the object centre, and rotate it towards the contact normal when the burst should follow the collision direction.
- Test one event in Play. For a single impact, use an Impulses effect with repetition off and Impulse count 1, then test repeated contacts separately.
Placement and contact playback
| Control | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Particle Effect / Play Particles Scale | Choose a saved custom effect or an available preset and scale the complete playback. This is separate from the Scale initializer of individual particles. |
| Play Particles When Created | Start the effect when that object instance is created, useful for an appearance flash or initial burst. |
| Play Particles On Contact / Minimum Contact Force | Produce the selected effect on a qualifying collision. The minimum force filters out weaker contacts. |
| Enable Position Offset / Radius / Angle | Place the playback origin away from the object centre. Set the offset distance and direction for a nozzle, edge or other visible emission point. |
| Enable Contact Force / Contact Particle Scale Factor | Let collision force change the playback scale. Adjust the factor so a stronger impact has the desired visual response. |
| Rotate Particle Toward Contact Normal / Rotation Offset | Orient the effect towards the collision normal and add a rotation adjustment for the way its graphic or emission direction was designed. |
| Save / Save As / library Duplicate | Save keeps an editable effect in Particles. Save As creates another version; the library Duplicate action makes a copy so you can keep the original while experimenting. |
Creator guide
Effects you can make yourself
Use these combinations as starting ideas, then adjust the graphic and timing to suit your level.
Your own painted particle
Draw a small symbol or leaf in Draw Image and save it. Choose it as the emitter Drawing, add varied Scale and Rotation, and combine Velocity with Move. Add Life, Age, Death Life and Alpha Curve so it travels and fades cleanly. Save the effect and place it from Particles.
Smoke from a machine
Start with Dry Ice or a soft graphic, use Steady emission and an upward velocity, then combine Move, Scale Curve and Alpha Curve to let smoke spread and fade. Add mild drift and a second emitter only after the first looks right.
Sparks when metal collides
Start with Metal Sparks or Electric Sparks, use one impulse and select the saved effect in the object's Particle Settings. Enable contact playback, tune its minimum force and align the burst with the contact normal.
Leaves and weather
Start with Falling Leaves or Snowfall. Use a wide position zone and steady emission, then vary Rotation, Omega, Scale and Life. Move and Spin make the particles travel and turn; drift makes the motion less uniform.
A layered magical burst
Start with Glitter Burst or Magic Vortex, replace its graphics with your own drawing or a textured star and change the colour gradient. Give a second emitter a short delay so a flash and a trailing cloud have different timing.
Creator guide
Options and behavior
Find the control you need, then follow the setup steps to test it in a level.
Effect authoring
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Particle Editor / Particles | Open the editor from the expanded right-side menu. Particles opens saved effects and is also available in Compact View. |
| Preset | Choose a starting particle configuration, then tune it for the scene. |
| Emitter / Add / Remove / Clone | Select an emitter or manage the emitters in the effect. Each emitter has its own graphic and behavior. |
| Active | Enable or disable the selected emitter. |
| Pattern | Choose steady generation or an impulse-based emission pattern. |
| New particles/second | Set the particle generation rate. Higher values produce a denser effect and increase the number of live particles. |
| Repeat impulses / Impulse count | Repeat bursts or limit the number of impulses. |
| Impulse length average / variation | Set the typical burst duration and how much it can vary. |
| Impulse interval average / variation | Set the gap between bursts and its variation. |
| Initial delay average / variation | Delay emission and vary the initial delay. |
| Drawing / Texture / Current graphic | Use your own saved drawing, game decoration artwork or a textured masked shape as the emitter graphic. Current graphic previews the actual selected image. |
| Shape / Texture Scale / Texture Offset X / Texture Offset Y | Configure the supported masked-object graphic and its material placement. |
| Initializers: Available / Added | Choose from 9 initializers that set a new particle's life, position, velocity, scale, alpha, rotation, angular velocity, mass or collision radius. Select a type in Added to configure it. |
| Actions: Available / Added | Choose from 26 actions for motion, life, colour gradients, fading, scaling, forces, drift, spawning and particle interaction. The complete catalogue above explains how to use each. |
| Smoothing / Premultiply Alpha / Blendmode | Tune graphic sampling and compositing. Check the result over the actual level background. |
| Background Color / Restart | Choose a preview background and restart the simulation to check the initial burst. |
| Save | Name and save the complete effect so it can be selected from the Particles library. |
Object playback settings
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Play Particles When Created | Play the selected effect when the object instance is created. |
| Play Particles On Contact / Minimum Contact Force To Play Particles | Play on collision and reject contacts below the configured force threshold. |
| Particle Effect / Play Particles Scale | Select a saved effect and set its playback scale. |
| Enable Position Offset / Position Offset Radius / Position Offset Angle | Place the effect at an offset from the object rather than at its center. |
| Enable Contact Force / Contact Particle Scale Factor | Let the contact force influence the effect size, using the factor to tune the response. |
| Rotate Particle Toward Contact Normal / Rotation Offset | Align the effect with the contact normal and apply an additional orientation offset. |
Creator guide
Try it in a level
Start with a small scene so each setting has a visible result.
- Open Particle Editor and choose a preset or a single emitter.
- Pick a graphic and a generation pattern, then set the emission rate and particle life.
- Add only the initializers and actions needed by the effect. Restart to inspect its first moments.
- Save the effect, select it in the object playback settings and test creation or contact activation in the level.
Creator guide
If the result looks wrong
Use the symptom to find the next setting to check.
The preview fills with particles
Reduce the emission rate or particle lifetime, and check whether bursts repeat.
A contact produces no effect
Check Play Particles On Contact, the selected Particle Effect and the minimum force threshold.
The effect faces the wrong direction
Check contact-normal rotation, Rotation Offset and the offset radius and angle.