The Group Rollout is where you set parameters for the Particle Groups that you have created and generate extra Data Channels for your Group operators.

Color - This color swatch sets the color of the Particle Group's particles when displayed in the 3ds Max view ports.

Display Drop down - This drop down list provides options for how you want to view your particles within the 3ds Max view ports.



Besides the standard particle viewport display styles, thinkingParticles offers a display option that shows the Particle ID for each particle. This ID can be used in conjunction with the PSelection Operator to delete specific particles for example.

Show Mesh - Activate this check box to display the particle mesh in addition to the particle display option, for the selected Particle Group.

Shape Renderable - when checked, the particles in this group will be rendered. Note, this is not a value that is passed on below the hierarchy.

Volume Renderable - check this option to disable rendering of Direct Rendering of OpenVDB volumes.  Note, this is not a value that is passed on below the hierarchy.

Do not Cache - check this option to exclude this particle group from Caching to hard disk. Note, this is not a value that is passed on below the hierarchy.

Data Channels - This window contains a list of all extra Data Channels that have been created for use with a particular group. thinkingParticles offers many advanced concepts to control or handle particles. One new concept is the option to attach any kind of data value to a particle through what are called Data Channels. Data Channels are a very flexible way of adding features to a particle that are not known to the system beforehand. To learn more about how Data Channels function, go HERE.

Name space - Just above the Channel Type drop down list is a blank space. This text field allows you to type in a descriptive name that is to be associated with a newly created Data Channel. While this may seem like a common sense move, please be sure to type in a name in this field BEFORE you hit the ADD button to create the new Data Channel.

Channel Type - This drop down menu provides you with a list of Data Channel value types that you can use to create new Data Channel output data streams for your Particle Groups.



REM. - Click on the Remove button to remove a selected Data Channel from the list window.

ADD - Click on the Add button to add a new Data Channel to the list window. Be SURE you've entered a name in the Name Space prior to clicking ADD so that you new Data Channel has a recognizable name.

With its latest release of thinkingParticles, a new methodology of handling physics simulation parameters has been introduced. It is no longer recommended to use the Particle Group approach as it was used in earlier versions of thinkingParticles. This has been replaced by dedicated operators that will store and handle physics simulation parameters for each individual particle.

This new method and system will prevent overloading the internal particle database with unused data. Only when physics are used the data will be generated and attached to a particle. It is recommended to manually convert old scenes to the new operator based system and for new scenes the new operator based method should be used.

To assign Bullet Physics parameters to a particle you should use the following operators.

BTParticle\\BTRigidBody
BTSoftBody\\BTRope
RopeImport