Class Effects.ParticleGroups
Functions to generate effects.
Members
| id | (int) Unique group ID. |
| active | (bool) Whether the handle refers to a valid active group. |
Functions
| ParticleGroup:Start() | Start emitting particles. |
| ParticleGroup:Stop() | Stop emitting particles. |
| ParticleGroup:Pause() | Pause the group. |
| ParticleGroup:Resume() | Resume a paused group. |
| ParticleGroup:EmitBurst(count) | Emit a burst of particles immediately. |
| ParticleGroup:GetActiveCount() | Get number of active particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetEmissionRate(rate) | Set the emission rate in particles per second. |
| ParticleGroup:SetPosition(pos) | Set the emitter position. |
| ParticleGroup:GetPosition() | Get the emitter position. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialVelocity(vel) | Set initial velocity for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialVelocityRandom(range) | Set random range added to initial velocity. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialAcceleration(accel) | Set initial acceleration for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetLifetime(seconds) | Set a fixed lifetime for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetLifetimeRange(minSeconds, maxSeconds) | Set lifetime range for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialSize(size) | Set a fixed initial size for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialSizeRange(min, max) | Set initial size range for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialColor(color) | Set initial color for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialColorRange(min, max) | Set initial color range for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialRotation(rotation) | Set initial rotation for new particles in degrees. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialRotationVelocity(rotVel) | Set initial rotational velocity for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:SetBlendMode(mode) | Set blend mode for rendering. |
| ParticleGroup:SetObjectID(objectID) | Set the object slot (sprite sequence or mesh object) for the group. |
| ParticleGroup:SetSubIndex(index) | Set sprite or mesh sub-index for newly emitted particles. |
| ParticleGroup:GetSubIndex() | Get the current sprite or mesh sub-index used for new particles. |
| ParticleGroup:GetObjectID() | Get the current object slot ID. |
| ParticleGroup:IsMeshGroup() | Check if this group renders 3D meshes. |
| ParticleGroup:SetInitialOrientation(orientation) | Set initial orientation for mesh particles in degrees (pitch, yaw, roll). |
| ParticleGroup:SetContactRadius(radius) | Set the contact radius used for deadly bounds detection. |
| ParticleGroup:GetParticle(index) | Get a specific particle's data as a table. |
| ParticleGroup:SetParticle(index, data) | Set a specific particle's properties from a table. |
| ParticleGroup:ForEachParticle(callback) | Iterate over all active particles, calling a function for each. |
| CreateParticleGroup(objectID, maxParticles) | Create a particle group for managing collections of particles with Lua-driven behavior. |
Tables
| Particle | Structure for a Particle table. |
Members
- id
- (int) Unique group ID. Read-only. Returns -1 if the handle is stale.
- active
- (bool) Whether the handle refers to a valid active group.
Functions
- ParticleGroup:Start()
- Start emitting particles.
- ParticleGroup:Stop()
- Stop emitting particles. Existing particles continue until they expire.
- ParticleGroup:Pause()
- Pause the group. Stops emission and freezes all existing particles in place.
- ParticleGroup:Resume()
- Resume a paused group.
- ParticleGroup:EmitBurst(count)
-
Emit a burst of particles immediately.
Parameters:
- count int Number of particles to emit.
- ParticleGroup:GetActiveCount()
-
Get number of active particles.
Returns:
-
int
Number of active particles.
- ParticleGroup:SetEmissionRate(rate)
-
Set the emission rate in particles per second.
Parameters:
- rate float Particles per second.
- ParticleGroup:SetPosition(pos)
-
Set the emitter position.
Parameters:
- pos Vec3 World position.
- ParticleGroup:GetPosition()
-
Get the emitter position.
Returns:
-
Vec3
World position.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialVelocity(vel)
-
Set initial velocity for new particles.
Parameters:
- vel Vec3 Velocity vector in world units per second.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialVelocityRandom(range)
-
Set random range added to initial velocity.
Parameters:
- range Vec3 Per-axis random range (+/- range).
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialAcceleration(accel)
-
Set initial acceleration for new particles.
Parameters:
- accel Vec3 Acceleration vector in world units per second squared.
- ParticleGroup:SetLifetime(seconds)
-
Set a fixed lifetime for new particles.
Parameters:
- seconds float Lifetime in seconds.
- ParticleGroup:SetLifetimeRange(minSeconds, maxSeconds)
-
Set lifetime range for new particles.
Parameters:
- minSeconds float Minimum lifetime.
- maxSeconds float Maximum lifetime.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialSize(size)
-
Set a fixed initial size for new particles.
Parameters:
- size float Particle size in world units.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialSizeRange(min, max)
-
Set initial size range for new particles.
Parameters:
- min float Minimum size.
