here’s a tutorial that could be adapted to your project, called text that blows away like sand. you may even be able to adapt it to particular….
but, to give you a some quick help in particular… set the emitter to layer or layer grid, then select the layer to be used (it needs to be a separate layer than the one the effect is applied to). choose thelayer rgb usage as rgb particle color. if using layer grid, click the ‘options’ at the top of the effect, on the right side of the options window will be grid emitter settings, these will affect the spacing or the particles as they are first emitted.
that should get you to a point where the layer kind of bursts into particles. after that it is a matter adjusting amount of partcles and how they behave after birth…
Kevin Camp
Designer – KCPQ, KMYQ & KRCW