Class ParticleSystem

The ParticleSystem component efficiently handles the motion and rendering of many individual particles.

You can add custom behaviours to the particle system to fully customize the behaviour of the particles. See ParticleSystemBaseBehaviour and ParticleSystem.addBehaviour for more information.

Needle Engine uses three.quarks under the hood to handle particles.

Hierarchy (View Summary)

Implements

  • IParticleSystem

Properties

gameObject guid sourceId?

Accessors

activeAndEnabled behaviours cameraScale container context currentParticles deltaTime destroyed duration enabled forward isPlaying isSubsystem layer localspace matrixWorld maxParticles name particleSystem playOnAwake renderer right scale scene static tag time up worldEuler worldPos worldPosition worldQuaternion worldQuaternionInverted worldRotation worldScale worldspace

Methods

addBehaviour addEventListener destroy dispatchEvent earlyUpdate? emit lateUpdate? onAfterRender? onBeforeXR? onCollisionEnter? onCollisionExit? onCollisionStay? onDisable onEnterXR? onLeaveXR? onPausedChanged? onPointerClick? onPointerDown? onPointerEnter? onPointerExit? onPointerMove? onPointerUp? onTriggerEnter? onTriggerExit? onTriggerStay? onUpdateXR? onValidate? onXRControllerAdded? onXRControllerRemoved? pause play removeAllBehaviours removeBehaviour removeEventListener reset resolveGuids? setWorldPosition setWorldQuaternion setWorldRotation startCoroutine stop stopCoroutine supportsXR? update?

Properties

gameObject

gameObject: GameObject

Reference to the GameObject this component is attached to This is a three.js Object3D with additional GameObject functionality

guid

guid: string = "invalid"

Unique identifier for this component instance, used for finding and tracking components

OptionalsourceId

sourceId?: string

Identifier for the source asset that created this component. For example, URL to the glTF file this component was loaded from

Accessors

activeAndEnabled

  • get activeAndEnabled(): boolean

    Checks if this component is currently active (enabled and part of an active GameObject hierarchy) Components that are inactive won't receive lifecycle method calls

    Returns boolean

    True if the component is enabled and all parent GameObjects are active

behaviours

  • get behaviours(): null | Behavior[]

    Get the underlying three.quarks particle system behaviours. This can be used to fully customize the behaviour of the particles.

    Returns null | Behavior[]

cameraScale

  • get cameraScale(): number

    Returns number

container

  • get container(): Object3D

    Returns Object3D

context

  • get context(): Context

    The context this component belongs to, providing access to the runtime environment including physics, timing utilities, camera, and scene

    Returns Context

  • set context(context: Context): void

    Parameters

    Returns void

currentParticles

  • get currentParticles(): number

    Returns number

deltaTime

  • get deltaTime(): number

    Returns number

destroyed

  • get destroyed(): boolean

    Checks if this component has been destroyed

    Returns boolean

    True if the component or its GameObject has been destroyed

duration

  • get duration(): number

    Returns number

enabled

  • get enabled(): boolean

    Controls whether this component is enabled Disabled components don't receive lifecycle callbacks

    Returns boolean

  • set enabled(val: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • val: boolean

    Returns void

forward

  • get forward(): Vector3

    Gets the forward direction vector (0,0,-1) of this component's GameObject in world space

    Returns Vector3

isPlaying

  • get isPlaying(): boolean

    Returns boolean

isSubsystem

  • get isSubsystem(): boolean

    Returns boolean

layer

  • get layer(): number

    The layer value of the GameObject this component is attached to Used for visibility and physics filtering

    Returns number

localspace

  • get localspace(): boolean

    Returns boolean

matrixWorld

  • get matrixWorld(): Matrix4

    Returns Matrix4

maxParticles

  • get maxParticles(): number

    Returns number

name

  • get name(): string

    The name of the GameObject this component is attached to Used for debugging and finding objects

    Returns string

  • set name(str: string): void

    Parameters

    • str: string

    Returns void

particleSystem

playOnAwake

  • get playOnAwake(): boolean

    Returns boolean

  • set playOnAwake(val: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • val: boolean

    Returns void

renderer

  • get renderer(): ParticleSystemRenderer

    Returns ParticleSystemRenderer

right

  • get right(): Vector3

    Gets the right direction vector (1,0,0) of this component's GameObject in world space

    Returns Vector3

scale

  • get scale(): number

    Returns number

scene

  • get scene(): Scene

    Shorthand accessor for the current scene from the context

    Returns Scene

    The scene this component belongs to

static

  • get static(): boolean

    Indicates whether the GameObject is marked as static Static objects typically don't move and can be optimized by the engine

    Returns boolean

  • set static(value: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • value: boolean

    Returns void

tag

  • get tag(): string

    The tag of the GameObject this component is attached to Used for categorizing objects and efficient lookup

    Returns string

  • set tag(str: string): void

    Parameters

    • str: string

    Returns void

time

  • get time(): number

    Returns number

up

  • get up(): Vector3

    Gets the up direction vector (0,1,0) of this component's GameObject in world space

