The Particles 3.1 update is now available. This is a highly recommended update for Poser 7 users.

The following additions/changes have been made:

• All particle figures that you create after updating will use a new emitter prop with indicators for each axis, not just the Y axis. Existing particle figures will continue to use the old prop.
• In Poser 7, all particle figures that you create after updating can now be transformed using the parameter dials, rather than parenting them to a prop. To do this:
  
  1. Select the particle figure
  2. In your Poser menu, go to Scripts > Particles 3 > Show Transform Dials
  Transform dials will be revealed for the selected particle figure and each of its particles. Note that this will only work on particle figures that you create after the 3.1 update.
• Poser 7 users can now check your Particles 3 version by selecting Scripts > Particles 3 > About Particles 3 from the Poser menu.

The following bug fixes have been made:

• Poser 7 will no longer unexpectedly exit when hitting the "Simulate" button.
• Poser 7 will no longer unexpectedly exit when using the "Simulate Materials" wacro, then using the "Copy to Other Particles" wacro in succession.
• Fixed a bug where attractors would be ignored until Poser was restarted.
• Fixed a bug where Poser 7 would give an "integer expected" error.
• Fixed a strange interaction with Poser 7's duplicate command.
• Fixed a bug where the Particles 3 dialog would go behind the Poser 7 document window when loading a preset file.
• Fixed a bug where the emitter's xRotate parameter dial would disappear and reappear.
• The Hex-Storm pre-made figure will now simulate as expected (and I highly recommend playing with it now that it's working properly!).

To install the update:

1. Close Poser
2. Download Particles 3.1 Update
3. Unzip to your Poser directory

Download the new preset and premade figure for Particles 3/PZ: PRT3_ThunderClap.zip

Download the new preset and premade figure for Particles 3/PZ: PRT3_SporeSpiral.zip

Download the new preset and premade figure for Particles 3/PZ: PRT3_WhirlyGas.zip

Download the new preset and premade figure for Particles 3/PZ: PRT3_PsionicBloom.zip

Next up in the Particles 3 Summer of Freebies is the second of three tutorials: "Material Magic".

Learn more about using Particles 3's Material Room-integration to create special effects by picking apart three different particle figures. After this tutorial, you'll be on the way to building your own complex materials.

At first glance, sprites are just a bunch of little squares, but really, they're a powerful addition to the Particles 3 toolbox.

Learn everything you need to know to get started using sprites in "All About Sprites".

Don't forget to raid your ParticleMaps folder (Runtime/Textures/ParticleMaps) for a ton of bonus transparency maps for sprites!

I'm happy to announce the return of the Particles Weekly Freebie program. Every week this summer, a new preset/premade, tutorial or update will be released for Particles 3/PZ. (Particles 2 users may remember the program from the summer of 2005.)

The freebies start flowing the first week of May, and will be announced each week on the Poseworks.com homepage, DAZ Commons forum and Particles 3 forum.

Due to unforeseeable issues that have made further development impossible, work on Particles 3/DS has been stopped, and the product is no longer anticipated to be released.

Some of the new technology that powered Particles 3/DS, including its highly-anticipated effects shader, will be released independently in the coming weeks, so keep your eye out for new product announcements for DAZ|Studio.

Flame Spray is a smaller, lighter weight version of Flame Geyser designed to be used as fire breath (and scaled to fit the DAZ dragons). To use the preset, generate a new particle figure from it, position the emitter in the dragon's mouth, simulate the figure, and then copy materials.

Download