Mi primer VFX parte 2

How to create a particle system for an internal light in a portal?

In the creation of visual effects, particle systems are an indispensable tool to achieve surprising and captivating results. When working in a 3D environment, such as a portal, the correct manipulation of particles can make the object take on a life of its own. In this article you will learn how to add a second particle system to an existing effect and how to design a light emanating from inside the portal using Unity.

How to add a new particle system

Adding a new particle system to an existing effect is not complicated. Here are the essential steps:

1. Create a nested system: Select your existing particle system, right-click on it and select "Particle System" from the drop-down menu. This will automatically create a new system inside the original one, indicated by an arrow that you can expand.
2. Run both at the same time: Once created, select the new particle system and click "Restart" to make sure that both systems run simultaneously.

How to create the light effect?

Creating a light emanating from inside the portal is a process that requires precision and detail. Follow these steps to get a good result:

1. Create the right material:

   • Navigate to your materials folder and create a new material called "Light".
   • Use the texture "Light 01" and set the shader to "Universal Render Pipeline Particles Unlit". Make sure that transparent mode is enabled.

2. Configure the particle:

   • Turn off the "Shape" option to direct the light in one direction only.
   • Adjust the initial size with the "Start Size" option, enable "3D Start Size" to change the size independently on each axis, especially on the Y-axis for a vertical effect.

3. Adjust appearance and light emission:

   • Reduce the lifetime in "Start Lifetime" to 1.
   • Work with "Color Over Lifetime" to give transparency to the light, using tabs and color variations for a more realistic effect.
   • Activate "Shape" again to make the particles emerge from different places. Try shapes like Box and adjust its size in the "Scale" section to control the particle emission.

How to finish the light adjustment?

1. Increase light transparency: Adjust the "Start Color" to apply a low initial transparency. Modifying the alpha (A) value by a moderate number, e.g. 54, can significantly improve the appearance.
2. Orient the light upwards:
   • Change the "Render Mode" in the "Renderer" section to "Vertical Billboard" so that the light always points upwards.
3. Emit from the center of the portal:
   • Adjust the "Shape" module and set the value on the Z-axis to 0 to ensure that the light rays are emitted from the ground, right where the portal is located.
   • Be sure to change the "Max Particle Size" in the "Renderer" section to 1 if you want to scale the particle size beyond the default value of 0.5.

As you work with these settings, play and experiment with the values until your portal light has the look and feel you want. This process gives you the opportunity to customize your visual effects according to the needs of your project.

Remember that practice is key: each tweak and modification brings you closer to the visual effects master you want to be. Keep learning and experimenting!