Particle Type> Creating Custom Particles

The ability to use custom particles provides infinite flexibility in producing particle effects. In version 2.0, there are two types of custom particles: Sprites and Textured Polygons. You can load in logos, text, or movie clips as custom particles.
If there are any effects or masks applied to the custom particle layer, it must be pre-composed (Layer> Pre-Compose). If the effects are complex, it is a good idea to pre-render the particle. Try to keep layer size as small as possible. A size no larger than 200x200 pixels is recommended for most types of effects. A good rule of thumb is to keep the custom particle layer no larger than the largest visible particle. If the custom particle layer is larger than largest visible particle, then Particular must do extra scaling operations for every particle, which will slow down the render speed considerably.

Version 1.5 Note: Custom particle layers can now start at any frame in the Timeline. They no longer have to start at the same frame as the layer that Trapcode Particular is applied to.

The six Particle Types that can use a custom layer.

Tutorial: Creating Your Own Sprite Particles

Let's create our own particles. In this tutorial we'll use After Effects' text tool, which means we will need to create a pre-comp. If an image or movie clip is used as the custom particle, it is not necessary for the particle be in its own comp.
Create a new comp (Ctrl/Cmd-N), make it 200x200 and 30 fps with a duration of 5 seconds. Name it 'Star'. Use the Text tool to type an asterisk symbol (*). Set the asterisk text to the Arial font at size 400px. Set the stroke color to gray and the stroke size to 30px so it looks something like this:

An asterisk symbol using the Arial font.
Next we will create the main comp where the Trapcode Particular effect is used. Create a new comp (Ctrl/Cmd-N), make it 640x480 at 30 fps and 5 seconds. Name it 'Main'. Create a new comp-sized Solid (Ctrl/Cmd-Y). Select the Make Comp Size option, then click OK. Apply Effect > Trapcode > Particular to the Solid.
Drag the 'Star' comp from the Project Window into the Comp Window.
In Particular, set Particle> Particle Type to Sprite. Set Particle> Texture > Layer to 'Star'. Set Particle > Size to 20. Turn off visibility for the 'Star' layer.
Hit RAM preview and it should look something like this:

The asterisk Sprite particles being emitted by Particular

To colorize the custom particle, set Particle> Particle Type to Sprite Colorize. Set Color to Over Life. Now particles are colorized using Color over Life. Also try setting Particle> Particle Type to Sprite Fill. Both options are colorizing modes, but Sprite Colorize applies lightness to the particle, while Sprite Fill fills the sprite with a color wherever the alpha value is not 0.

Custom Sprite particles with a variety of colors all face the camera.

Tutorial: Sprites into Texture Polygons

Using the same scene as you have set up above, we are going to change a couple of settings to show how the Textured Polygon type works compared to the Sprite. The main difference is the ability to have the Textured Polygons rotate in any 3D orientation to the camera.

With the same Particular project you set up above, change the Particle Type to Texture Polygon Colorize. This has the same colorization effect as the Sprite but the Texture Polygon can now be rotated in 3D.

Open the Rotation subgroup (below the Texture group) and change the Rotation > Random Rotate Speed to a value of 2.0.

The Rotation subgroup with Random Speed Rotate set to a value of 2.0.

The result of the Rotation Speed Rotate change. The custom asterisk particles are now mapped onto 3D polygons that rotate independently in 3D space as the particles are emitted.