Particle effects for motion graphics
An emitter you can scrub backwards
Particles are the sparks, dust, confetti and snow of motion design: many small things following one set of rules. Premation's emitter is a layer with keyframeable rules, and it is deterministic, so the same frame always shows the same particles.
Free · AGPL-3.0-only · macOS & Windows
How to do it
- 01
Insert an emitter
New Layer ▸ Particle System adds an emitter layer.
- 02
Set the rules
Rate, lifetime and velocity decide how many particles there are and where they go. Gravity pulls them, and turbulence keeps them from moving in parallel lines.
- 03
Shape the life of a particle
Size over life and colour over life change each particle as it ages. Fade with colour over life so each one fades on its own schedule.
- 04
Keyframe the emitter
Every numeric field takes keyframes. A burst is the rate keyed from zero to a high value for two or three frames and back, with a short lifetime and a high velocity.
Questions
- Is this like Trapcode Particular?
- It covers the same basic idea with far fewer controls. There is one emitter model and no physics simulation between particles, so complex fluid or 3D particle looks are better made elsewhere.
- Why does the viewport slow down?
- Particles are the most expensive thing in the app to draw. Lower the rate while you animate and raise it before the final render; it is a keyframeable value, so check its keys before exporting.
- Do particles look the same in the export as in the preview?
- Yes. The emitter is deterministic and the export uses the same engine as the viewport.