Particles

The fantastic Particles effect turns a selected part of an image into a sparkling cloud of flying particles.

Particles Explosion Effect
(Move your mouse over the image to see the original version)

The effect allows you to deform the selected area. Use the selection tools: Selection Brush , Lasso , Eraser , Selection Bucket . The Transform tool lets you change the selection size and position.

Effect Parameters:

In the Effect Blend Mode drop-down list, adjust how the effect interacts with the background. The program provides 9 blend modes.


Effect Blend Mode: Normal

Effect Blend Mode: Color Dodge

Angle (-180...180). The direction of motion of the particles (excluding the wind effect).


Angle = -153

Angle = 5

Wind Effect check-box. When you turn on the check-box, the particles are moved by the wind (see the Wind tab).


Without Wind
(Check-Box Disabled)

Wind Effect
(Check-Box Enabled)

Wind Direction (-180...180). The deviation angle of the flying particles.


Wind Direction = -55

Wind Direction = 135

Step by Step check-box. In this mode, each selected area is destroyed independently of the others, forming more particles (in this case, processing will be slower).


Selections

Normal Mode
(Check-Box Disabled)

Step by Step Mode
(Check-Box Enabled)

In the Layer Blend Mode drop-down list, adjust how the effect interacts with other effects in the intersection area.

Compare Layer Blend Mode and Effect Blend Mode (in both cases - Color Dodge):

Layer Blend Mode: Color Dodge

Effect Blend Mode: Color Dodge

Particles Tab

Size (5-100). The size of the particles.


Size = 5

Size = 50

Distance (100-3000). The flight length of the particles.


Distance = 150

Distance = 500

Density (15-800). The number of the particles.


Density = 100

Density = 700

Rotation (-180..180). The rotation of the particles around their axis.


Rotation = 0

Rotation = 40

Dispersion (0-60). The width of the scattering area of the particles.


Dispersion = 0

Dispersion = 30

Descending Size (0-100). The reduction of the particles size at the edge of the effect area. At 0, all particles have the same size.


Descending Size = 0

Descending Size = 100

Texture Tab

In the Texture Blend Mode drop-down list, choose how the particles interact with each other.


Texture Blend Mode: Normal

Texture Blend Mode: Color Dodge

Select the shape of the particles from the built-in samples (circle, square, heart, etc.) or upload your own sample.


Triangles

Stars

The texture of the particles is generated in two ways:

From Image. The particles are represented as broken pieces of the original image of the selected shape.

Use Color. The particles will be recolored with the selected color.


Texture Filled with Object's Colors

Texture Filled with Yellow

Motion Blur (0-50). The strength of the Motion Blur effect.


Motion Blur = 2

Motion Blur = 10

Wind Tab

Strength (10-3000). The intensity of the wind.


Strength = 500

Strength = 2500

Fading (0-100). The area of weakening the wind. At 0, there is no weakening; at 100, it is maximum.


Fading = 0

Fading = 100

Turbulence (0-3000). The dispersion of the stream of the particles along the wind direction.


Turbulence = 200

Turbulence = 3200

Diversity (5-20). The alternation of sparse and concentrated areas. It works when the Turbulence is above 0.


Diversity = 5

Diversity = 20

Variations Tab

Size Variation (0-70). The difference between the particles sizes.


Size Variation = 0

Size Variation = 70

Rotation Variation (0-180). The difference in the rotation angle of the particles.


Rotation Variation = 0

Rotation Variation = 70

Aspect Variation (0-60). The difference in the particles compression ratios.


Aspect Variation = 0

Aspect Variation = 60

Hue Variation (0-125). The range of color shades.


Hue Variation = 0

Hue Variation = 125

Saturation Variation (0-30). The range of color saturation.


Saturation Variation = 0

Saturation Variation = 30

Brightness Variation (0-30). The range of color brightness.


Brightness Variation = 0

Brightness Variation = 30

The Random Seed button generates a new distribution of the particles in the destroyed area.