- max float Maximum size.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialColor(color)
-
Set initial color for new particles.
Parameters:
- color Color Particle color.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialColorRange(min, max)
-
Set initial color range for new particles.
Parameters:
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialRotation(rotation)
-
Set initial rotation for new particles in degrees.
Parameters:
- rotation float Rotation in degrees.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialRotationVelocity(rotVel)
-
Set initial rotational velocity for new particles.
Parameters:
- rotVel float Rotational velocity in degrees per second.
- ParticleGroup:SetBlendMode(mode)
-
Set blend mode for rendering. Applies to sprite groups only.
Mesh groups use per-material blend modes.
Parameters:
- mode BlendID Blend mode.
- ParticleGroup:SetObjectID(objectID)
-
Set the object slot (sprite sequence or mesh object) for the group.
For sprite sequences, the sub-index selects which sprite to draw.
For mesh objects, the sub-index selects which mesh to draw.
Parameters:
- objectID ObjID Object slot ID.
- ParticleGroup:SetSubIndex(index)
-
Set sprite or mesh sub-index for newly emitted particles.
Parameters:
- index int Sprite or mesh sub-index.
- ParticleGroup:GetSubIndex()
-
Get the current sprite or mesh sub-index used for new particles.
Returns:
-
int
Current sub-index.
- ParticleGroup:GetObjectID()
-
Get the current object slot ID.
Returns:
-
ObjID
Current object slot ID.
- ParticleGroup:IsMeshGroup()
-
Check if this group renders 3D meshes.
Returns:
-
bool
True if particles render as 3D meshes, false for sprites.
- ParticleGroup:SetInitialOrientation(orientation)
-
Set initial orientation for mesh particles in degrees (pitch, yaw, roll).
Ignored for sprite groups.
Parameters:
- orientation Rotation Orientation in degrees.
- ParticleGroup:SetContactRadius(radius)
-
Set the contact radius used for deadly bounds detection.
Uses an AABB check against Lara's deadly bounds. Default is 128 world units.
New particles inherit this value.
Parameters:
- radius float Distance in world units. Must be greater than 0.
- ParticleGroup:GetParticle(index)
-
Get a specific particle's data as a table.
Returns nil if the index is out of range, the particle is inactive, or the group is invalid.
Parameters:
- index int Particle index (0-based).
Returns:
-
table or nil
Particle data table.
- ParticleGroup:SetParticle(index, data)
-
Set a specific particle's properties from a table.
All rotation and orientation values are in degrees.
Set teleport = true to suppress interpolation after a large position jump.
Parameters:
- index int Particle index (0-based).
- data table Table with properties to set.
- ParticleGroup:ForEachParticle(callback)
-
Iterate over all active particles, calling a function for each.
If the callback returns a table, those fields are applied back to the particle.
All rotation and orientation values are in degrees.
Parameters:
- callback function Function receiving (index, particleTable) for each active particle.
- CreateParticleGroup(objectID, maxParticles)
-
Create a particle group for managing collections of particles with Lua-driven behavior.
If the specified object ID is a sprite sequence, particles render as sprites.
If it is a mesh object (moveable), particles render as 3D meshes, and the sprite index
selects which mesh within the object to draw.
Parameters:
- objectID ObjID Object slot ID (sprite sequence or mesh object).
- maxParticles int Maximum number of particles in the group.
Returns:
-
ParticleGroup
A new ParticleGroup handle, or a stale handle on failure.
Tables
- Particle
-
Structure for a Particle table.
Fields:
- id int Unique particle ID. Read-only.
- position Vec3 World position of the particle.
- velocity Vec3 Directional velocity in world units per second.
- acceleration Vec3 Acceleration applied to velocity in world units per second squared.
- size float Current size of the particle in world units. For mesh particles, this also controls the uniform mesh scale.
- rotation float Current rotation in degrees. Applies to sprite particles only.
- color Color Current color of the particle.
- age float Current age of the particle in seconds. Clamped to [0, lifetime] when set.
- lifetime float Total lifespan of the particle in seconds. Must be greater than 0 when set.
- ageNormalized float Current age as a normalized value between 0 and 1. Recalculated each frame; direct writes are ignored.
- subIndex int Current sprite or mesh sub-index within the object slot.
- objectID ObjID Object slot used to render this particle. Overrides the group default per particle.
- orientation Rotation Current orientation in degrees along the X, Y, and Z axes. For mesh particles, controls mesh rotation. For sprite particles, a non-zero orientation renders the sprite as a fixed sprite instead of a camera-facing sprite.
- contactRadius float Half-extent in world units used for AABB contact detection. Default is 128.
- touchingPlayer bool Read-only. True if the particle's contact radius overlaps Lara's deadly bounds.
- teleport bool Write-only control. Set to true to suppress interpolation after a large position, size, or rotation change.