    Returns Vector3

worldEuler

  • get worldEuler(): Euler

    Gets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space as Euler angles (in radians)

    Returns Euler

  • set worldEuler(val: Euler): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using Euler angles (in radians)

    Parameters

    • val: Euler

      The world rotation Euler angles to set

    Returns void

worldPos

  • get worldPos(): Vector3

    Returns Vector3

worldPosition

  • get worldPosition(): Vector3

    Gets the position of this component's GameObject in world space.
    Note: This is equivalent to calling this.gameObject.worldPosition

    Returns Vector3

  • set worldPosition(val: Vector3): void

    Sets the position of this component's GameObject in world space

    Parameters

    • val: Vector3

      The world position vector to set

    Returns void

worldQuaternion

  • get worldQuaternion(): Quaternion

    Gets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space as a quaternion Note: This is equivalent to calling this.gameObject.worldQuaternion

    Returns Quaternion

worldQuaternionInverted

  • get worldQuaternionInverted(): Quaternion

    Returns Quaternion

worldRotation

  • get worldRotation(): Vector3

    Gets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space as Euler angles (in degrees)
    Note: This is equivalent to calling this.gameObject.worldRotation

    Returns Vector3

  • set worldRotation(val: Vector3): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using Euler angles (in degrees)

    Parameters

    • val: Vector3

      The world rotation vector to set (in degrees)

    Returns void

worldScale

  • get worldScale(): Vector3

    Returns Vector3

worldspace

  • get worldspace(): boolean

    Returns boolean

Methods

addBehaviour

  • addBehaviour(
        particleSystemBehaviour: Behavior | ParticleSystemBaseBehaviour,
    ): boolean

    Add a custom quarks behaviour to the particle system.
    You can add a quarks.Behaviour type or derive from ParticleSystemBaseBehaviour

    Parameters

    Returns boolean

    Link

    https://github.com/Alchemist0823/three.quarks

    Example

    class MyBehaviour extends ParticleSystemBaseBehaviour {
       initialize(particle: Particle) {
          // initialize the particle
      }
       update(particle: Particle, delta: number) {  
           // do something with the particle
      }
    }

    const system = gameObject.getComponent(ParticleSystem);
    system.addBehaviour(new MyBehaviour());

addEventListener

  • addEventListener<T extends Event>(type: string, listener: (evt: T) => any): void

    Registers an event listener for the specified event type

    Type Parameters

    Parameters

    • type: string

      The event type to listen for

    • listener: (evt: T) => any

      The callback function to execute when the event occurs

    Returns void

destroy

  • destroy(): void

    Destroys this component and removes it from its GameObject After destruction, the component will no longer receive lifecycle callbacks

    Returns void

dispatchEvent

  • dispatchEvent(evt: Event): boolean

    Dispatches an event to all registered listeners

    Parameters

    • evt: Event

      The event object to dispatch

    Returns boolean

    Always returns false (standard implementation of EventTarget)

OptionalearlyUpdate

  • earlyUpdate(): void

    Called at the beginning of each frame before regular updates. Use for logic that needs to run before standard update callbacks.

    Returns void

emit

  • emit(count: number): void

    Parameters

    • count: number

    Returns void

OptionallateUpdate

  • lateUpdate(): void

    Called after all update functions have been called. Use for calculations that depend on other components being updated first.

    Returns void

OptionalonAfterRender

  • onAfterRender(): void

    Called after the scene has been rendered. Use for post-processing or UI updates that should happen after rendering

    Returns void

OptionalonBeforeXR

  • onBeforeXR(mode: XRSessionMode, args: XRSessionInit): void

    Called before an XR session is requested Use to modify session initialization parameters

    Parameters

    • mode: XRSessionMode

      The XR session mode being requested

    • args: XRSessionInit

      The session initialization parameters that can be modified

    Returns void

OptionalonCollisionEnter

  • onCollisionEnter(col: Collision): any

    Called when this component's collider begins colliding with another collider.

    Parameters

    • col: Collision

      Information about the collision that occurred

    Returns any

OptionalonCollisionExit

  • onCollisionExit(col: Collision): any

    Called when this component's collider stops colliding with another collider.

    Parameters

    • col: Collision

      Information about the collision that ended

    Returns any

OptionalonCollisionStay

  • onCollisionStay(col: Collision): any

    Called each frame while this component's collider is colliding with another collider

    Parameters

    • col: Collision

      Information about the ongoing collision

    Returns any

onDisable

  • onDisable(): void

    Called every time the component becomes disabled or inactive in the hierarchy. Invoked when the component or any parent GameObject becomes invisible

    Returns void

OptionalonEnterXR

OptionalonLeaveXR

OptionalonPausedChanged

  • onPausedChanged(isPaused: boolean, wasPaused: boolean): void

    Called when the context's pause state changes.

