Concept document

https://intranet.qt.io/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=95488617#UXconcepts-3DParticles

3D Particle System Features

Add Particle system

• Pre-defined mandatory properties: Do not show non-editable ones
• Default material for Particles - Default emitter type
• Drag particle system onto scene, Navigator or a mesh
• Combine several primary effects to form more complicated effects

Edit Particle System

• Edit properties from Property panel, use visual manipulation gizmos, from toolbar and/or context menu
• Set of properties where to choose from
• Properties are grouped by default for removing
  clutter- except the Generic ones for better findability
• Groups with values in use are indicated with color
• Visual thumbnails for editing textures
• Change emitter shape ( cube, sphere...custom mesh) and type (Billoard, mesh, texture..)
• Templates (gravity, air, radial, uniform etc)
• Easily use custom mesh as emitter by picking it
• Physics
• Exporting and importing particle systems
• Save custom effects with your own attribute values
  and sampler data (mesh,texture...) - Particle system prefabs
• Timeline animation for properties (scale, light intencity etc properties)
• Icons to show particle systems and force fields on scene, if they are hidden

Preview

• Real time particle effects should be playing in editor but emitting should be also paused.
• Play controls to preview, play/pause and adjust selected particle effect values in 3D view.
• Emitter list to select which particle systems are played/ shown/ enabled
• Change order of the emitters (- setting off-set/ random start)

Particle system Factory content (Library)

• Preset Particle Systems ( Rain etc)
• Particle System assets used in examples and tutorials (Learn by samples)

Possible Feature Candidates

• Progress bar for loading bigger particlle systems?
• Look at
• Link to mesh
• Pick tool - Eyedropper for picking a mesh which one to use as an emitter, pick material, pick styles etc
• Instance geometry to particles
• Particles for global illumination HDR effects
• Texture emitter?
• Create Sprite Animations (Particles from tecture sprites)
• Alignment & Facing (Align modes: vertical, horizontal, face cam) Define emitter Shape
• Position, Volume & Speed