A generic particle system that lets you animate built-in images as well as any media you supply to the plug-in via an Image Well parameter.
Effect Parameters
Presets
Presets contain a snapshot of the plug-in parameters. The Presets control lets you choose among one of the presets built into the plug-in, save current parameter values to a preset file, or load an existing preset file from disk.
A preset file saved to disk via the "Save As" button can be loaded from another instance of the same plug-in by clicking the "Open" button. Presets generated in one host can also be loaded from the same plug-in when used in a different host.
X/Y Position
The 2D coordinates of the particle emitter.
Z Position
The depth coordinate of the particle emitter. Adjust this parameter to move the particle emitter closer or further away from the viewer.
Image
This popup menu lets you select one of the built-in images to be used by the emitter. When specifying your own image, the selection made in this parameter is ignored.
Use Image Well
Enable this checkbox to let the particle emitter use your own image instead of one of the built-in images.
Custom Image
This image well lets you specify your own media (stills and or clips) to be used by the particle emitter. The "Use Image Well" parameter must be enabled for the content of this Image Well to be used.
Softness
Controls the blurring of the particle image used by the particle system, whether it is one of the built-in ones or one assigned via the Image Well.
Angle
Controls the orientation of all particles emitted by the system, simultaneously.
Blending
Controls how particles are blended together by the particle system.
Color
Controls the colorization effect applied to each particle image. Set this parameter to white to leave the image unchanged.
Speed
Controls the overall speed of the particle system animation.
Birth Rate
Controls the rate at which new particles are added to the system.
Attraction
Controls the degree of interaction among particles in the system.
Gravity
Controls the effect of gravity on the particles. Note that it is possible to specify a negative gravity force so that particles shoot upwards, rather than downwards.
Size Change
Controls the periodic change in size for each particle from the time it is first emitted until its disappearance from the particle system.
Opacity Change
Controls the periodic change in opacity for each particle from the time it is first emitted until its disappearance from the particle system. Leave this parameter at 1.0 for the particle to retain its full opacity during its lifetime.
Min Size
Controls the minimum size of each particle emitted.
Max Size
Controls the maximum size of each particle emitted.
Min Velocity X/Y/Z
Controls the minimum velocity a particle is allowed to have on each axis.
Max Velocity X/Y/Z
Controls the maximum velocity a particle is allowed to have on each axis.
Correct for Aspect Ratio
Scales the image to its natural display aspect ratio before the effect is applied. This parameter guarantees that geometric features in the effect appear undistorted when the footage is viewed at its display aspect ratio.
This parameter should be enabled for most footage whose display aspect ratio differs from the native aspect ratio of the codec, e.g. NTSC DV frames recorded at 720x480 pixels and displayed at 4:3 (640x480 pixels), or HDV frames recorded at 1440x1080 and displayed at 16:9 (1920x1080 pixels).
Disable this option if you have already taken steps to adjust the frame aspect ratio and/or notice that this parameter is causing unwanted distortion in your footage rather than preventing it.