Using the tree control.

Navigation:
Click on the round blue buttons to expand and collapse the tree.

Adding Items:

To add an item, right click (right mouse button) on the item you wish to create. At the popup select "Create' and you have just added an item.

Adding Controllers:

To add a controler, right click (right mouse button) on the controler you wish to create an inastance of. At the popup select the desired controler.

Extended controler options

• Right clicking on a controler will give you the following list of options:
  [clone]:Clone a controler. All parameters except envelope information is cloned.
  [delete]:Delete a controler.
  [deactivate/activate]: Enable/Disables the effect a controler has on ALL it's affected particles.

• Load Particle Storm from generic plug-ins.
• Now right click on "Cameras" and hold the right mouse button down.
• Select "Create"
• Notice that a new camera has been created.
• Now select the new Camera that you just created by left clicking on the Camera name.
• Now right click it and hold the right mouse button down.
• You will see a popup box showing "Clone" and "Delete". Click Clone. You have just cloned a camera.

All items including controllers can be added deleted and cloned in the same way.

Changing the viewing size:
With Particle Storm 2.0 you can change the viewing size of the plugin window to your preference. This is nice if you are working with a complex scene and want to view a larger OpenGL window.

To do this

• select the Project item.
• In the properties dialog, change the resolution to your liking.
• Now hit OK (the same button you would click to exit particle storm). The interface will refresh with the new viewing resolution.


WARNING: Higher resolutions will mean slower playback speed. We strongly recommend an OpenGL card for hardware acceleration.

Changing grid size, and item colors:
You can customize your interface in the 3d View property of the project item. Choose your grid spacing, background colors and item colors. (NOTE: These parameters will be saved in the project file)

Resetting Values:
Although there is no undo in Particle Storm, you can reset a parameter's value to defaults. The way you do this is by right clicking on a parameter name and selecting reset. For example, in the camera item, to reset the x position of the current camera, right click on "X" and select reset.

OpenGL preview window:
The Preview window in Particle Storm works in the same way as LightWave's preview window works. You can manipulate elements in real time interactive by clicking in the window and dragging the mouse. The element that is being manipulated is determined by the current item selected. For example, if the current item were a camera, dragging the mouse up while holding the left mouse button down would move the camera forward. Selecting the fountain controller and dragging the mouse up would move the fountain emitter (represented as a sphere) forward. Similarly, holding down the right mouse button while dragging the mouse will cause an up and down movement.

Note: If you are on any controller and want to manipulate the camera, you don't have to go back to the camera item. Just hold the shift button down to move the current camera (the one that has the red checkmark next to it). Holding the "ctrl" button down will allow you to modify heading pitch and bank.