Pro Emitters FAQ

Do the Pro Emitters work in Apple Motion?
The Pro Emitters work in particleIllusion 3.0 only. They do not work in Apple Motion, Autodesk Combustion, or particleIllusion SE.

Are the Pro Emitters the same as the Emitters for Motion?
No. The Pro Emitters use the advanced features of particleIllusion 3.0, which is more advanced than Motion's particle system (Motion's particle system is more comparable to the particleIllusion 2.0 engine, which is the same as the particleIllusion SE engine).

How do I change the text in the "Logo and Text" emitters?
First, read the Pro Emitter docs for that library, and it will tell you that you need to create (in any paint app that has basic text tools) 3 basic text types: Solid (white on black), outlined white on black, and solid grey with white outline on black. There are a few varieties too, but that's the preliminary info.

In particleIllusion, add the emitter you want to the stage, then r-click the stage emitter and select 'Properties'. Click the 'particles' tab, then the 'change shape' tab to see what image the particle type uses (solid white, outlined, etc.). Check for each particle type the emitter uses by clicking the particle type name in the hierarchy and checking the 'change shape' tab.

Now create the text in a similar style in your favorite paint app, white on black, save as PNG or TGA (a lossless format). Make sure the image uses the following values for width and height: 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024. For instance, 256 x 64 is a valid size, 200 x 100 is not.

In particleIllusion, open the stage emitter properties dialog again, 'change shape' tab for each particle type. Click the 'add shape' button, then import the image you previously created. If you add the shape to the library, you'll have to click the 'make active' button. There's a more detailed explanation of the procedure of importing a shape image in the pIllusion docs.