Particle Velocity

• Away From Center — Particles fly outward from the emission shape center. Each particle's direction is determined by its spawn position relative to the shape origin. This creates natural-looking explosions and radial bursts. Works especially well with Sphere and Circle emission shapes.
• Direction — All particles move in a single fixed direction defined by the Direction X, Y, and Z inputs. Ideal for effects like rain (downward), wind-blown particles, or any scenario where particles should travel in a uniform direction.
• Random — Particles move in completely random directions. Each particle receives a unique random velocity vector. Useful for chaotic effects like dust clouds, ambient floating particles, or sparkle effects.

Particle Velocity controls the initial velocity assigned to each particle at the moment it is emitted. Connect the Velocity output to a Particle Emitter's Velocity input. The Speed parameter sets the base magnitude of the velocity vector, while Speed Variance introduces randomization so particles move at slightly different speeds for a more organic look.

Spread Angle widens the cone of emission around the primary direction. At 0 degrees, particles travel in a tight beam; at 180 degrees, they spread into a full hemisphere. This applies to all velocity modes and is useful for controlling the focus of the emission.

Inherit Velocity transfers the emitter's own movement to newly spawned particles. When set to 1.0, particles fully inherit the emitter's velocity, creating a natural trailing effect when the emitter moves. At 0.0, particles are unaffected by emitter movement.

• Creating explosions with Away From Center mode and a Sphere emission shape
• Simulating rain or snow with Direction mode pointing downward
• Building ambient dust or firefly effects with Random mode and low speed
• Adding Speed Variance for natural-looking variation in particle speeds
• Using Spread Angle to widen a directional jet into a broader spray
• Applying Inherit Velocity so particles trail behind a moving emitter

• Combine Speed Variance with a moderate base speed for organic-looking motion
• Use Spread Angle sparingly — small values (5-15 degrees) add subtle variation without losing directionality
• Away From Center mode pairs naturally with spherical and circular emission shapes
• For a focused beam effect, use Direction mode with Spread Angle at 0
• Inherit Velocity is particularly effective when the emitter position is animated or controlled by another node
• If no Particle Velocity node is connected, particles use the emitter's default velocity settings