    Parameters

    • isPaused: boolean

      Whether the context is currently paused

    • wasPaused: boolean

      The previous pause state

    Returns void

OptionalonPointerClick

OptionalonPointerDown

OptionalonPointerEnter

OptionalonPointerExit

OptionalonPointerMove

OptionalonPointerUp

OptionalonTriggerEnter

  • onTriggerEnter(col: ICollider): any

    Called when this component's trigger collider is entered by another collider

    Parameters

    • col: ICollider

      The collider that entered this trigger

    Returns any

OptionalonTriggerExit

  • onTriggerExit(col: ICollider): any

    Called when another collider exits this component's trigger collider

    Parameters

    • col: ICollider

      The collider that exited this trigger

    Returns any

OptionalonTriggerStay

  • onTriggerStay(col: ICollider): any

    Called each frame while another collider is inside this component's trigger collider

    Parameters

    • col: ICollider

      The collider that is inside this trigger

    Returns any

OptionalonUpdateXR

OptionalonValidate

  • onValidate(prop?: string): void

    Called when a field decorated with @validate() is modified.

    Parameters

    • Optionalprop: string

      The name of the field that was changed

    Returns void

OptionalonXRControllerAdded

OptionalonXRControllerRemoved

pause

  • pause(includeChildren?: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • includeChildren: boolean = true

    Returns void

play

  • play(includeChildren?: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • includeChildren: boolean = false

    Returns void

removeAllBehaviours

  • removeAllBehaviours(): boolean

    Removes all behaviours from the particle system
    Note: this will also remove the default behaviours like SizeBehaviour, ColorBehaviour etc.

    Returns boolean

removeBehaviour

removeEventListener

  • removeEventListener<T extends Event>(
        type: string,
        listener: (arg: T) => any,
    ): void

    Removes a previously registered event listener

    Type Parameters

    Parameters

    • type: string

      The event type the listener was registered for

    • listener: (arg: T) => any

      The callback function to remove

    Returns void

reset

  • reset(): void

    remove emitted particles and reset time

    Returns void

OptionalresolveGuids

  • resolveGuids(guidsMap: GuidsMap): void

    Called when this component needs to remap guids after an instantiate operation.

    Parameters

    • guidsMap: GuidsMap

      Mapping from old guids to newly generated guids

    Returns void

setWorldPosition

  • setWorldPosition(x: number, y: number, z: number): void

    Sets the position of this component's GameObject in world space using individual coordinates

    Parameters

    • x: number

      X-coordinate in world space

    • y: number

      Y-coordinate in world space

    • z: number

      Z-coordinate in world space

    Returns void

setWorldQuaternion

  • setWorldQuaternion(x: number, y: number, z: number, w: number): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using quaternion components

    Parameters

    • x: number

      X component of the quaternion

    • y: number

      Y component of the quaternion

    • z: number

      Z component of the quaternion

    • w: number

      W component of the quaternion

    Returns void

setWorldRotation

  • setWorldRotation(x: number, y: number, z: number, degrees?: boolean): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using individual Euler angles

    Parameters

    • x: number

      X-axis rotation

    • y: number

      Y-axis rotation

    • z: number

      Z-axis rotation

    • degrees: boolean = true

      Whether the values are in degrees (true) or radians (false)

    Returns void

startCoroutine

  • startCoroutine(routine: Generator, evt?: FrameEvent): Generator

    Starts a coroutine that can yield to wait for events. Coroutines allow for time-based sequencing of operations without blocking. Coroutines are based on generator functions, a JavaScript language feature.

    Parameters

    • routine: Generator

      Generator function to start

    • evt: FrameEvent = FrameEvent.Update

      Event to register the coroutine for (default: FrameEvent.Update)

    Returns Generator

    The generator function that can be used to stop the coroutine

    Example

    Time-based sequencing of operations

    *myCoroutine() {
      yield WaitForSeconds(1); // wait for 1 second
      yield WaitForFrames(10); // wait for 10 frames
      yield new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000)); // wait for a promise to resolve
    }

    Example

    Coroutine that logs a message every 5 frames

    onEnable() {
      this.startCoroutine(this.myCoroutine());
    }
    private *myCoroutine() {
      while(this.activeAndEnabled) {
        console.log("Hello World", this.context.time.frame);
        // wait for 5 frames
        for(let i = 0; i < 5; i++) yield;
      }
    }

stop

  • stop(includeChildren?: boolean, clear?: boolean): void

    clear=true removes all emitted particles

    Parameters

    • includeChildren: boolean = true
    • clear: boolean = false

    Returns void

stopCoroutine

  • stopCoroutine(routine: Generator, evt?: FrameEvent): void

    Stops a coroutine that was previously started with startCoroutine

    Parameters

    • routine: Generator

      The routine to be stopped

    • evt: FrameEvent = FrameEvent.Update

      The frame event the routine was registered with

    Returns void

OptionalsupportsXR

  • supportsXR(mode: XRSessionMode): boolean

    Determines if this component supports a specific XR mode

    Parameters

    • mode: XRSessionMode

      The XR session mode to check support for

    Returns boolean

    True if the component supports the specified mode

Optionalupdate

  • update(): void

    Called once per frame during the main update loop. The primary location for frame-based game logic.

    Returns void

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