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ParticleEmitterNodeData = only 2 needed?

by Steve Acaster · in Torque 3D Professional · 01/18/2010 (12:29 am) · 1 replies

Whilst messing around with particles in 1.0.1, I noticed that the datablock for the actual emitter nodes only seems to carry a single variable; TimeMultiple=bool, and no reference to actual particle or emitter datablocks (which is all handled in ParticleEmitter object).

Would I thus be correct in thinking that there would thus only be need for two instances of ParticleEmitterNodeData (1 and 0) and no requirement for a ParticleEmitterNodeData for every single Emitter type? (thus also saving shed loads of space in unneccessary datablocks)

datablock ParticleEmitterNodeData(TimeMultiple1Node)
{
   timeMultiple = 1;
};

datablock ParticleEmitterNodeData(TimeMultiple0Node)
{
   timeMultiple = 0;
};

//===========================================================
//and the function to spawn the emitter object

function stalker1data::PlayStalkerBlast(%this, %obj)
{
				//stalker attack particle effect
				%stalkparticle = new ParticleEmitterNode() 
				{
				position = %obj.getposition();
				rotation = "1 0 0 0";
				scale = "1 1 1";
				//dataBlock = "StalkerSparkEmitterNode";
				dataBlock = "TimeMultiple1Node";
				emitter = "StalkerSparkEmitter";
				velocity = "1";
				};

				%stalkparticle.schedule(1500,"delete");
}
//dataBlock = "StalkerSparkEmitterNode";
//is redundant with just using TimeMultiple0Node and TimeMultiple1Node

I've tried this and it appears that itworks fine.

However I'm not certain what the difference between TimeMultiple = 0/1 is ... Though using zero appears to not start the emitter at all.
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Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]
#1
01/18/2010 (1:15 pm)
After a bit more of a play around and a kip and half a tonne of cold medication I've found that TimeMultiple does pretty much what it promises, slowing or accelerating the spawn of a particle emitter.

Whilst it complains that it wants a variable between 0.01 and 100.00, it will accept a straight zero with just a console warning, thus effectively becoming an on/off trigger for emitters ('cos I couldn't work out another way off doing it).

So, sticking with the idea of just having 2 ParticleEmitterNodeData and using it as a 0/1 bool, I can trigger the emitters' state on the fly, with no need for further instances of ParticelEmitterNodeData.

//emitter is named particletest1 in World Editor
//using a trigger to check/alter the emitter's state

	%active=particletest1.getdatablock().getname();
		if(%active $="timemultiple0node")
			{
			particletest1.setdatablock(TimeMultiple1Node);
			echo("Start Emitter ParticleTest1!");
			}
			else
			{
			particletest1.setdatablock(TimeMultiple0Node);
			echo("Stop Emitter ParticleTest1");
			}

That seems to work as I want it to, and I don't currently foresee requiring more than this bool of 2 NodeDatas (for myself, anyhow).