• Maxon Cinema 4D

  Moving particle emitter emit objects in a straight line

  Posted by Tim Silva on February 19, 2015 at 4:54 pm

  I’m trying to do something that I thought would be fairly simple, and probably is, but I’m having trouble finding the solution. And believe it or not, I can’t find a simple example online.

  I want to have a particle emitter emit objects in a straight line and hold that uniformity while the emitter moves. In all my attempts (using TP and P) the particles are “trailing” as the emitter moves and I can’t find a way to restrict their path. I’ve tried Align to spline, various TP and Dynamics methods with no luck.
  Looking for suggestions.

  Thanks – Tim

  Brian Jones replied 11 years, 2 months ago 2 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Brian Jones

  February 19, 2015 at 7:10 pm

  particles, once emitted are independent objects so it’s going to be really hard to keep them all aligned.
  If you have a constant velocity emitter with a TPStandard preset emitter you can check off Inherit Emitter Velocity in the Speed section and they will move straight.
  If you have a changing speed/direction and the emitter moves in no more than two axis you can add some xpresso to keep a straight line.
  –if the emitter rotates at all I can’t think of any way – other than having a reference target object for them to move to but keeping the particles on line would be some math gymnastics (unless someone else knows something better).
  So, is your emitter moving as described above?
• 

  Tim Silva

  February 19, 2015 at 7:15 pm

  Thanks Brian. Yes, so this emitter would be attached to a traveling object which in theory could move in any direction. The particles are meant to represent a beam, like that of sonar being swept along. In the past I’ve had to use objects to represent these beams and I’m wondering if I’ll have to stick to that method.
• 

  Brian Jones

  February 20, 2015 at 3:29 am

  what were you going to use to render (how are the particles visible)? Geometry? Something else?
• 

  Tim Silva

  February 20, 2015 at 1:32 pm

  Yes, I have flat boxes in them that grow in scale. But I may have found a solution. I have a TP test scene set up with a TP Move on Spline that seems to keep the formation. I need to do a bit more testing to see if it holds up.
• 

  Brian Jones

  February 20, 2015 at 2:46 pm

  could you try cloning along a spline if it does not work

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