emit presimmed pfd boxes as particles

[ttdww]

How would one emit one or more PFD sim boxes as many particles? Using Tyflow is preferable, but could use Pflow as a backup. Just need a way to control timing and placement of a bunch of presimmed dust blasts, and randomize the rotation and have frame 1 start at the particle's birth. Seems easy enough, but not finding any way to do this. Thoughts?

Example would be if one has a bunch of dust bursts for bullet hits and then just want to place them when a machine gun is shooting all over the ground in a wide area.

Thanks in advance.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

Aha, you mean instancing simulators over particles with offset starting frame? This can't happen currently I think... If this is what you need, will log it in the to-do list.

[ttdww]

Yes, exactly that. Would be great to have! Thanks!

Got a response over at Tyflow forum but I'm not sure how to do it with Ty Script.

[Svetlin.Nikolov]

My colleagues have been looking at the tyflow solution for the last two days and will ping you with more info

[georgi.zhekov]

Hey,

Here is a sample scene that shows how this works. It is saved for Max 2019, let me know if you need it for an older version.
I'm attaching and a screenshot of how the MaxScript in the Export Particles operator should look like.

tfObj.inpoffset stands for the Phoenix simulator's cache origin option in the Input rollout.

tfTime*(-1) will get the current time when the particle is born and will multiply it by minus 1 so the value will be negative.

So essentially what will happen is when a particle is born we will offset the Cache origin of the simulator.

The other important option is to Enable the auto export on render - this way you won't have to fill your scene with copies of the simulator and slow the viewport performance.

Hope this helps, a bit later I will record a video that goes through the steps of setting up the scene.

[ttdww]

Fantastic! Going to try this out. Thanks so much!

[ttdww]

Works great - thanks a boatload!

[georgi.zhekov]

And here is a video that goes over the steps

https://youtu.be/xQ3x9es4xY8

Cheers!