Q & A on PD Particles
by Philip Staiger · in Artist Corner · 12/14/2006 (10:08 am) · 9 replies
Hi, I'm Philip Staiger with Project Dogwaffle at thebest3d.com
I wanted to start a thread here (I think this is the proper place?) for any users of our new paint program available here at GG, PD Particles (powered by Project Dogwaffle). As you may have gathered from the product info, or certainly from its name, PD Particles is a paint system aimed at using particles (amongst other brush types). When painting with particle brushes, the system literally shoots out particles from under the brush, and your settings may make it look like the grass, foliage and shrubbery is growing straight out of the mouse or tablet pen.
For gamedev and 3D users, the really nice feature is the style of particles called "+ alpha", i.e. a style where not only the RGB channels are set to the particle's color (which changes over the particle's lifespan vs a color gradient), but also the Alpha channel. There's "Line+alpha" and "Shrinking line+alpha" - So you end up having opaque twiggs and branches vs. transparent backgrounds, and you can save it to files in 32-bit depths (default format is Targa, perfect match for use with GG's Torque from what I know). That's ready for mapping to a billboard polygon.
PD Particles is meant to be a companion, almost like a plugin, so it doesn't have tons of filters and special fx which you already may have in PSP, PS, the GIMP, Artweaver or other tools you may already be using. What PD Particles wants to be is a companion for you to paint, and to paint foliage above anything else. It's pretty good too at natural media.
If you're still curious now, please read the description on the products info pages in the Developer store, and ask away, I'm here to help you get the best out of PD Particles, and to take notes with request for improvements, new features etc... of which we already have a short list. I've flagged this thread for myself as Notify, so if you reply to this I'll know immediately when a question is awaiting my attention and needs an answer..
I'll be posting news and future developments, freebies and patches, brush presets etc... too. There are of course a few other forums on Project Dogwaffle but you may not necessarily have time or be interested in joining yet another site's forum, so as much as it is preferred I will try to answer questions here directly.
As of mid December 2006, the latest PD Particles is v1.0a. If you install v1.0 be sure to also add the 1.0a patch.
In the meantime, happy waffling!
-Philip
I wanted to start a thread here (I think this is the proper place?) for any users of our new paint program available here at GG, PD Particles (powered by Project Dogwaffle). As you may have gathered from the product info, or certainly from its name, PD Particles is a paint system aimed at using particles (amongst other brush types). When painting with particle brushes, the system literally shoots out particles from under the brush, and your settings may make it look like the grass, foliage and shrubbery is growing straight out of the mouse or tablet pen.
For gamedev and 3D users, the really nice feature is the style of particles called "+ alpha", i.e. a style where not only the RGB channels are set to the particle's color (which changes over the particle's lifespan vs a color gradient), but also the Alpha channel. There's "Line+alpha" and "Shrinking line+alpha" - So you end up having opaque twiggs and branches vs. transparent backgrounds, and you can save it to files in 32-bit depths (default format is Targa, perfect match for use with GG's Torque from what I know). That's ready for mapping to a billboard polygon.
PD Particles is meant to be a companion, almost like a plugin, so it doesn't have tons of filters and special fx which you already may have in PSP, PS, the GIMP, Artweaver or other tools you may already be using. What PD Particles wants to be is a companion for you to paint, and to paint foliage above anything else. It's pretty good too at natural media.
If you're still curious now, please read the description on the products info pages in the Developer store, and ask away, I'm here to help you get the best out of PD Particles, and to take notes with request for improvements, new features etc... of which we already have a short list. I've flagged this thread for myself as Notify, so if you reply to this I'll know immediately when a question is awaiting my attention and needs an answer..
I'll be posting news and future developments, freebies and patches, brush presets etc... too. There are of course a few other forums on Project Dogwaffle but you may not necessarily have time or be interested in joining yet another site's forum, so as much as it is preferred I will try to answer questions here directly.
As of mid December 2006, the latest PD Particles is v1.0a. If you install v1.0 be sure to also add the 1.0a patch.
In the meantime, happy waffling!
-Philip
#2
I guess I'll start off the questions. Does PD Particles offer anything new over PD Pro? I'm enjoying Pro and its built-in particulate features, however, I can't help but wonder if there is a reason for pro licencees to get PD Particles.
