Shape Controls

A particle shape is an image or set of images used for particle types.

Use the Shape controls to organize shapes in the shape library, preview shapes, import shapes, and link to shapes in the workspace. The shape library is saved in the emitter library file.

Shape Viewer

The shape viewer shows the shape selected in the shape library (or the shape used by the selected particle type). The shape viewer is square; if the shape is not square, it is scaled proportionally to fit in the viewer.

By default, the shape is shown against a solid black background. You can right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) the viewer to access the Show Transparency option. If you enable Show Transparency, a checkerboard pattern is used to show the transparency of the shape image.

Note: Usually, it is easier to see the shape with Show Transparency disabled.

In the upper left corner of the shape viewer, the image size in pixels and the bit size appears. For multi-frame shapes, the frame number ("2 of 8," for example) also appears.

To see different frames of a multi-frame particle shape, scrub the viewer, and the frame number updates.

To rename a shape, select it, then click it again a moment later.

Delete

To delete a folder, select it and choose Delete from the Shape menu. A confirmation message appears. If the shape is used by particle types, click No, then click Info to see which emitters use the shape.

Note: You cannot delete a folder if it is the only one in the library.

New Folder

To add a folder to the shape library, choose New Folder from the Shape menu. You can move shapes between folders (by simply dragging them), and you can also drag and drop folders. You cannot move a folder into another folder.

Swap

If a particle type is selected in the Workspace panel and a shape is selected in the shape library, the Swap button becomes available. Click Swap to apply the displayed shape to the particle type. The previously used shape is replaced, and you can immediately see the results in the preview (if the preview is enabled).

Note: When the Shape controls are displayed, the preview only shows the selected particle type (not the entire emitter) as long as Show Particle Types is enabled.

Current

Click the Current button to display the shape for the particle type that is selected in the Workspace panel. The button can be unavailable for two reasons:

• A particle type is not selected in the Workspace panel.
• The selected particle type uses a shape that is not in the library. This can happen if you imported the shape using the Import Shape Only option and the emitter has not been added to the library.

Info

When you select a shape that is used somewhere in the current emitter library, the Info button becomes available. When you click Info, the Particle Shape Info dialog shows a list of which library emitters use the selected shape.

Learning how a specific shape is used by another emitter may be instructive. To do this, select the shape in the library, click Info, and note which emitters use the shape. Close the Info dialog, then add one of the emitters to the viewport. Examine the particle type that uses the shape and the emitter properties.

Import

You can import a shape into the library using the Import button. For specific instructions, see Importing Shapes.

Importing a shape is unlike importing footage into a composite. An imported shape does not appear in the Footage Library.

Note: However, you can also use a shape that is in the workspace. See Using Operators for Shapes for details.

Export

You can export a shape for use by other emitter libraries. When you export, the image is saved in the format you choose. For specific instructions, see Exporting Shapes.

New Particle Type

Click this button to create a copy of the selected particle type, or a default particle type if none is selected. The shape used for the particle type depends on which shape (if any) is selected in the Shape controls. For specific instructions, see Adding Particle Types.

Operator

Click Operator to pick an operator from the workspace (or import a new image into the workspace) that you want to apply as the shape for a particle type. For example, you can create a brush stroke on a single frame in the Paint operator, then use the output from this operator as a shape.

When a particle type is selected, you can click Operator to assign a new shape to it. Once an operator is selected, you can crop it, resize it, and choose the source channels and color depth.

Method

If you set the method to Resize, you can set the Size fields. Lock changes the size proportionally (to avoid distortion). If you set the method to Crop, you can also set the Offset fields.

Channel

The left Channel list sets which channels are used as the source of the shape (Red, Green, Blue, Alpha, and Luma). The right Channel list sets the final color depth of the shape (Color or Gray).

For specific instructions, see Using Operators for Shapes.