UE4 Particle System Reference

Base Classes

Reference material over the base classes that make up particle systems, such as the ParticleSystem class and the ParticleEmitter class.

Base Classes Technical Reference

• Particle System Class - A technical reference for the base ParticleSystem class, showing its properties.

• Particle Emitter Class - A property reference for Particle Emitters, the components that make up Cascade's Emitter List.

• Particle Module Class - A property reference for the Cascade class, from which all particle modules inherit. All modules will contain the properties within this class.

TypeData Modules

The default type of an emitter when added to a ParticleSystem is that of a sprite emitter. It is also possible to create other types of emitters though the use of TypeData modules. These modules provide specific functionality for emitting other types of particles, such as beams, meshes, and ribbons.

Beam Type Data

The Beam type data module indicates that the emitter should output beams - connecting particles to form a stream between a source point, such as the emitter, and a target point, such as a particle or Actor.

GPUSprites Type Data

The GPUSprite type data module supports simulating particles on the GPU. Traditional CPU systems allow for thousands of particles in a frame. GPU simulation allows for hundreds of thousands of particles to be simulated and rendered efficiently.

Mesh Type Data

The Mesh type data module indicates that the emitter should use StaticMesh instances rather than sprite particles. This is great for effects such as shrapnel or debris.

Ribbon Type Data

The Ribbon type data module indicates that the emitter should output trails - connecting particles to form ribbons. Particles are connected in the order of their birth. Therefore, the more erratic the initial velocity pattern of the particles, the more chaotic the ribbon.

Modules

Modules are used to control various aspects of the particles that are released by an emitter. They can affect a particle during spawning, updating, or both. Modules interact with each other based on their order within the emitter (their location on the stack of modules in Cascade). For example, applying two velocity modules to an emitter will result in a cumulative effect on the particles.

Required & Spawn

Acceleration Modules

Attractor Modules

Beam Modules

Camera Modules

Collision Modules

Color Modules

Event Modules

Kill Modules

Lifetime Modules

Particle Lights

Location Modules

Orbit Modules

Orientation Modules

Parameter Modules

Rotation Modules

Rotation Rate Modules

Size Modules

Spawn Modules

SubUV Modules

Vector Field Modules

Velocity Modules