The Niagara Particle System

• This is based on
  • Unreal Academy 2019 the VFX and Particle Systems - Niagara section.
• Niagara was still in "early access" when the video was produced.
• Why the change from Cascade to Niagara
  • Cascade is somewhat inflexible.
    • Programming knowledge required.
  • The engine has moved to industries beyond games so they wanted more flexibility
  • Good performance
  • Good debugging tools
  • Better data visualization
  • Arbitrary data sources.
• Also introduces Data Sharing
  • Every phase of the system in exposed.
  • Organized by namespace
  • A namespace contains everything.
    • An organizational unit.
    • Is hierarchical
    • Emitter, Particle, ...
  • A parameter map provides interaction with the Namespace
    • This carries all of the attributes around the system.
    • A collection of data
  • Data is arbitrary
    • Anything can be shipped.
• Modules -> emitters -> systems.
  • Engineers develop code in Modules (graph logic)
  • Modules are built
    • Change data values
    • Think functions.
    • Graph
  • Emitters are containers for modules
    • Combining these creates the behavior you want.
    • Are combined into a system.
    • He calls this a stack.
  • Systems are stacks with a sequencer timeline
• In a module

  •  Get a field from the input map
     modify the field
     add this field to a new map and output it.
             

  • These can be written in blueprint.
  • Or even in shader language.
• Emitters
  • Modules can be emitter wide
  • On particles as they spawn
  • Or on particles as they "move"
  • Or render modules.