ParticleTracker

• General Usage
• Options
• Known Bugs/Limitations
• History

General Usage:

1. Pick one or more source particle systems that you want to track.
2. Pick one or more "Tracker" objects, which will follow the particles.
3. Set the tracker options.
4. Hit "Track" and wait...

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Options:

• Main Rollout:
  • Track:
    Hit this to track the picked source particles with the picked tracker objects.
  • Sampling Group:
    • Start/End/Every Nth Frame:
      The tracking will take place between these ranges.
    • Force Keys on Particle Birth/Death:
      When on, all tracker objects will have a key placed on the frames that their associated particles are born and die on. This prevents the objects from "floating" from their last position to their birth position.
• Tracker Objects Rollout:
  • Source Particle(s):
    This lists the particle systems that will be tracked.
  • Tracker Object(s):
    This lists the objects that will be (possibly) duplicated and tracked to the above particle systems.
• Bounding Boxes Rollout:
  Bounding boxes allow you to limit where tracker objects are tracked to particle systems. If a particle doesn't fall within on of the specified bounding boxes, it won't be tracked. While this will slow down the initial tracking, it can save a lot of file space when used.
  • Use Bounding Boxes:
    If on, bounding boxes will be enabled during tracking.
  • Bounding Box(es):
    This lists the objects who's bounding boxes will be used to limit the tracking.
• Tracker Options Rollout:
  • Duplication Group:
    • Duplicate Trackers:
      If on, the picked trackers will be duplicated as needed, so that there are enough to track all particles. If off, the trackers are not duplicated, so unless you pick enough trackers, some particles will not be tracked.
    • Copy/Instance/Reference:
      This sets how the trackers will be duplicated.
    • Group Trackers:
      If on, this will group all created trackers into a single group for easy picking after tracking.
  • Orientation Group:
    This group sets how the trackers will be oriented as they follow the particles.
    • Constant:
      The trackers will not rotate as they track the particles.
    • Align Trackers To Z Axis:
      The trackers will point their Z axis in the direction they are moving.
    • Flip:
      Flips the trackers direction when using the "Align Trackers To Z Axis" option.
    • Random Tumble:
      The trackers will randomly tumble as they track particles.
      • Tumble Amount:
        The overall tumble amount (this is basically a multiplier for the tumble amount).
        Setting this to 0 will suppress all tumbling, setting it to 1 will give "normal" tumbling, and setting it to 2 will give double speed tumbling.
      • Tumble Speed Min/Tumble Speed Max:
        I forget what the hell I was thinking about for these two parameters. Fiddle with them until you get what you want. They're roughly describing the min and max rate at which each tracker will tumble.
  • Trackers Queue Location:
    When the particle a tracker is tracking dies, the tracker will snap to this position until the particle is reborn. Simply choose a position that is out of the way so these "dead" trackers won't be seen. Use the "Pick" button to pick an object who's position should be stuffed into the XYZ spinners.

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Known Bugs/Limitations:

• The script will fail if you try tracking anything on or before frame 1. Stupid limitation, and will be fixed eventually.

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History:

1999.xx.xx - Created
1999.08.11 - Updated
1999.08.26 - Added caching for a big speedup
           - Some stuff in here for the splash stuff
2000.08.17 - Ported to 3.1
           - Split unfinished splash/control particle stuff into another file

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