Particle group> Particle Type> Making Cloudlet Particles

The Cloudlet is useful for creating smoke trails, puffy clouds, vapor, and more. To create clouds or smoke, set the Particle Type to Cloudlet. Choosing Cloudlet enables the Shadowlet Settings subgroup, which adds directional shading to the clouds to help provide a sense of volume. The Shadowlet Settings group provides shadows for other Particle Types, but is integral to the creation of realistic-looking clouds and smoke.

What happened to the Smokelet?

If you used the Smokelet in Particular 1.5, you will notice that item is missing from the Particle Type menu. The Smokelet is still available, just in a different form. In version 2.0, the Smokelet is just a variation of the Cloudlet with a shadow applied.

In the Particle group, just choose Particle Type > Cloudlet. Doing so enables the Shadowlet Settings group. Alternately, if you are starting with a preset, choose any of the shipped Smoke presets. Instead of the Smokelet being enabled as in version 1.5, the Cloudlet type is set and the Shadowlet settings are enabled under the Shading group.

In version 1.5, to make modifications to the Shadowlet, you had to go into the Options Panel and set numeric RGB values for the Shadow. Making changes is now much easier. Now in the Shadowlet Settings, you can just adjust the settings by using the Color, Color Strength and Opacity controls.

Version 1.5 Note: Any old project file (Particular 1.0 or 1.5) that contains Smokelets is automatically converted to use Cloudlet+Shadowlet when opened in version 2.0.

Cloudlet Definition

| A cloudlet is a randomized shape that looks like a small cloud. Control the softness of the cloud appearance with Particle> Sphere Feather and the orientation of the shape with the Particle> Rotation group controls.

Tutorial: Creating Smokelet particles

Let's go through the process of creating a Smokelet using the Cloudlet Particle Type.

Start with a new comp (Ctrl/Cmd-N). Make the comp 640x480 at 30 fps and 5 seconds long. Add a Solid layer that is the size of the comp,and apply Particular 2.0.

We'll start with one of the presets that uses the Cloudlet. Make sure that your Time Marker is on the first frame of the Timeline. Select the 't2_Smoke' preset. You will initially see a blank frame. Now go to Time 2:00 (2.0 seconds) and you'll see animated smoke.

The t2_smoke preset at time 2:00 sec

If you twirl down Particle> Particle Type, you will see that Cloudlet is active. All the settings for the Smokelet are in the Shadowlet Settings. If you twirl down Shading> Shadowlet Settings, you will see that Color is a dark red. Color Strength is at 70%, which lessens the saturation of the chosen color, making the red color appear more gray.

Let's try changing the shadow color to a green shade. Click on Color, and set the number to #004400. Then click OK. You will see a green tone to the shadow.

The Color Strength controls how strong the RGB is to be weighted against the particle color when computing the shadow. Opacity controls how opaque the shadow appears. Let's set Color Strength to 60 and Opacity to 100. This makes the green shade a little darker and more subtle.

The shadowlet settings for the smoke with Color changed to Green

The modified smoke preset now has a bright green shade

By default, the Cloudlet shadow is placed as if the light source was in the upper left-hand side and slightly behind. However, the shadow position can be controlled specifically if a light named 'Shadow' is present in the composition.
So let's do this. Create a new composition light (Layer>New>Light). Set the Name field to 'Shadow' and Light Type to Point. If you go to the Options Panel of Particular (click Options in the Effect palette), you will see that the Shadowlet's Light Name is already set by default to 'Shadow'. By setting the light name to 'Shadow', Particular will generate the shading based on the Light's position in After Effects' 3D space.

The Light Settings dialog with name set to Shadow, informing Particular to calculate the shadow appearance based on this light's position.

The Options dialog in Particular has a Light Name field to set the expected name of shadow casting lights.

The shadowing is most apparent if the light source is slightly behind the lit object. In the Timeline, select the 'Shadow' light layer and type P for Position. Set the Z Position to 100. Then grab the Point Light with the arrow tool and move it in the XY plane to see how the position changes the smoke's appearance. A Parallel Light may also be used as shadow light.

The Shadow light set behind the smoke preset causes the green shadow to appear on the front side of the smoke.

The Timeline in After Effects shows the Shadow light and the layer with Particular applied.