Trapcode Particular max Particles/sec problem

#1

Hello,

I’ve come against a problem in Trapcode Particular max Particles/sec which is 1000000 particles. The thing is my footage is quite big (1080p) and I’m emitting from a layer of small area (about 200x200 pixels). For the particular to work properly the footage should be the same size the emitting map is, so this is the way I’ve set things up - on a 1080p footage I’m emitting from an area of approx. 200x200 pixels. The problem is, I wish to emit about 100 times more particles than I’m emitting now, and I’m limited to 1’000’000 particles per sek. I could duplicate the later 100x and set a bit different settings for each layer but that i thing would be riddiculus solution.

Could anyone help me with this one? How to increase the maximum value of the particles/sec in Trapcode particular above the 1000000 limit?

Benio

#2

1 million particles/sec not enough? You can’t be serious! Even on my Core7i system at home such a setup takes several minutes to calculate per frame, once the screen is full of particles and I’ve never been able to push the overall particle count beyond 20 million. I doubt you could ask for more within AE’s current memory limits. And why is it “ridiculous” having to use multiple layers? That’s why you get paid as a compositing/ motion graphics artist or whatever - to do things no one else can do, even if it means using your brains and implementing workarounds. If that’s too much to ask, then you have decided for the wrong career.

Mylenium

#3

Before you decide on judging people think over what the person asks for. I NEVER said I’m emitting 1000000 particles /sec, I just said this is the setting particular allows me to set. If you knew how particular works you’d know it divides the emmition area by the emmition layer area size. Therefore, if my emittion layer is 1920x1080 and my emittion region is 200x200 which is about 1/20 of the overall layer size, my actual (theoretically) emittion rate is 1000000/20 = 50000 par/sec. Which is NOT enought for me.

As it comes to ridiculous layer multiplication, again - I never said multiplying layers is a ridiculous task - I just said , that I’d rather increase one setting then write script which duplicates my layer 100 times, and changes the settings a bit, or even worse - do it by hand, as I find the solution ridiculous comparing to changing one setting (if it’s possible) and be good to go - especially if it comes to tweaking values later on.

Again - does anybody know a way to increase the attribute “particles/sec” over its limit of 1000000? And no more nit-picking please, just the answer please, or a way arround other than duplicating the layer 100 times.

#4

You workflow is utterly crooked. Has it ever occured to you to actually trim down the emission area. I mean, you know about pre-composing, don’t you? And since you regularly advise people about code matters in Maya (the accuracy and success of which I cannot gauge), sure you are smart enough to cook up some offset compensation expressions to align the sample area in the pre-comp with whatever it is you are doing in your main comp, are you?

The rest is beside the point and you are shouting at the wrong person - I have been using Particular longer than you have, most likely, and have been working my ass off, squashing bugs as a Beta tester. So really, take your misplaced accusations elsewhere. I know the plug-in intimately. If you can’t live with certain limitations - well, then what’s the point of even trying to use it in the first place? Would it interest you, that Particular 1.5 actually only allowed 20000 particles/sec and did only render 800000 something overall particles? I do not even want to imagine how this would have set you off…

That aside - Your mindset is simply wrong. Even if you had to use 100 layers - what’s the problem? That’s what expressions are for. I’m sure you would not fall into this song and dance if you had to rig a 100 Maya textured particle emitters and just whip it together. So really, you are making noise about a non-issue.

Well, whatever, it’s an utterly pointless discussion at this point and it simply sucks, so I’m taking the (not so) quiet exit. Have fun.

Mylenium

#5

Wow, you really must be awesome in what you do! So many posts here, wow! Congratulations! I wish some day I’ll achive the same what you did. The thing is I hardly find time to write forums as I’ve got tons of workload. I’m flattered you’ve checked on my posts, and actually read them, thank you.

Now, could anybody answer the question? … and, for those interested in helping rather than boasting about, emission area cropping does not help here as the emmition area is animated over the hole footage, the per frame emittion area is about 200x200.

#6

I am just curious if you use Maya why are you attempting to do this in AE? I mean Particular is a great plugin but it seems your project could be done cleaner/faster in a 3d package without the limitations of using a 32-bit package.

#7

Hi, Johnny,

Because, I need the same (similar I mean here) effect for about 20 more footages like that, and will be doing a lot of tweaking (in timing basically), and I’ve got 3 weeks for it, and particular gives me all the control I need for these particlular shots, it’s way faster, and trust me on this one - even though I’m production Maya expert with speciality in Tools programming for VFX & Dynamics, particular is what I pick for this one.

ps. From my point of view we no longer need an answer to the question I asked, as I actually wrote the script for duplicating the particular layer number of times, and randomizing the values, so it keeps the simulation similar, but different. I thank those who at least tried to find the solution for this one, as there must be a more efficient way around it.

#8

I do find it odd that Particular sets these limits. I mean, I understand that going past these limits could cause stability issues or whatever, but surely a simple warning pop-up or a check box that you can uncheck within the options box would be a better option?

At the end of the day, it would be a lot less frustrating for people to actually allow them to break the plugin, rather than just say “You cant do that because we think it’d be a bad idea”.

Anyway, just wanted to say - I feel your pain :slight_smile:

Pete.

#9

Exactly! This is what I feel and cannot believe they just limit the value to 1000000. This is why I insisted on an answer if there is a way to just turn the limit off, as this is an absurd to limit the max value. So what would happen if I set it to 1000001 ?? The system would crash? Let me try then. Realflow warns about too high resolution at the value of 1000, most of my simulations are at resolution 2’000’000 and I cranked some up to 8’000’000! Which is WAAAAAAY beyond their stability warnings.

Thanks Pete for your answer, now I know I’m not crazy for asking not to limit me with commercial plugins, but to aid me with ones.

Cheers, and best day to you mate!

#10

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