Water Vapor Script

One thing that MIGHT help is a very simple template that puts all the parameters right in front of your eyes. Most of the templates I have seen out there are crap. They do nothing but help obfuscate the problem with pages and pages and pages of comments and variables and functions and anything else your might dream up, all in a supposed effort to make your life, "easier." I call bull-pucky.

Here's a simple particle template I put together from scratch way back when I first visited the Particle Laboratory, close to the time I joined SL. I don't know that it will help you, but I hope it will. It doesn't explain what everything does, but it puts everything where you can see it, organized so you can read for yourself what each value is.

particlesOn()
{
    llParticleSystem(
        [ PSYS_PART_START_ALPHA, 1.0,
          PSYS_PART_END_ALPHA, 1.0,
          PSYS_PART_START_COLOR, <1.0, 1.0, 1.0>,
          PSYS_PART_END_COLOR, <1.0, 1.0, 1.0>,
          PSYS_PART_START_SCALE, <1.0, 1.0, 1.0>,
          PSYS_PART_END_SCALE, <1.0, 1.0, 1.0>,
          PSYS_PART_MAX_AGE, 1.0,
          //PSYS_SRC_MAX_AGE, 0.0,
          PSYS_SRC_ACCEL, ZERO_VECTOR,
          PSYS_SRC_ANGLE_BEGIN, 0.0,
          PSYS_SRC_ANGLE_END, PI,
          PSYS_SRC_BURST_PART_COUNT, 1,
          PSYS_SRC_BURST_RADIUS, 0.0,
          PSYS_SRC_BURST_RATE, 1.0,
          PSYS_SRC_BURST_SPEED_MIN, 1.0,
          PSYS_SRC_BURST_SPEED_MAX, 1.0,
          //PSYS_SRC_OMEGA, ZERO_VECTOR,
          //PSYS_SRC_TARGET_KEY, NULL_KEY,
          //PSYS_SRC_TEXTURE, "",
          PSYS_SRC_PATTERN,
              PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_ANGLE,
              //PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_ANGLE_CONE,
              //PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_ANGLE_CONE_EMPTY,
              //PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_DROP,
              //PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_EXPLODE,
          PSYS_PART_FLAGS,
              0
              //| PSYS_PART_BOUNCE_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_EMISSIVE_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_FOLLOW_SRC_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_FOLLOW_VELOCITY_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_INTERP_COLOR_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_INTERP_SCALE_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_TARGET_LINEAR_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_TARGET_POS_MASK
              //| PSYS_PART_WIND_MASK
        ]);
}

particlesOff()
{
    llParticleSystem([]);
}


default
{
   state_entry()
   {
      particlesOn();
   }
}

Thank you Hewee- popping inworld to try it now. Jesse helped me with it last night too until I couldn't keep my eye open and had to ppof. (Thanks again Jesse!)

Guys, is there a place- in world or the Wiki or anywhere- that actually has blow b blow explanation of what each line does?

Well- popping in is not happening... no log ins allowed right now Grid is down.

If you haven't been yet, really go and have a look at the Particle Laboratory in-world, it's worth a visit even for complete newbies, when you can get in of course.

I have been there- but i do not recall finding a laid out this does this sort of notation. 'Cvourse I took a bazillion NC's os it could be hidden in there somewhere

Yeah, in world there's The Particle Lab, which has very clear explanations and fun interactive exhibits to show how the various parameters and settings work and loads of free templates to demonstrate various sorts of effect.

In the Wiki, there's a detailed table explaining what the settings mean (and do) at http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LlParticleSystem

They're extra fluff for the sake of fluff!!

Not that I have anything against states when they make sense. I just, and again: IMO, don't think they add anything in this case.

I think this program is an ideal use of states, adding an extra variable doesn't add anything and makes the flow of control harder to follow.

Thanks for that url, Innula- that is much help.

As it stands right now- the particles are the right color and the right size. What i need now is for it to stop shifting when i move around or cam around. If i stand in front of it it is fine, if i walk around or shift the cam the particles are visible at odd angles.

~~~

OK- got Jesse's updates from last night- will try those now if i have time- if not, RL makes it necessary for me to wait til the weekend.

~~~

Particles are always going to be face-on to the camera, you can't change that. All you can do is make the "face on" effect less noticeable by using smaller particles.

Hmm.. i never noticed it before- and i thought it was just something wrong with what i had done- thank you.

Particles are 2d objects. The effect can be uncanny for large particles. I took advantage of that for my "stunt double", which uses particles to create a sprite version of an avatar... similar to the avatar imposters that came along later, but much better looking. I've had several people tell me they thought my stunt double was me until they tried interacting with it.

Um... That's what I said in post #2.

You expect people to read the thread before commenting?

That's crazy talk!

Yes you did, but then we all went off on the steam vs vapor vs the State of Hungarians in relation to Sprites and Ferrets and Hedgehogs.. or something like that

Plus you never did explain the chemistry of Second Life.

You MIGHT try enabling the PSYS_PART_FOLLOW_VELOCITY_MASK flag. That can help SOME with orientation, but it's still not going to be perfect, especially when viewed "straight on".

All I know is I am going to spend some serious time just tweaking
This has been greatly informative. Thanks everyone.

The hardest part is just figuring out what it all means - and this discussion is helping me understand.

Oh ...... yeah..... /me heads back to the lab with her hedgehog to figure that part out.

Update- Yingzi - thank you for your generous gift! I have played with it this weekend and combined with the notes in the Wiki which I think a link was given earlier here- I had a great time learning more tweaking. Jesse helped me tremendously also and put up with a bazillion "what does this do?" questions. All this inspired a mad rush of class taking over the weekend which was greatly rewarding. Thank you all . (PS- I now have various bits of steamy things all over my land! lol- need to go clean up