Apple Motion 4 User Manual
Page 648
• Wireframe: Each particle is represented by a bounding box. Because the bounding
boxes are good indicators of each particle’s orientation in the system, this preview
mode is useful for evaluating the movements of individual particles. For example, it’s
easy to see the angle of rotation for particles that are spinning or following a complex
motion path.
• Image: Displays the full particle system effect.
Note: Whatever is selected in the Show Particles As pop-up menu appears in your final
render.
Random Seed:
Although particle systems seem random, they’re actually deterministic.
This means that the random variation in each particle system is created based on the
number shown here. Unless this seed number is changed, a particle system with the same
parameter settings always plays back with the same motion. If you don’t like the current
random motion or distribution of the particle system, you can change the seed number
by typing a new number or clicking Generate. This changes the random calculations
performed for that system for all randomness parameters.
For more information about the random nature of particle systems, see
Particle Source:
In particle systems with more than one cell, a parameter representing
each cell appears at the bottom of the Emitter tab. Each cell parameter has a checkbox
you can use to enable or disable that cell, a name field, and an image well for that object.
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Chapter 11
Working with Particles