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Phlok
09-23-2009, 08:43 AM
Hello there,

Currently, I am kind of stuck in a project. In the scene, there are some particles flying around.

Now I want to attach small spheres to some of those particles (no more than 5% of the particles), as those spheres are intended to create a special sparkling effect in the final render.

I tried createing some spheres, translating them and later parenting them to the specific particles via...

parent $newSphere particleShape1.pt[$i];


...but Maya didn't like that, giving an error about parenting to underworld objects wasn't possible.

Do you maybe have a better idea for creating the desired behavior?
redpawFX
09-23-2009, 09:44 PM
You're going to have to move the geo in the expression using xform commands on the spheres based on particle positions.. but more importantly,

why not just use the particle instancer?

-redpawfx
vsPiotr
09-24-2009, 12:03 AM
Hi,

I just did almost exactly the same thing (posted here: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=86&t=809753)

it places particles at geometry first then puts in the correct expression but you should be able to hack it apart.


P.
JoshM
09-24-2009, 02:39 PM
I agree with redpawFX. You should just use the particle instancer. The fastest and easiest way to do this is just create 20 empty groups with one having a sphere underneath it. Then just have the instancer cycle through the particles based on particleId. That would make so only 5% of the particles have spheres attached to them.

HTH,
Josh
berniebernie
09-24-2009, 10:53 PM
Otherwise, if you only need a single shader and render with MR, use the particle shape sphere render type... ...even less hassle
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09-24-2009, 10:53 PM
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