Thanks.
12/14/2006 (11:18 am)
Hi Philip,I guess I'll start off the questions. Does PD Particles offer anything new over PD Pro? I'm enjoying Pro and its built-in particulate features, however, I can't help but wonder if there is a reason for pro licencees to get PD Particles.
Thanks.
#3
12/14/2006 (11:21 am)
Sounds cool, got a link? 
#4
12/14/2006 (11:22 am)
Cool looking app - i even went a bought a copy just now, even tho i'm not an artist!
#5
PErhaps the only thing that PD Particles has that's, for some at least, 'better' is the interface change which exposes the particle brush system directly, and the default brush is a particle brush (weird eyelashes) as opposed to the airbrush.
In terms of features, PD Pro's particle brushes are slightly better even, with the support of image based force fields, and the fact that thye Brush style of particles also allows for animated rbushes (perhaps a avi clip) to be pushed along the particle trails.
But to answer simply: if you have PD Pro I don't see a reason for PD Particles.
PD Particles is aiming to be a companion for those who invested in learning PS, PSP and other tools for imaging, and don't want to spend more money for similar layers, filters and animation features. The particle brushes were thought to be unique enough that it made sense to separate them into a simple, low-cost standalone version of what's known as the optipustics plugin in PD Pro.
12/14/2006 (11:43 am)
Good question Aaron. PD Particles is a subset based on PD Pro. If you have PD Pro you can do the same as what you can do in PD Particles (and then some of course). The big difference is of course the price, PD Particles is way cheaper. But it doesn't cover animated brushes or painting over animations. The focus is different: paint with particles to create shrubbery. There's a little bit of alpha features, enough to be of interest to gamedev and other 3D dev.PErhaps the only thing that PD Particles has that's, for some at least, 'better' is the interface change which exposes the particle brush system directly, and the default brush is a particle brush (weird eyelashes) as opposed to the airbrush.
In terms of features, PD Pro's particle brushes are slightly better even, with the support of image based force fields, and the fact that thye Brush style of particles also allows for animated rbushes (perhaps a avi clip) to be pushed along the particle trails.
But to answer simply: if you have PD Pro I don't see a reason for PD Particles.
PD Particles is aiming to be a companion for those who invested in learning PS, PSP and other tools for imaging, and don't want to spend more money for similar layers, filters and animation features. The particle brushes were thought to be unique enough that it made sense to separate them into a simple, low-cost standalone version of what's known as the optipustics plugin in PD Pro.
#6
www.garagegames.com/pg/product/view.php?id=136
12/14/2006 (11:49 am)
The PD Particles link again if you missed it:www.garagegames.com/pg/product/view.php?id=136
#7
Very good. Thanks for the clarification.
By the way, I'm loving PD Pro. It's a very fun app.
12/14/2006 (12:02 pm)
@PhilipVery good. Thanks for the clarification.
By the way, I'm loving PD Pro. It's a very fun app.
#8
Oh, this also reminds me: I want to invite anyone who orders PD Particles here at GG to contact me so I can send you a follow-up email with lots of links to resources and freebies to download, links to the newsletter, newest patches etc... we also do offer incentives to sidegrade to PD Pro, so if you're potentially interested in that be sure to contact me cuz otherwise I don't know how to send you the sidegrade info. (it is offered only to those who have ordered at GG).
12/15/2006 (5:40 am)
Aaron, got any games using Dogwaffle? or sample artwork worth sharing to show? We're always looking for another DOTM (Dogwaffler of the Moment) to be featured at www.thebest3d.com/dogwaffle/dotm - the most recent one is Robin Pirez, who was the creative director of a game which came out in the stores in the US this fall, called "Birth of America" Oh, this also reminds me: I want to invite anyone who orders PD Particles here at GG to contact me so I can send you a follow-up email with lots of links to resources and freebies to download, links to the newsletter, newest patches etc... we also do offer incentives to sidegrade to PD Pro, so if you're potentially interested in that be sure to contact me cuz otherwise I don't know how to send you the sidegrade info. (it is offered only to those who have ordered at GG).
Torque 3D Owner dsfsd