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Effects Reference

Effects run in list or graph order and change motion, interaction, attributes, lifecycle or dedicated solver state. These reference pages follow the current Add Effect menu categories. Use Simulation & Effects for setup, tuning and system-level guidance.

Where to find it

  • Lists: 3D Viewport > Sidebar > Pro Particles > Effects > Add Effect....
  • Nodes: Pro Physics editor > Shift+A, then choose the matching effect category (Forces, Collision & Interaction, Flow & Path, Behavior, Logic, Modify or Lifecycle) and connect the Effect node into the particle stream.

Effect categories

Category Typical use
Forces acceleration, damping, attraction, rotation, vortices and noise forces
Collision & Interaction mesh contact, neighborhoods, granular/fluid solvers and particle constraints
Flow & Path curves, surfaces, planes, shape targets, VDB/Pyro velocity and flow fields
Behavior flocking, infection, networks, self gravity and Dendrite growth
Logic conditions, actions, branches, loops and persistent particle user data
Modify & Lifecycle write attributes, emit children, delete, freeze and release particles

For graph sockets, branching rules and Nodes-only capabilities, use the Physics Nodes Reference.

Effect list and folders

  • Add Effect...: opens the categorized effect menu.
  • Effects can be moved up/down and organized into folders with indent/outdent controls.
  • Filter View (by group): limits the visible list to effects assigned to one named Particle Group. This changes only the authoring view, not simulation behavior.

Common effect settings

  • Particles, Cloth, Soft Body, and Strands: select the simulation domains for Gravity, Wind, Drag, Attractor, Vortex, Set Speed, Change Direction, Turbulence, Curl Noise, Flow Field, Collision, and Dynamic Collider. Only supported domains have buttons; other effects show only Particles. The same controls appear on Effect nodes. Hover a domain button for its scope and mapping limitations.
  • Apply to: All Particles, a named Group, or an Emitter where the effect supports population targeting.
  • Masks: limit influence spatially, by particle data, by group or over time. On effects targeting Cloth, Soft Body, or Strands, masks affect only the Particles domain; the deformable domains use the effect's base values. See Masks.
  • Data Mapping: drives supported numeric parameters from particle or scene data. On effects targeting Cloth, Soft Body, or Strands, these mappings affect only the Particles domain. See Data Mapping.
  • Geometry-based effects track static, transformed and deforming targets automatically where that target type supports motion.

Add Effect menu categories

Dedicated solver pages are linked from the category in which the effect appears.