UniParticles3D

A simple yet powerful 3D Particle System for Godot 4.3+. UniParticles3D provides an intuitive, modular approach to creating particle effects with a familiar interface inspired by Unity's particle system.

UniParticles3D.mov

Overview

UniParticles3D uses Godot's RenderingServer multimesh system for efficient rendering while keeping particle logic on the CPU. While not as performant as Godot's GPU-based particle system, it offers:

• Easier and quicker setup
• More intuitive controls
• Visual gizmos for shape editing
• Familiar workflow for Unity developers
• Greater control over individual particles

Perfect for when you just want some simple effects with a quick setup.

Features

Core Particle System

• Emission Control: ConfigureUniParticles3Dmov.webm burst, distance-based and continuous emission with customizable rates and intervals
• Shape-based Emission: Multiple emission shapes with detailed controls
  • Cone (with base/volume emission)
  • Sphere
  • Hemisphere
  • Box
  • Circle
  • Edge

Modular System

The particle system is built with a modular approach, allowing you to enable/disable different features:

Main Settings and Play Behaviour

• Control the main settings, duration, starting lifetime, speed, size, gravity and rotation.
• Different options allow for setting a custom number, random between two constants or use a curve for finer control.
• Choose whether to use world space or local space for the simulation.

Emission Module

• Control the maximum amount of particles allowed at any one time
• Emit continuously over time and or over distance
• Configure bursts of particles for fine-tuned control.

Shape Module

• Configurable emission shapes with visual gizmos
• Shape-specific properties (radius, angle, length)
• Arc control for circular shapes
• Thickness control for hollow shapes

Size Module

• Control particle size over lifetime
• Separate width and height controls
• Curve-based animation

Velocity Module

• Initial velocity controls
• Velocity over lifetime
• World/local space velocity
• Position and rotation offset controls

Rotation Module

• Rotation over lifetime (Angle of the Texture)
• Orbit controls (Orbit around the node's center)

Color Module

• Color over lifetime using gradient
• Hue variation
• Alpha control

Texture Sheet Animation

• Sprite sheet support
• Multiple animation modes
• Frame control over lifetime
• Random starting frame option

Rendering

• Billboard modes
• Velocity-based stretching
• Custom mesh support
• Multiple blend modes
• Material override options

Visual Editor

• Interactive Inspector: Organized, collapsible sections for each module
• Live Preview: Real-time preview of particle effects
• Visual Gizmos: Shape visualization in the editor
• Playback Controls: Play, pause, restart controls in editor

Technical Details

Rendering System

• Uses RenderingServer's multimesh system for efficient rendering
• CPU-based particle logic for greater control and flexibility
• Custom shader support for various blend modes
• Editor gizmos for visual shape editing

Performance Considerations

• Best suited for effects with moderate particle counts
• CPU-based updates mean performance scales with particle count
• More memory-efficient than storing individual nodes
• Trade-off between ease of use and maximum performance

Installation

1. Download or clone this repository (Or download it directly from the Asset Library once its there)
2. Copy the addons/UniParticles3D folder into your Godot project's addons folder
3. Enable the plugin in Project Settings -> Plugins
4. Add a UniParticles3D node to your scene

Usage

Basic Setup

1. Add a UniParticles3D node to your scene
2. Configure the basic emission settings:
   • Emission rate
   • Particle lifetime
   • Initial speed
3. Choose an emission shape and configure its properties
4. Enable desired modules (size, color, rotation, etc.)
5. Configure module-specific properties

Advanced Features

Burst System

Create complex emission patterns using bursts:

• Multiple burst points
• Cycle control
• Probability settings
• Random count ranges

Shape Controls

Fine-tune emission shapes with:

• Arc control for circular shapes
• Radius thickness for hollow shapes
• Direction controls
• Position/rotation offset

Animation Control

Multiple ways to animate particles:

• Curve-based animation for size, velocity, and rotation
• Color gradients
• Texture sheet animation
• Orbital movement

Requirements

• Godot 4.3 or higher

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.