Making falling snow stick with trapcode particular

Adobe After Effects

Making falling snow stick with trapcode particular

Posted by Kevin Carlson on December 1, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Hi, we’re trying to basically do the same thing as this tutorial by Maltaanon https://maltaannon.com/articles/after-effects/particle-playground-on-ice/

Only by using Trapcode Particular. We’re having trouble figuring out how to tell it to “stick” to some sort of resistance layer like Maltaanon made. The bounce/stick mode doesn’t seem to be sticking to the actors, but I feel like that must be a part of it.

Any tutorials out there or suggestions?

Walter Soyka replied 14 years, 5 months ago 3 Members · 4 Replies
4 Replies

Kevin Camp
December 1, 2011 at 6:35 pm

particular (at least as of v1.5, the version i have) would have some trouble doing this.

you can set up two 3d layers to be floor and wall layers, and you can make particles stick to those, but the layers have no z-depth.

you can rotate the layers so the x-axis is pointed upwards (or towards the particle emitter), but they are just flat layers, they wouldn’t bend to form the head or shoulders of a person… so i would imagine that would be an issue for what you are tying to do.

Kevin Camp
Senior Designer
KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW
Walter Soyka
December 1, 2011 at 8:28 pm

DigiEffects SnowStorm has a pile-up feature that can be driven by a layer’s alpha channel.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events
Kevin Carlson
December 1, 2011 at 9:28 pm

Thanks Kevin–so you’re saying the layers must be a plane–but can be at whatever angle, right? That’s what I was afraid of…

Thanks to Walter too. I heard DE could do that, but unfortunately we only have that on PC which is not in commission right now…

I just figured surely particular would be able to do anything particle playground could!
Walter Soyka
December 1, 2011 at 9:39 pm

Got Boris? BCC Snow has a stick-to-layer feature driven by alpha, too.

Depending on how you actually need the snow to pile up, you might be able to cheat in Particular with a layer emitter and time-reversal.

Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events

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