Particle Systems Settings

Hello all....Sorry to pester, but I am quite certain someone out there can answer this question I have been racking my brains over. I've searched the forums, the wiki, the script library -- well, here I am.

I am trying to use particles to depict the active scan area of llSensor with an arc of PI_BY_TWO and PI/4. For those who don't understand, PI_BY_TWO is basically a hemisphere (half a sphere) centered on a prim at X meters. PI/4 is essentially a cone shape (with the point originating at the center of the prim) extending outward to X meters. I can't seem to get the particle system to reliably give me what I need. It appears that it is set up to emanate particles with no control over where they disappear (except by timing). I need to clearly define the area of the scan and without using several prims (with lasers between them) I am clueless as to how to do it.

Are there any wizards out there that can help me with this? I'm not even sure I was able to clearly articulate what I'm looking for. Oh, my brain hurts.

Thanks in advance everyone!

The particle system pattern you should use is PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_ANGLE or PSYS_SRC_PATTERN_ANGLE_CONE.

The (PI_BY_TWO) and/or (PI/4) would go into PSYS_SRC_ANGLE_BEGIN and/or PSYS_SRC_ANGLE_END

Control over "where they disappear" is gained from the above in conjuction with a combination of PSYS_SRC_BURST_SPEED_MIN, PSYS_SRC_BURST_SPEED_MAX, PSYS_SRC_ACCEL and PSYS_PART_MAX_AGE depending ofc on what it is you are trying to do.

see http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/LlParticleSystem

Hope I've understood your query well enough that this helps somewhat

Search "Particle Lab" in SL for an enlighting edumacation on all things particle.

You will find explanations and demonstrations of all particle parameters at the lab.

Thank you for the pointers. After going to particle laboratory and fiddling around more, I'm not sure what I want can be done. Thanks for your help anyway.

Can you rotate the particle emitter instead of changing the particle params? That a) might work 2) might be easier to code and IIV) be nicer to the sim.

I believe you may be right. Particle systems measure their angles from the prim's positive or negative z-axis. Sensors measure their angles from the prim's positive x-axis. However, as a workaround you could link in a second prim used purely as a particle source (align this prim's z-axis with the sensor prim's x-axis).

Good luck!