Source 2 Particle System Properties

Particle System Properties (referred to as Base Properties within the Source 2 Particle Editor Tool) are default properties that all particle systems have. Source 2's PET offers a large range of particle properties, some of which are altered/modified versions of Source 1 versions, or are new and non-existent in previous versions of the Source engine.

Below are a list of all the base properties and their functions. Note that not all properties have official help documentation/descriptions within the tools. Some properties may potentially be deprecated or are legacy functions ported from previous Source engine versions and may be noted as such.

Base Properties

Initial Particles <int>

• Number of additional particles that should be emitted the moment the effect is created, independent of any emitter operators. Default value is set to 0.

Bounding Box Min <vector3>

• The bounding box for the particle system. Default value is set to -10 -10 -10.

Bounding Box Max <vector3>

• The bounding box for the particle system. Both min and max are required for the bounding box to encompass the particle(s) completely. Default value is set to 10 10 10.

Snapshot Control Point <int>

• The control point used by the snapshot that has been assigned to the particle system. The snapshot control point is utilized by initializers such as "Init from CP snapshot" and "Position skin to bones from CP snapshot" to send/read data sent to/from the specified control point (such as position, color, life duration, radius, etc.). Default value is set to 0.

Snapshot <string>

• A .psf (particle snapshot file) that is used by the particle system as a reference for control point data. Generally a .psf is a collection of vectors such as vertices from a model, and can be used - for example - to position particles in a certain manner. The .psf's directory path should be included in the field (ie. particles/particle_snapshots/good_barracks_melee002_lvl1.psf). Default value is set to blank.

Target Layer ID For Rendering <string>

Note:Use is unknown, but is presumed to be used for rendering particles under/over certain parts of the GUI. Possibly Legacy. Generally unused by most particles. Default value is set to blank.

Topology <int>

• Defines the topology of the particles in the particle system. May affect different renderers according to the topology selected (Points, Line Segments, Triangles, Quadrilaterals, Cubes). Default value is set to "Points".

Note:Recently added, may not be fully functional

Reference Replacement Definition <handle>

Note:Use is unknown, but is presumed to be for if the particle's reference (content source) is lost, then the assigned replacement handle can be used as a backup. Generally unused by most particles. Default value is set to blank.

Cull Replacement Definition <string>

Note:Use is unknown, but is presumed to be for if the particle is culled, then the assigned replacement can be used as a backup. Generally unused by most particles. Default value is set to blank.

Cull Radius <float>

• Any other value is hardcoded; 0 uses particle bounding box; -1 disables fog of war and is always on; -2 do not shrink bounds. Default value is set to 0.

Cull Cost <float>

• The fill cost/how much of the particle's bounds must be obscured for a particle to be culled. 1 being fully obscured. Default value is set to 1.

Cull Control Point <int>

• The control point that's used as a reference for culling the particle. Default value is set to 0.