Mapping operator

The Mapping operator can be used to assign UVW values to particles.


Mode Rollout

  • Mapping from absolute value: mapping values will be set to the specified value.

  • Mapping from camera: mapping values will be projected from the specified camera.

  • Mapping from custom float: mapping values will be taken from a particle’s custom float data channel.

  • Mapping from custom vector: mapping values will be taken from a particle’s custom vector data channel.

  • Mapping from objects: mapping values will be derived from the nearest surface of objects defined in the input object list.

  • Mapping from velocity: mapping values will be taken from a particle’s velocity.

  • Mapping from velocity magnitude: mapping values will be taken from a particle’s velocity magnitude.

  • Mapping from target: mapping values will be taken from the target particle.

  • Mapping from target shape mesh: mapping values will be taken from the closest point on the target particle’s shape mesh.

  • Transform mesh UVWs: existing particle mesh UVWs will be transformed according to the specified offset/scale parameters.

  • Affect particle mapping overrides: the operator will modify particle mapping override values.

  • Affect particle mesh vertices: the operator will directly modify particle mesh mapping vertex values.

When in “particle mapping override” mode, each particle will receive a single UVW value for the affected map channels. These override values can be retrieved/changed by other operators, and are not baked directly into the particle meshes until the mesh is sent out from tyFlow (for display, export, rendering, etc). When in “particle mesh vertices” mode, all of the vertices of affected map channels for each particle mesh will receive their own values, which will be baked directly into the particle meshes.

Mapping From Objects Rollout

By querying closest points on object surfaces, you can assign corresponding mapping values to particles.

  • Input object list: the list of scene objects from which UVW values will be taken.

  • Sample type: controls which sampler will be used to determine closest-object proximities for particles.

UV Source

  • All available channels: when enabled, UVW values from all available surface channels will be applied to corresponding particle UVW channels.

  • Map Channel: the individual map channel to extract UVW values from.

UV Target

  • Same as source: when enabled, the UVW data will be assigned to the same particle UVW channel it was taken from on the source object.

  • Map Channel: the particle UVW channel to assign the UVW data to.

Mapping From Camera Rollout

  • Camera: the camera for which mapping values will be generated.

Aspect Ratio

  • From camera: when enabled, the aspect ratio used to generate the mapping coordinates will be taken from the camera.

  • Width/Height: manual resolution overrides that can be used when “from camera” is disabled.

FOV

  • From camera: when enabled, the FOV used to generate the mapping coordinates will be taken from the camera.

  • FOV: manual FOV override that can be used when “from camera” is disabled.

UV Target

  • Map Channel: controls which particle mapping channel to assign the UVW value to.

Mapping From Custom Data Rollout

Assigns mapping values from particle custom data channels.

  • Value: the absolute mapping value to assign to particles.

  • Variation %: the per-particle percentage of variation to apply.
  • Distance/Falloff: the range to the target particle’s shape mesh surface from the particle’s location within which UVW values will be retrieved.

  • Channel: the channel to take the custom data value from.

Normalize Values

  • Enable: controls whether mapping values will be converted into a value between 0 and 1, based on a target value range.

  • Min: the minimum value of the range.

  • Max: the maximum value of the range.

  • Invert: inverts the resulting ratio.

  • UVW Axis X/Y/Z: controls which axis of the particle’s UVW value to assign custom float data values to.

  • Map Channel: controls which particle mapping channel to assign the UVW value to.

Interpolation

  • Normal interpolation: linearly interpolates the current value towards the target value.

  • Full interpolation on entry: linearly interpolates the particle's current value towards the target value, unless the particle's event age is 0 - then the particle's current value will be set to the target value.

  • Full interpolation at time of birth: linearly interpolates the particle's current value towards the target value, unless the particle's age is 0 - then the particle's current value will be set to the target value.

  • Curve interpolation (static): uses a curve to interpolate the particle's current value towards the value assigned to the particle when the particle first entered the event.

  • Curve interpolation (dynamic): uses a curve to interpolate the particle's current value towards the target value.

  • Duration: the number of frames over which the curve interpolation will be performed.

  • Value: the amount to linearly interpolate values each frame.

  • Variation %: the amount of variation to apply to the interpolation value.

Clamp/Shift Values Rollout

Clamp Mapping Values

Allows you to clamp mapping values to specific min/max values.

  • Enable clamping: controls whether clamping will be enabled.

  • X/Y/Z: the min/max x/y/z values to clamp each particle’s UVW values between.

  • All channels: clamping will be applied to all mapping channels.

  • Map channel: the specific mapping channel to apply clamping to.

Shift Mapping Values

Allows you to shift particle mapping values between channels.

  • Disabled: no shift operation will be performed.

  • Copy: particle mapping values will be copied from a source map channel to a target map channel. The source channel value will be retained.

  • Move: particle mapping values will be moved from a source map channel to a target map channel. The source channel value will be removed.

  • Swap: particle mapping values will be swapped between a source map channel and a target map channel.

  • Source channel: the source map channel.

  • Target channel: the target map channel.


Remove UVW overrides Rollout

  • Map channels: the list of mapping channels to remove from a given particle’s UVW overrides.

Transform UVWs Rollout

Transform mesh UVWs

  • Map channel: when enabled, only the specified map channel on particle meshes will be affected by the transform operation.

  • Random offest U: the random amount to offset each mapping U coordinate by.

  • Random offest V: the random amount to offset each mapping V coordinate by.

  • Scale multiplier: an overall scale multiplier to apply to applicable mesh UVWs.

  • UVW scale relative to particle scale: when enabled, mesh UVWs will be scaled according to the ratio between a particle’s scale and the specified scale threshold.

  • Threshold: the scale threshold used to perform the relative scale operation.