ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 7.0
User Guide
511
modate Japanese characters. For more information about the ASCII character values for a font you’re using, see the
documentation for the font, use a utility such as Character Map (Windows), or contact the font manufacturer.
Note: If you simply want to make certain characters spell a message, it’s much easier to type the text directly in the
Options dialog box. The Character property is more useful as a secret message effect in which you scramble text
characters. (See “To replace default Cannon particles with text (Pro only)” on page 505.)
Font Size Copies the point size of characters. Applies only if you’re using text characters as particles. Increase this
value to make characters larger.
Time Offset CopiestheTimeOffsetvalueusedbytheLayerMap.AppliesonlyifyouusedtheLayerMapcontrolto
specify a multiframe layer (such as a movie) as a particle source. (See “Replacing default particles with layers using
Layer Map (Pro only)” on page 504.)
Scale Speed Copies the scale of a particle. Positive values expand the particle, and negative values shrink the particle.
Particles expand or shrink by a percentage per second.
Using Min and Max controls for Property Mappers (Pro only)
When the overall range of layer map brightness values is too wide or narrow, use Min and Max to stretch, compress,
or shift the range of values produced by the layer map. The following examples describe when you might want to
adjust Min and Max:
• You want to set the smallest font size for your text to 10 points and the largest size to 96 points. Set the Min value
to 10 and the Max value to 96.
• You set the initial color of a particle and then use a layer map to change particle colors. If you find that the color
changes aren’t dramatic enough, you can lower the Min value and raise the Max value to increase the contrast of
the color changes.
• You set the initial velocity of a particle and then use a layer map to affect the X Speed value. However, you find
that the difference between the fastest and slowest particles is too great. By raising the Min value and lowering the
Max value for the layer map channel that is mapped to the X Speed value, you narrow the resulting range of
particle speeds.
• YouusealayermaptoaffecttheScalepropertyofparticlesandfindthatthesmallestparticlesaren’tsmallenough
while the largest resulting particles are too large. In this case the entire output range needs to be shifted down;
lower both the Min and Max values.
• You have a layer map that modifies particles in the opposite direction from the one you want. Swap the Min and
Max values, which has the same result as inverting the layer map.
Note: The alpha channel of the layer map is used as the selection map for the Persistent and Ephemeral Property
Mappers.
Operator controls for the Ephemeral Property Mapper (Pro only)
When you use the Ephemeral Property Mapper controls, Particle Playground replaces the value of a particle’s
property with the value represented by the layer map pixel at the particle’s current location. You can also amplify,
attenuate, or limit the resulting values by specifying a mathematical operator and then using both the value of a
particle’s property and its corresponding layer map pixel value.
Set Replaces the value of a particle property by the value of the corresponding layer map pixel. For example, to
simply replace the value of a particle property with the brightness value of the corresponding pixel on the layer map,
use Set. This is the most predictable operator and is the default.
Add Uses the sum of the value of a particle property and the value of the corresponding layer map pixel.
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