Understanding Particle Systems

Let’s talk about another very important element of many video games: Particle Systems.

In video game terms, a particle is essentially a position in a 3D space that can be represented with an image. A Particle System is a collection of many particles, potentially with different images, shapes, colors, and sizes. The following figure shows an example of two Particle Systems made in UE5:

Figure 9.12 – Two different Particle Systems in UE5

The Particle System on the left is supposed to be electrical sparks that could come from a cable that has been sliced and is now in short-circuit, while the one on the right is supposed to be a fire. Although the particle system on the left is relatively simple, you can tell that the one on the right has more than one type of particle inside it, which can be combined in the same system.

Note

UE5 has two different tools for creating Particle Systems: Cascade and Niagara. Cascade...