There are different components or structures found in simulated explosions. It is from the interaction and dynamics of these structures that an explosion takes shape. Each of these structures are emitted from the same emitter object, and you can set each structure up on its own property page in the ExplosionOp property editor (see next section).
The structures are actually particles themselves working as a little system and each of these particles, in turn, emit their own particle types, so you can think of a structure as a type of “master particle.” Particles created from the structures inherit the structure’s speed at the moment of their birth.
Each structure has its own dynamic behavior that you can define by its path and speed. In addition, the particles associated with the structures have their own parameters for defining their paths and speeds during their lives. You can also apply external forces (such as gravity and wind) to influence the movement and behavior of each structure.
Each structure is associated to one of three phases: Flame, Smoke, and Sparks. You can have any or all of these phases present in a particle simulation. For example, if you wanted to create fire, you might use only the Flame and Smoke phases.
If you select the Flame phase, a light is generated. You can constrain the light to the position of the explosion icon; its color, defined frame by frame, is equal to the average RGB of all of the flame’s particles. The light emission is proportional to the particle density.
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