ATPA Lesson 4: Peonies

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age, the videos included with the academy are of a lackluster quality, and some of the information in these lessons is outdated.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

4 – Peonies

Peonies are the most basic bursting firework you can make. Its name derives from the flower (as most firework names do!):

In this lesson, we will apply the ProColor style to a spherical bursting firework using the same physics we learned from Lesson 1C - Pearl Comets.

Here is what we're going to make.

1. Create a new firework and add 2 emitters to the control. Set the control's life to 4.00 seconds. Add 1 particle for each emitter. On the first emitter, set the particle life to somewhere around 2.30 seconds. Apply the same kind of physics you assigned in the 1C lesson. My formula is 1.40/0.40 (drag/grav). Now, set the emitter speed until the particle is high enough above the ground and there is nice launch (with a little bit of slowdown at the top). Add some sphere to give the launch a random pattern. Once you are satisfied with your launch height, make the particle invisible.
2. Click the second emitter and set the Start Time to around .90 and the End Time to the exact same number. This ensures that the burst happens in the air and not on the ground. Set the lifetime to 0.05. In the Emitter Speed panel, set the parent to 0.00 - this ensures that this new burst does not adapt the motion of the launch. In the Particle Basics panel, set the size around 15-25. End size can remain the same. Use a soft-edged particle style (ex. C9, D4, D5)*. By now, you should have 3 emitters and a short white flash every 4 seconds.
3. Add another emitter and give it 100 particles. This will be our peony burst. Apply the same physics to this burst that you did for the launch in the Particle Motion panel. Open the Emitter Speed panel and apply a generous amount of sphere. You should begin to see the peony take shape now. When you are satisfied, open the Particle Life panel and increase it between 1.40 and 1.80 with a randomness of about 30% (0.30).

*Editors Note: C9, D4, D5 are Vanilla Values; Expansion Values are D1, C7, A9.

You should now see this:

4 emitters: A control, a launch, a launch-stop, and a burst.

4. Now apply your ProColor starting with the 4th emitter - your burst will now become your Outer Glow.

You should now have a beautiful peony effect!

If the glow is a little strong, adjust accordingly. When the particles first burst, they are close to one another, so you might need to darken the beginning of the Outer Glow emitter. This is an important note - the formula is a starting point. Each effect will affect the glow differently - so be prepared to adjust.
5. Apply the die-off emitter and drift smoke to the peony - if you haven't finished the 3a and 3b lessons, I suggest going back and completing them.

http://forums.vpyro....ie-off-emitter/ https://parkcrafters.com/topic/1626-atpa-lesson-3a-die-off-emitter/#comment-12854
http://forums.vpyro....3b-drift-smoke/ https://parkcrafters.com/topic/1627-atpa-lesson-3b-drift-smoke/

6. Name your effect, Save (don't forget .frw!) and submit a video showing your peony with multiple colors.

Hopefully this lesson taught you how to keep bursts in the air and how physics can be universal in an effect.

Next Lesson: Lesson 5 - Batteries

Edited April 22Apr 22 by StickyGum32