ATPA Lesson 3A: Die-Off Emitter

DISCLAIMER: The ATPA Lessons are a self-service pyro academy from the days of vPyro. I saved the lessons from the academy back in 2011 before the site went down for good, and feel that they should be accessible again, not just as a historical record of what was, but also for new pyromaniacs to learn the ropes in the same way that many of us did so many years ago. Because of their age, the videos included with the academy are of a lackluster quality, and some of the information in these lessons is outdated. In the name of history, I wish to preserve these lessons as they are, but as a recognition of how out-dated some of the advice can be, I will strikethrough and italicize the text of any information that should be ignored. If you run into questions or issues, leave a reply.

Also, the lessons ask for you to submit a video of your progress. Feel free to reply to the lessons with your submissions! Some of us old vPyro vets would love to see and comment on your progress and creations. 😊

- StickyGum32

3A – Die-Off Emitter

It sounds like a morbid lesson, but it isn't I promise! With ProColor, you probably noticed that when the effect finishes, it ends a bit ragged. You've made convincing glow and movement - now lesson 3 is all about refinement. The die-off emitter is an addition to ProColor that caps off the death of the firework naturally.

If you look carefully at the end of the effect, you'll see a subtle flash and recession of the star - that is the job of the die-off emitter. It cleans up everything in a tidy package.

1. Open your ATPA Pearl Comet lesson file, we will be using this firework to apply the refinement techniques. To create a die-off emitter, you are copying two of the 3 ProColor properties - Inner Glow and Core. So add a child emitter from your Outer Glow. Then add another one off of that. Your emitter map should look like this:

Your die-off emitters should follow closely underneath your ProColor emitters.

2. Click on the first die-off emitter and select the Emitter Rate panel. Add a particle and set the Start Time to 0.85 and the End Time to 0.85. This ensures that the die-off emitter begins at the end of the firework's life and not the beginning. By setting the Start and End Time the same, this also ensures that there is one single moment when the emitter is activated. If you do not set it at the same time, you end up with a range of moments when the particles generate.
3. Open the Particle Basics panel and refer back to the Inner Glow of your ProColor formula. You may have to experiment with sizes and brightness. I've found that you have to overcompensate a bit to get the die-off glow to appear more clearly.

Here is an example of my die-off glow emitter. My ProColor is 3.00-2.00 seconds - so for the die-off, I had to increase the start size a bit. Experiment with it until you are satisfied. What is important about a die-off glow is that it ends in black and starts in black.

4. In the same emitter, open the Particle Motion panel. Refer back to the gravity you used on the comet itself and halve it. So for my effect, I use 0.40 gravity - for the die-off emitter, I use 0.20. This is because when the firework has expired, it has used all of its fuel and is significantly smaller, weaker, and more prone to be affected by wind. The last remnants of the firework aren't going to fall as quickly.
5. Click the core die-off emitter and add a particle to the Emitter Rate panel. You will not need to set the start time because the core is a child of the die-off glow. Select the Particle Life panel and increase the life around 1.50 seconds. The core's lifetime must be longer than the glow's - you want to see the core die off very last because that is the final remnant of the firework.
6. Open the Particle Basics panel and refer back to your ProColor core style. Again, you may need to increase sizes and experiment to get the best look. One thing you must do though, is change the End Size to 0.00 - that terminates the core.

My original ProColor core style was 0.70-0.50

7. Open the Particle Motion panel and set the same gravity you set for the glow.
8. Rename effect or save over existing Pearl Comet - Submit a video to be graded.

And that is how you create a 'die-off' emitter! This simple little feature gives your effects a lovely crisp finish.

Next Lesson: Lesson 3B - Drift Smoke

Edited April 22Apr 22 by StickyGum32