sParticular


Version: 1.1 Sign up to be notified by email when a new version of this script is posted
sParticular is a script for After Effects that helps you with 3D integration when using Trapcode Particular.
If you apply particular on a layer, you will see that the particles are 3D aware if you have a camera. But if you have layers in your 3D space, the particles won’t intersect with them. Particles are always “in front of” the 3D layers that are below the particules layer in the layer stack.
Particular has a visibility option, where you can set a range where your particules are visible or not, let’s say from 0px to 200px in Z space from the camera.
What the script does is sort your layers in your comp so that the 3D layers stack on the composition regarding to their Z position, and then duplicates your particle layer between every 3D layers. All thoses instances have their visibility option expressioned to fill the Z range between the front and behind 3D object. Like that your particles are intersecting properly with your layers.
It’s not a true intersection, it rather an automation of a workaround, but it works great. Plus there are some options if you want to update your particle layer so that every instance get updated too.
Supports Particular from v1.5 and above (including Particular 64bit update for CS5), and works fine with multiple Particular effects on the same layer.
- sParticular UI
Version History
- v1.1 Fixed a bug in CS5 for Particular 2.1 which have a slight modification on one parameter. CS3 & CS4 version untouched. (Aug 2010)
- v1.0 Initial release for CS3 & CS4 (Aug 2009)








This is an excellent script. Just what i’ve been looking for.
Merci Sébastien!
Does it work with Particular 2 ?
Sure, it totally supports Particular 2.0
Hope you’ll like it.
Thanks Sebastien.
I created a two-minute overview tutorial of sParticular here:
http://vimeo.com/7443688
Your overview was great but I just wanted to add a quick and dirty overview.
You have officially “gone viral.”
stop me if i m wrong, but the function “Obscuration Layer” and “Also Obscure with” (tested with P2.0) does exactly the same. You won’t need the plugin, right?
@b0kaJ: “Obscuration Layer” & “Also Obscure with” only allows you to use 2 layers (or 2 precompositions), and with hard edges, so it’s not an ideal solution, it’s some kind of built-in workaround. sParticular is also a workaround, so in the end it really depends on what you need. If you have a 3D word with tens of layers, you might want to use sParticular. If you only have a couple of layers to obscure with, maybe yu’ll use the built-in option.
Also beware, because if you use a mask on a layer used as an obscuration layer, you won’t see the particules through it.
k, you have a point there. thanks!
dude there is no link here to download
i always try to download this scripts but i con’t
help to download free
sami783@rediffmail.com
Hi Sami,
to download it you have to click on the “add to cart” option, then on “checkout” replace the 5.00 amount with 0.00 and you’ll be able to download it for free.
More info on the download procedure here: http://aescripts.com/faq/how-to-download-scripts/
Hope that helps,
Seb
thanks for ur fast reply i like u dude nice haire style really
and i already experiment and i got the same proses. ok nice work dude
i have on quary you how to create these tuts i meen ur talent…
can u share ur talent with me i need that
thank u very much for ur reply
Sounds like you have landed there sir judging from the last coment. )
Hey nice plugin very well put together.
regards to the man
Kevin
Swansea UK
Hi,
haven’t tested it yet – but can I use it to orbit around an Object – or will
this “break the workaround? For example if you orbit around a long word
which will eventually strech iout int z space instead of sitting in xy space as a
flat layer?
I’will try it – just something to think about for an update…evetually…
KAI
I’m not sure to exactly understand, but I guess it will only break if some layers that are under the sparticular layer in the layer stack but due to the rotation are supposed to be “in front of” the sParticular layer in the view.
Just a little update for you guys. The script works perfectly in CS5. In the zip file, you will find CS3 and CS4 binaries.
Just use the CS4 version with CS5 and that’s it.
This isn’t working for me. It’s duplicating the right amount of layers but stops setting up the expressions after the first one. It goes to “00_Particular” and then stops.
Hi Lance,
this is weird. Could you send me a mail with your configuration (AE version / os) and a test file so I can try to reproduce on my side ?
Hey Sébastien,
What is your email? I’ll send you a link to a test file.
Using CS5, OSX 10.6.4
Lance, could you try the new version I just released for CS5 (v1.1) and tell me if it works for you ?
Here is my mail Lance: seb@sperier.com
Thanks