info_particle_system

info_particle_system is a point entity available in all Source games since Source 2007. It dispatches and offers some control over a specified particle system.

Keyvalues

Particle System Name (effect_name) <string>

The name of the particle system to spawn. NOT the name of a PCF file!

Start Active? (start_active) <boolean>

Whether the particle system should begin as soon as the entity spawns.

Flag as Weather? (flag_as_weather) <boolean> (in all games since )

Is this particle system going to be used as a weather effect? If so the particle system will not be rendered if the user has disabled weather effects.

Render in front? (render_in_front) <boolean> (only in )

Hack to allow particles to render in front of everything else.

Control Point 1 (cpoint1) to Control Point 63 (cpoint63) <targetname>

Parents a control point to the given entity's origin. If any value is left blank all those following it will be ignored.

 Tip: Control point 0(1) is the origin of the info_particle_system itself.

 Note: Because the control point is configured on the client, the entity you specify must exist there. This means that most invisible entities (info_target is an exception, as it has the "Transmit to client" spawnflag) will not work. Your best bet is an info_particle_system, e.g. itself or another one with blank particle name.

Control Point 1's Parent (cpoint1_parent) to Control Point 7's Parent (cpoint7_parent) <integer>

The control point to act as a parent to this one.

Parentname:

Parent (parentname) <targetname>

Specifies a movement parent. An entity will maintain its initial offset from its parent. An attachment point can be added to the end of the name, separated by a comma.

Angles:

Pitch Yaw Roll (Y Z X) (angles) <angle>

This entity's orientation in the world. Pitch is rotation around the Y axis, yaw is the rotation around the Z axis, roll is the rotation around the X axis.

Targetname:

Name (targetname) <string>

The targetname that other entities refer to this entity by.

Inputs

Start,Stop

Tell the particle system to start/stop emitting.

 Note: To forcibly restart an effect, you must fire Stop first. Start has no effect if the server thinks the system is already running.

DestroyImmediately  (in all games since ) (also in )

Particle System disappears immediately instead of fading out

StopPlayEndCap  (in all games since )

Seems to be the same as stop

Parentname:

SetParent <string>

Move with this entity. See Entity Hierarchy (parenting).

SetParentAttachment <string>

Change this entity to attach to a specific attachment point on its parent. The entity will teleport so that the position of its root bone matches that of the attachment. Entities must be parented before being sent this input.

SetParentAttachmentMaintainOffset <string>

As above, but without teleporting. The entity retains its position relative to the attachment at the time of the input being received.

ClearParent

Removes this entity from the the movement hierarchy, leaving it free to move independently.

Targetname:

Kill

Removes this entity from the world.

KillHierarchy

Removes this entity and its children from the world.

 Note: Entities already remove orphaned children upon being removed, but this input removes all children on the same frame, being marginally faster than Kill.

AddOutput <string>

Adds a keyvalue/output to this entity. It can be potentially very dangerous, use with care.
KV Format: <key> <value>
I/O Format: <output name> <targetname>:<inputname>:<parameter>:<delay>:<max times to fire, -1 means infinite>

FireUser1 to FireUser4

Fire the OnUser outputs; see User Inputs and Outputs.

Use  !FGD

Same as a player invoking +use; may not do anything depending on the entity. Can also be invoked by firing an output that does not specify an input.

RunScriptFile <script> (in all games since )

Execute a VScript file from disk, without file extension. The script contents are merged with the script scope of the receiving entity.

RunScriptCode <string> (in all games since )

Execute a string of VScript source code in the scope of the entity receiving the input. String quotation may be needed when fired via console.

 Bug: In , the code is executed in the script scope of the entity that fires the output, not the one receiving the input.

 Warning: Never try to pass string parameters to a script function with this input. It will corrupt the VMF structure because of the nested quotation marks, which then must be removed manually with a text editor.

CallScriptFunction <string> (in all games since ) !FGD

Execute a VScript function in the scope of the receiving entity.

SetLocalOrigin <coordinates> (in all games since ) !FGD

Send this entity to a spot in the map. If the entity is parented to something, it will be offset from the parent by this amount.

SetLocalAngles <angles> (in all games since ) !FGD

Set this entity's angles.

Outputs

Targetname:

OnUser1 to OnUser4

These outputs each fire in response to the firing of the like-numbered FireUser1 to FireUser4 Input; see User Inputs and Outputs.

OnKilled  (only in )

This output fires when the entity is killed and removed from the game.

See also

• Category:Particle Effects
• Category:Particle System.