Questions about particles

Cap

Hello,

I'd like to use particles, but have some problems implementing them correctly.
Let's say something happened that starts the particles:

if xyz = true then
-> fire particles
particletimer = gametimer+1
if particletimer < gametimer then
xyz = false

Now I want only one single particle to appear. Of course I typed in "1" at the correct tab (Spawn Rate, I believe). Nontheless more than one particle appear, mostly two or so. How can I do it that only one single particle appears?

Moreover: do I also use png files with 72 ppi for particles?
And will particles always appear one layer above the actor?

Thanks for help!

gyroscope

Hi Cap, I haven't investigated particles yet as I've not been using GS for long, but hope I can still help out with some of your questions:

There is a way for just a single particle to appear because that's used for single shots (I'm guessing that's what you want it for). But as I say, I haven't tinkered with Particles yet, or seen a demo of how to make single projectiles using Particles, but I'm sure another Forum member will help you out there.

I believe that GS can accept .jpeg as well as .png for images; .png is best to use for the transparent borders in and around the sprites anyway, so I'd just stick to .png files for images throughout, anyhow. That image file format is the best, if not one of the best, for good file size compression. (For interest, you can import some other formats into GS and it will automatially convert them to the .png format anyway).

As for layer of the particle with reference to the player: interesting question. My answer: I don't know! But hope I've been of some help.

:-)

PS Just remembered there's an excellent project in the Shared Projects called GS Particles Experiment by wayneh001; well worth checking out.

Cap

Hi,

thanks for your answers. Yes, I know the brilliant Particles demo by wayne.

Does maybe someone else here have an answer for my particle questions (layer, single particle)?

Thanks!

gyroscope

I've been mulling over this in a spare moment, and decided that all particles surely appear in the top layer at the time of its creation. (I mean to say, first particle effect made is top layer; make another, then that'll be the top, the first one going to 2nd layer, etc). I could be wrong, but it seems to me it won't be any other way. And a guess is that, although layer order for actors can be changed as you know, I don't think you'll be able to change the layer order of particle effects. And being top layers, they would of course be in front of the player.

Hope that's some help.

:-)

PS I'll bump your first unanswered question for you:

Cap said:
I'd like to use particles, but have some problems implementing them correctly.
Let's say something happened that starts the particles:

if xyz = true then
-> fire particles
particletimer = gametimer+1
if particletimer < gametimer then
xyz = false

Now I want only one single particle to appear. Of course I typed in "1" at the correct tab (Spawn Rate, I believe). Nontheless more than one particle appear, mostly two or so. How can I do it that only one single particle appears?

Thanks for help!