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BlackUniGryphon
BlackUniGryphon
Known Participant
August 30, 2018
Answered

Customized Shape Particle Help

  • August 30, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 16488 views

Does anyone know of any new up-to-date tutorials and instruction about how to get a customized particle to happen within a current version of Adobe After Effects CC 2018 version?

The only tutorials I could find were from about 2011-2014, and the options in those are missing.

In 2017 I was doing a video art piece for the Boston Convention Center and no matter how many people I asked, including animation teachers from 6 different universities across the USA, as well as 4 different people whom work at video game animation companies, no one knew how to make it work in the 2017 version.

The Old program versions' way of doing it:

2011:

2013:

2014-15 version:

In 2017 I was on a tight deadline and the only thing I could come up with was to use the triangle shapes, which I honestly don't care for, and at the time I really didn't understand how any of it worked:

I need to submit another proposal for them (The Boston Convention Center) again in the middle of next month, but I still can't figure out how to make a customized particle, like falling leaves, petals, or snow flakes.

Basically something like this:

I don't know ANYONE that does, and ALL of the persons whom created the old versions of those videos from 2011-2014 refuse to answer me no matter where I try to ask them on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ despite them claiming that "if anyone has any question to feel free and ask."

Everything I try to look for is very old & outdated, or a re-upload of an old video usually from the GW Bush or Obama Eras.

Or, do we need the old obsolete versions to do it????? But if the old versions are obsolete then why can't the new versions do it?

Doesn't anyone know how to do it in the 2018 version?

Correct answer Rick Gerard

If your AE is up to date and you pick Textured Square as a particle type you can choose a layer. Until you pick the right particle type the option is grayed out. Any particle type that says Textured will do.

You need to type Particle World in the Search Help field in the top right corner of AE and study the help files on the effect. Just poking around in the UI is not a good way to learn how to use the tools.

2 replies

R
Community Expert
Rick GerardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 30, 2018

I'm not sure what you are having problems with. CC Particle World works the same as it always has. Here is a screenshot showing everything I modified to create a custom particle using a comp called flower which was nothing more than a 300 X 300 comp with a shape layer. You could use anything. Nothing that I know of stopped working.

    BlackUniGryphon
    BlackUniGryphonAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 30, 2018

    Yes, the problem is CC Particle world

    P.M.B
    P.M.B
    Legend
    August 30, 2018

    Where are you having problems?  What particle effects are you using?  I would imagine even following an old tutorial the process would not be all that different.  You create a custom texture, choose particle type Sprite or Textured Sprite or Textured Square or something like that...it varies from effect to effect.

    If you can be specific about at what effect you're using & describe your process & at point you're running into trouble.

    ~Gutterfish
    BlackUniGryphon
    BlackUniGryphonAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 30, 2018

    I tried that but whenever I look for the custom graphic in the options for the particle, it's not there.

    I only can use the presets.

    R
    Community Expert
    Rick GerardCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    August 30, 2018

    If your AE is up to date and you pick Textured Square as a particle type you can choose a layer. Until you pick the right particle type the option is grayed out. Any particle type that says Textured will do.

    You need to type Particle World in the Search Help field in the top right corner of AE and study the help files on the effect. Just poking around in the UI is not a good way to learn how to use the tools.

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