Optional module - Maxon Computer

154 CINEMA 4D R11 Quickstart –Thinking Particles
3. Quick Tutorial – Particle Snow
In this tutorial we will create a storybook snowflake scene. Of course we will need an emitter for this as well.
This time we won’t be attaching the emitter to a null object but to a polygon. We will use this polygon to
control the size of the emitter.
Open a new (empty) file. Create a square polygon primitive (Objects / Primitive / Polygon). Convert the parametric
object to an editable polygon (Functions / Make Editable). Name the object “Emitter_surface“ and position it to
Y=300 (snow most often comes from above). Scale it to X=600 and Z=1000. The snow flakes will be generated
from this surface.
Assign an XPresso expression to the plane and the XPresso editor will open automatically. Drag the “Emitter_
surface“ onto the XPresso editor window. Create a “Pstorm“ node. Again the nodes must be connected to each
other so that the polygon’s coordinates can be transferred to the emitter.
Now our emitter is busily emitting little crosses. By the way, the particle preview doesn’t always have to be
depicted as crosses. Take a look at the Thinking Particles settings (Objects / Thinking Particles / Thinking Particles
Settings). Here you will find a menu you can use to change the particle’s look, to that of flakes or points for
example.