Interaction Reference
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Interactions are presets that allow particles to interact with other particles or objects.
Index
- TP Avoid
- TP Follow
- TP Follow Spline
- TP Move On Spline
- TP Move On Surface
- TP Object Collision
- TP Particle Avoid
- TP Particle Collision
- TP Smoth Object Collision
- TP Vortex
TP Avoid 
The TP Avoid preset applies a force to particles so they will attempt to avoid the position of the preset. The strength is set by the Factor parameter, and the radius around the preset in which the force is applied is defined by the Trigger Distance.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be affected.
Trigger Distance: Distance of the particles from the preset in which the preset will be active.
Falloff: Spline curve that defines the falloff of the influence in relation to the distance.
Factor: Factor defines how strongly particles will be affected for avoiding the presets' position.
Alignment Laziness: Defines how quickly particles should adjust their orientation to the new direction of movement.
TP Follow
The TP Follow preset makes particles follow the preset.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be affected.
Object: The object that the particles will follow.
Mode: Distance of the particles from the preset in which the preset will be active.
Speed Mode: Speed mode determines how the particles' speed is defined.
- Object Speed: The particle speed is set to the object's speed.
- Constant Speed: The particle speed is set to the constant value provided.
- Spring Speed: The particle speed is defined dynamically to create a springy behavior.
- Current Speed: The particles' current speed will be maintained.
Constant Speed: The speed the particle is set to in Constant Speed mode.
Spring Speed: Defines the springiness of the particle in Spring Speed mode.
Surface Mode: Defines if the particles will follow faces, vertices or edges when in Surface mode.
- Face: Particles will follow the surfaces of polygons / faces.
- Vertices: Particles will follow the vertices / points of the object.
- Edges: Particles will follow the edges of the object.
TP Follow Spline
TP Follow Spline lets particles follow a spline. This can be used to simulate the flow of liquids in tubes or to guide particles to move in a specified way.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and be switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Spline Object: Spline that is used to guide the particles.
All Segments: This settings determines if all segments or only the indicated segment of a spline should be used.
Trigger Distance: Distance to the spline where the particles will start to react on the preset.
Precision: Number of subdivisions into which the spline will be divided. The higher the value, the more precisely the particles will follow the spline. Increasing the precision will also increase the time required for calculation.
Segment: If All Segments is off, this parameter will define which segment of the spline will be used.
Point Velocity: This parameter defines how strongly particles will be drawn towards the spline.
Tangent Velocity: This parameter defines how strongly the particles' velocity will be adjusted to match the tangent of the nearest point on the spline.
Keep Speed: If active particles should keep their initial speed, only the direction of their movement will be adjusted.
Distance Influence: This parameter lets you fine-tune how strongly Point Velocity and Tangent Velocity will affect particles, depending on their distance from the nearest point on the spline.
TP Move On Spline
TP Move on Spline guides particles along a spline.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and be switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Spline Object: Spline Object along which the particles will be guided.
Duration: Time that it will take the particles to move the defined distance.
Start Position: Relative position on the Spline where the particles' movement should start.
End Position: Relative Position on the Spline where the particles' movement should end.
Use Offset: The articles will maintain their relative position to the spline when this option is enabled.
Use Curve: When enabled, this spline curve will remap the timing of the particle movement from linear to the set curve.
TP Move On Surface
TP Move on Surface is very similar to TP Object Collision. Its main goal is to guide particles along the surface of a polygon object.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Surface Object: Polygon Object used to guide the particles along its surface.
Friction: Amount of friction the particles will encounter on the surface.
Align: Enables the alignment of particles along their direction of movement.
Alignment Laziness Speed of alignment. The higher the value the longer it will take the particles align.
TP Object Collision
TP Object Collision lets particles collide with polygon objects.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Collision Object: Polygon Object with which the particles will collide.
Type: Type of collision used.
- Object: The collision will be evaluated using the particles' axis and the objects' geometry.
- Geometry: The collision will be evaluated using the particles' geometry (providing a shape is assigned) and the objects' geometry.
Bounce: Amount of the particle's energy that will drive the particle away from the collider.
Surface: Defines how strongly the particle will follow the tangent of the surface at the point of collision.
Chaos: Variation of the collision.
Offset: Additional distance in the direction of travel that is used to determine the collision.
TP Particle Avoid
TP Particle Avoid makes one group of particles attempt to avoid a particle of a second group. This preset only works if there is only one particle that should be avoided. By using negative Factor values the preset works as an attractor.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group of the particles that will try to avoid others.
Avoided Group: Thinking Particles group of the particles that will be avoided.
Trigger Distance: Distances between the particles from which on the preset is activated.
Falloff: Falloff curve for the applied force.
Factor: Defines the degree to which the particle will be influenced to avoid another particle.
Adjust Alignment: If this parameter is enabled, the particle alignment will be adjusted to the change in the velocity.
Alignment Laziness: This parameter defines how fast the alignment change will take place.
TP Particle Collision
TP Particle Collision repels particles of one or two given groups from one another. This is not a hard geometry collision. Force will be applied to push the particles away from one another if they come within a defined distance.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group A: First Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Particle Group A: Second Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Distance: Distance between particle positions where the particles will begin to be pushed away from one another.
Repulsion: Force with which the particles will repel each other.
Bounce: Bounce force of collision.
Bounce Elasticity: Elasticity of bouncing.
TP Smooth Object Collision
TP Smooth Object Collision makes particles collide with polygon objects. By using an offset the collision will be detected well before reaching the surface and the particles will be guided along the tangent of the polygon object's surface at the calculated point of collision.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Collision Object: Polygon Object with which the particles will collide.
Smoothness: Parameter that defines how smooth the movement of the particles should be when avoiding direct collision.
Bounce: Amount of energy from the particle that will drive the particle away from the collider.
Surface: Defines how strongly the particle will follow the tangent of the surface at the point of collision.
Chaos: Variation of the collision.
Offset: Distance in the direction of travel that is used to determine the future point of collision.
TP Vortex
TP Vortex creates a vortex along a spline. It is active within the given radius around the spline. Particles will try to maintain their inital velocity.
On: Activates the preset. This parameter can be easily animated and switched on or off as needed.
Particle Group: Thinking Particles group that will be used.
Spline: Spline object that controls the basic shape of the vortex (parametric or deformed splines won't work)
Precision: Number of virtual subdivisions of the spline. The more the slower the setup and the more accurate the vortex will follow the spline.
Influence Radius: Radius around the spline where particles will be influenced.
Ascention: Determines how fast particles move along the spline.
Ascention Factor: Multiplicator that allows to make the ascention depending on the position on the spline.
Rotation Speed: Determines how fast the particles rotate around the spline.
Rotation Factor: Multiplicator that defines the rotation speed according to the position along the spline.
Narrow: Determines how strongly particles will be pulled towards the spline.
Narrow Factor: Multiplicator that defines the Narrow force in relation to the position along the spline.
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