Using the Layer Exploder and Particle Exploder (Pro only)

The Layer Exploder explodes a layer into new particles, and the Particle Exploder explodes a particle into more new particles. In addition to explosion effects, the exploders are also handy for simulating fireworks or for rapidly increasing the number of particles.

The following guidelines can help you control particles resulting from an explosion:

• A layer is exploded once for each frame. By default, this creates a continuous shower of particles for the duration of the composition. If you want to start or stop a layer explosion, animate the Radius of New Particles control by using keyframes so that its value is zero at times when you don't want particles to be created.
• If the source of the layer is a nested composition, you can set different Opacity values or In and Out points for the layers within the nested composition to make the exploding layer transparent at different points in time. The Layer Exploder does not create particles where the source of the layer is transparent.
• To change the position of the exploding layer, precompose the layer with its new position (use the Move All Attributes into The New Composition option), and then use the precomposed layer as the exploding layer.
• When you explode particles, the new particles inherit the position, velocity, opacity, scale, and rotation of the original particles.
• After you explode layers or particles, the movement of particles is influenced by the Gravity, Repel, Wall, and Property Mapper controls.

Some Persistent Property Mapper and Ephemeral Property Mapper options can make explosions more realistic. For example, change Opacity to make the resulting particles fade out, or change the Red, Green, and Blue color channels to make resulting particles change color as they appear to cool. (See About Property Mappers (Pro only).)