# Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Fireworks

|previous=Furry
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framed\|**Figure 1:** Some particle
fireworks \[Note: In
newer versions of Blender, the reactor particles are gone.\]

\[if you use 2.6x version of blender, then you could watch the YouTube
video {particles from particles part1/2}. It\'s a great tutorial, but
the part 2 of it uses compositing, which is described in this book a
little later. Therefore, you could apply the knowledge you have learnt
from this book to animate the explosions!\]

How to create a firework from particles? We will use cascaded particle
systems especially of the type *Reactor*. Abstract:

-   We create a emitter object in the appropriate size.
-   Than we use three successive particle systems:
    -   the first of the type *Emitter*
    -   the second of the type *Reactor*. This system reacts to the
        death of the emitter particles.
    -   the third again of the type *Reactor*. This systems reacts to
        the proximity of the second systems and thus creates a \"drag\".
-   We create three different materials (one of them animated) and
    assign them to the three particle systems.

\
== The Emitter == We use a *Plane* as emitter object. Scale it to your
liking. I have used a relatively large particle system, so my plane has
a length of 15 BU (Blender units).

framed\|**Figure 2a:** Adding particle systems. First particle system
on the left hand side, a second particle system on the right hand
side

-   Add a particle system (**Fig 2a**, left hand side).
    -   *Amount:* 25
    -   *Sta:* 1
    -   *End:* 250
    -   *Emit from:*
        -   *Random*
        -   *Faces*
        -   *Even*
        -   *Random*
    -   *Initial Velocity*
        -   *Normal:* 22
        -   *Random:* 7
    -   *AccZ:* -9.8
    -   *Visualisation:* *Line*
        -   *Back:* 1.1

A few particles (25) are created in the first 250 frames of the
animation and emitted upwards. Gravitation, velocity and lifetime are
adjusted so, that the particles reach the end of their lifetime at the
topmost point of their trajectory.

The *Line* visualization lets the particles appear as long drawn-out
line.

-   *Bake* the particle system. Use 500 as the *End* frame for bake. 300
    would be sufficient here, but 500 do no harm.

Noob Note: Bake is in the Bake tab next to particle system tab in
particle buttons window.

The plane will get a *Halo* material.

-   Activate *Halo* in the *Links and Pipeline* panel.
-   *Halo:* color red
-   *Halo Size:* 0.421
-   *Hard:* 35

I\'ve adjusted the size and hardness of the halo so long until I liked
it, so there is no specific reason to use these values.

## Reactor 1

-   Click on the arrow next to *1 Part 1* in the *Particle System*
    panel.
-   The settings for the first particle system are no longer shown, now
    it reads *1 Part 2* (**Fig. 2a**, right hand side).
-   Click on *Add New*, now it reads *2 Part 2*.

You just have created a second particle system. Rename this system, a
good naming convention will help you a lot to keep the overview.

framed\|**Figure 3a:** The first reactor
system

-   Activate *React on: Death*.
-   *Life:* 104
-   *Emit from:* *Particles*

You don\'t have to set anything for the *Target*. It is not necessary to
set the target object if it is the same object as the reactor. You just
have to set the number of the target particle system eventually.

The *Reactor* particles react on the *Death* of the particles of the
target system. They will be emitted from the point that the particles
occupy at their death.

To control the movement of the system, I have made following setting in
the *Physics* panel:

-   *Particle:* 0.345
-   *Reactor:* 10
-   *AccZ:* -0.09
-   *Brown:* 3.86

Because of the *Reactor* setting the star is moving away from the
emitting particles. The *Brown* movement lets the trajectory appear
trembling like affected by wind.

-   Set the material number to \"2\" in the *Visualization* panel.
-   Bake the system, again use 500 as end frame.

### Material 2

framed\|**Figure 3b:** Material settings for the 1. *Reactor*
system

-   At first you have to assign a new material in the *Link and
    Materials* panel of the *Editing* Buttons.
-   Use the material settings from **Fig. 3b**,
-   The material also gets a *Clouds* texture with *Noise* depth \"3\",
    simply leave all other settings unchanged.

The texture is actually superfluous here, but the next particle system
is given the same texture, and colors should be adjusted a bit.

-   Animate the *Alpha* value of the material.
    -   Set the first Ipo key in frame 1 (*Alpha=1*). To do that move
        your mouse cursor over the *Buttons* window. Press
        **I**-\>*Alpha* (and change ipo type to material in the ipo
        curve editor if you are using that).
    -   Set the second Ipo key in frame 86 (*Alpha=0.75*).
    -   Set the third key in Frame frame 101 (*Alpha=0.0*).

The second particle system is faded off relatively quickly, but the
particles don\'t disappear suddenly.

\

## Smoke Trail

framed\|**Figure 4a:** Particle system for the
trail The third
(and last) particle system is again a *Reactor* system and is reacting
to the second system. It\'s going to react to the *Nearness* of the
particles. Without moving the variation of the particles is created with
a texture and a random variation of their lifespan. What Blender
considers as close can be changed with the particle *Size*.

-   Create a third particle system (like you created the second).
-   Use the settings from **Fig. 4a**. Important are the settings:
    -   *Amount:* 100000
    -   *React on:* *Near*
    -   *Emit from:* *Particles*
    -   *Life:* 75
    -   *Rand:* 0.4
    -   *Target Sys:* 2
    -   *Material:* 3
-   Bake the system, again use 500 as end frame.

\
=== Material 3 === framed\|**Figure 4b:** Material for the *Trail*
particle
system

-   At first you have to assign a new material (the third) to the object
    in the *Link and Materials* panel of the object buttons.
-   Assign the existing *Clouds* texture from material 2 also to
    material 3, but select a dark blue as target color (in the *Map To*
    panel).

\

## Render

-   Render your animation, use end frame 500.

That\'s all. I hope you were able to follow the tutorial. Criticism and
suggestions, write best on the talk page or improve the article
directly.

