Chapter 7 Flashcards
Name the two particle system components that appear in the Layers list when you make a particle emitter.
The emitter and the cell
You created particles from a leaf graphic you found in the Library, and make those particles spin by increasing the Spin value in the Emitter pane. But you now want to spin each of them at different rates. Which Emitter pane parameter do you adjust to do this?
The Spin Randomness parameter
What kind of particle-specific behavior do you use to change particles’ sizes during their lifespan and what does it get applied to?
Apply the Scale Over Life behavior to the particle cell.
Your particles appear at random locations on the screen, but you want to change those random locations. Which button can you click to create a different random pattern?
The Generate button for the Random Seed parameter
What is a quick way to introduce variations that give your particle system a more natural, organic look?
Use the randomness parameters that appear in the Cell controls section of the Emitter pane. For example, below Birth Rate is Birth Rate Randomness, below Life is Life Randomness, and so on.
What’s the primary difference between a particle emitter and a replicator?
A particle emitter creates a continuous stream of particles that are born, stay on-screen for some time, and then die. A replicator creates a fixed number of elements in a fixed pattern that you can animate with keyframes or behaviors.
How can you animate a replicator’s elements so that they fade onto the screen, one after the other?
Use the Sequence Replicator behavior, add the Opacity parameter, set the parameter to 0, and set Sequencing to From.
You want to drag the bounding box to resize a replicator but the onscreen controls aren’t appearing. How can you display them?
The replicator bounding box becomes available when you select the Adjust Item tool in the toolbar, or Control-click the replicator in the Canvas and choose Replicator from the pop-up menu.
Name three shapes that can be chosen from the Shape parameter pop-up menu for a particle emitter or a replicator.
Line, Rectangle, Circle, Burst, Spiral, Wave, Geometry, and Image. Particle emitters can also have a Point shape.
Can you use a Quicktime movie as the source for a particle emitter or a replicator?
Yes, you can use images, image sequences, movies, or many of the Motion objects (text, generators, shapes) as sources for both emitters and replicators.
