The older workflow is still supported but requests more steps and has no advantages. In order to use the Firefly Particles you have to add a Particle System to a Video Layer first. As a second step you may then drag one or several emitters onto the specific system.

First, open the Particles tab: Open the Tabs menu and click on "FireFly Particles". Open the "Systems" folder and drag a 2D or 3D Particle System onto a Video layer in the Device Tree. Alternatively, select the Layer to see its parameters in the Devices Controls tab and drag the Particle System on the empty space right next to the last parameter.

With the particle system you define the environment, setting up the opacity of the system, Gravity and Wind. To see how these settings affect the emitters, you have to add at least one emitter.

Next, open the "Emitters" folder and drag a 2D or 3D Particle Emitter onto the Particle System (not the layer), either in the Device Controls tab or in the Device Tree on the entry "Particle System" under "PS".

The particle system section is now enhanced by the emitter parameters.

Of course, you can also control the parameters of Particles using the SDK or Widget Designer, e.g. through interactive devices like the AirScan or sensors like Phidgets and more.

In general, the exact parameter name is needed for remote controlling. The name is case-sensitive and all spaces count. The parameter list shows all parameter names of a Particle Layer and their value ranges. For instance, to control the "Opacity" or "Gravity" simply type this name as it is. For all parameters in the Emitter group, e.g. "Radius", the parameter name starts with "Particle Emitter" and the pipe "|" character, e.g. Particle Emitter|Radius

If you are using the old workflow with adding a Particle System and an Emitter to a Video Layer, the names are in most cases identical, but with an additional "Particle System|" in front of it, e.g. "Particle System| PS Opacity" or "Particle System| Gravity" or "Particle System|Particle Emitter|Radius".

Note that all position values are displayed in Pandoras Box in pixels but the input via the SDK has a different range per default. The chapter Configuration tab > Unit Management explains more about this and the check box "Interpret Automation Param Input as Pixel Values".

As you see below, there are some "life time" parameter like "Speed" or "Color"; those ones can only be remote controlled via the SDK not Widget Designer.

System / Forces
Parameter

Description

PS Opacity

Opacity of the whole Particle System

Gravity

Amount of Gravity affecting the emitters (see Mass and Drag parameters)

Wind and
Wind Rotation

Amount and Rotation of Wind affecting the emitters (see Mass and Drag parameters)

Emitter
Para­meter

Description

Media and Mesh

Media and (3D) object file used for emitting particles

Emitter Type

Choose how the emitting particles appear:
None, Point, Line, Area, Circle, Sphere, Cylinder

Particle Alignment

Alignment of the emitting particles:
None - particles (just like other layers) are in XY plane and look along Z-axis
Billboarding - particles always face Camera
Flight Direction - particles look in the direction they are flying

Radius

First size parameter for all "Emitter Types" except "Point" (in units, a PB fullscreen is always 16 units wide)

Length

Second size parameter for all "Emitter Types" except "Point" and "Line"

Angle

Opening angle of particle source

Range

Range of applied "Speed"
0 - constant Speed for all particles
>0 Speed value varies from particle to particle

X / Y / Z Pos

Position of "Emitter Type"

X / Y / Z Angle

Rotation of "Emitter Type"

Rot Pivot
X / Y / Z Pos

Position of rotation pivot

Count/Sec

Amount of particles emitted per second

Time to Live (Sec)

Amount of seconds a particle will live until it disappears (= lifetime)

Speed *

Speed of particles (lifetime depending)

X / Y / Z Scale *

Size of particles (lifetime depending)

X / Y / Z Rot *

Rotation of particles (lifetime depending)

Mass

Mass of particles;
the flight behavior of an objects is defined by its momentum (mass*velocity or speed);
the momentum decreases the influence of gravity and wind

Drag

Drag of particles;
as drag is a force which decreases the velocity / speed of an object it resists the particle's motion, thus it increases the influence of gravity and wind

Color *

Color added to particles (lifetime depending)

Particle Opacity *

Opacity of particles (lifetime depending)

* : These parameters allow defining a curve over the particles lifetime. A right-click into the fader's background adds a new point in time and with a double-click the value can be defined.