Turning Partical/Sprite Emitters On & Off

[markw]

OK, so this is probably a dumb question with an easy answer but; how do you turn on and of sprite emitters during an animation?

All the tuts about them seem to assume that you want them on from the very beginning and with some pre-roll.

What I need it to do is to start emitting some 10 or 20 seconds after the start of the sequence and last for 3 or 4 seconds, then stop emitting briefly, start again for another 3 or 4 seconds maybe and then be off for the rest of the animation.

This is also a one take shot with no camera cuts.

As always any help and advise would be greatly appreciated.

[Gerry]

All you need to do is keyframe the rate of emission. Before you want it to stop, keyframe the full rate of emission, then where you want it to stop key it at zero, key it again at zero right before it's to begin again, then add a keyframe to increase it to what you want. It does seem tricky at first, but they're highly controllable.

[markw]

All you need to do is keyframe the rate of emission. Before you want it to stop, keyframe the full rate of emission, then where you want it to stop key it at zero, key it again at zero right before it's to begin again, then add a keyframe to increase it to what you want. It does seem tricky at first, but they're highly controllable.

Thanks for the reply Gerry but I'm sorry to say that I was trying to do that before and just can't seem to get it to make a key frame

Here's a screen shot of emitter settings and as you can see the only ones that I have been able to set keyframes on are the "Over Life" options.

What else could I be doing wrong?

[robcat2075]

Here's a screen shot of emitter settings and as you can see the only ones that I have been able to set keyframes on are the "Over Life" options.

 

Could you show that from the PWS rather than the Timeline?

[markw]

Here's a screen shot of emitter settings and as you can see the only ones that I have been able to set keyframes on are the "Over Life" options.

 

Could you show that from the PWS rather than the Timeline?

How about a vid and the project file instead?

It's just a quick recording Robert of whats happening so you can see what I'm actually doing. I'v also attached a test project file too.

Emitter_Keyframe_Test.prj

Sprite_Emitter_Test.mp4

[Fuchur]

Here's a screen shot of emitter settings and as you can see the only ones that I have been able to set keyframes on are the "Over Life" options.

 

Could you show that from the PWS rather than the Timeline?

How about a vid and the project file instead?

It's just a quick recording Robert of whats happening so you can see what I'm actually doing. I'v also attached a test project file too.

 

I cant see the PWS fully, but it seems that you are trying to animate at the material itself. That is the wrong place to do it. You need to animate the Shortcut of the Material in the chor.

For that you have to go to the chor in the PWS, go to the model with the emitter-material and click on "Show more than drivers". Then navigate to the group with the emitter-material.

 

See the attached image for more infos.

 

See you

*Fuchur*

 

PS: Had to use another sprite-image to simulate it, so dont be confused by that. Images cant be embedded into project-files.

[markw]

Ah, I knew I was doing something dumb and that there would be a simple answer to it!

I thank you!