Harmony comes with particle templates, which are node systems that you can insert into your scene and which are already configured to generate some kind of particles. You can then modify these node systems to generate the particles you want, such as by changing the effect’s sprite with your own artwork, and then tweaking its parameters to generate particles the way you want them to.
There are two barebone particle systems, Basic Particle System and Basic Gravity Based System, which generate white dots.
- Basic Particle System: This effect template has the simplest structure and the parameters for all of its nodes are set to the default values. For example, the Planar-Region has not been rotated or resized, the particles have not been randomized in the Sprite-Emitter, and the particles start their generation on the first frame and die out at the maximum number allotted in the Particle-Baker.
- Basic Gravity Based System: This effect template simulates particles being generated from a source with special emphasis on adding gravity to the particle system.
There are also more elaborate pre-build examples:
- Animated Grass: Simulates a patch of grass that is swaying in the wind. Uses an animated drawing layer as a sprite.
- Bees: Simulates a crowd of bees flying around. Uses an animated drawing layer as a sprite. Animate the position of the bees using the Peg layer.
- Bouncing Balls: Simulates the randomness of a set of bouncing tennis balls.
- Bubble Vortex: Simulates a swarm of insects emerging from a single origin point (such as the opening of a hive) and forming a tornado-shaped, tubular vortex.
- Confetti: Simulates confetti being thrown upward and falling back to the ground.
- Fairies: A fun example of how you can have a particle (the Fairy) which generates particles (the Fairy Dust).
- Fairy: An example of how you can create a trail of Fairy Dust following an animated drawing layer.
- Fire - Simulates a camp fire.
- Fire_Particles - Simulates a large fire filing the entire screen width.
- Grass: Simulates a static patch of grass at a fully grown state.
- Horizontal Speed Lines: Simulates horizontal speed lines that will radiate in one direction from a central point.
- Leaves: Simulates autumn leaves falling in the wind.
- Lemmings: Simulates the classic game Lemmings. Uses an animated drawing layer as a sprite. This is also a good example to use to learn how to use Bounce Planes, as the particles will fall until they hit a bounce plane.
- Looping Dust: Simulates a cloud of dust twirling in the wind.
- Rain: Simulates a fairly turbulent rainfall with 3 different coloured raindrops.
- Rain 2: Simulates rain water splashes as drops hit the ground
- Rain3: Simulates a fine rain falling vertically.
- Snow Windy: Simulates snowflakes falling in the wind.
- Sparkly 2 Colours: Simulates magical sparkles.
- Speed Lines: Simulates radial Speed Lines that will radiate outwards from a central point.
- Spay Wand: Simulates a wan spraying magical sparkles at a target.
- Toon Fire: Simulates a more cartoony camp fire.
- Trail Particles: Simulates a trail of sparkle following a given path.
- Twinkle Particles: Simulates a shower of twinkling particles.
How to insert particle templates into a scene:
- Do one of the following:
- To quickly insert a basic template, in the top menu, select Insert > Particle and then select either Basic Particle System or Basic Gravity Based System.
- In the Node Library view, select the Particle category, then the Examples sub-category, then drag and drop any one of the templates into the Node View.
- In the Node View, right-click and, in the context menu, select Insert > Particle > Examples and select any of the examples to insert it into the Node View.
The particles template is added to your scene. Connect the output port of its Particle-Visualizer node to your scene’s composite to make it visible. Then, you can start experimenting with the parameters of each node to make your own particle effect.