The VFX Creator gives you options to create and customize your own visual effects. This is more flexible than the VFX Spawner, which gives you a selection of pre-made visual effects to choose from but limits how much you can customize or change those effects.
The VFX Creator creates a sprite particle effect. You have a large variety of sprites to choose from, and a lot of ways to customize how the particle effect works and what it looks like. Using this device, you can create unique effects for your game.
Some examples for how you can use this device:
Highlight an in-game event, such as the beginning or end of a race, or the completion of objectives.
Make eliminating a boss even more spectacular and satisfying for players.
Create a particular atmosphere on your island, or emphasize the fantastical origin of your game's setting.
Create environmental effects like rain or leaves to make your island stand out.
Create interesting trail effects by attaching the VFX to a player.
Finding and Placing the Device
Click image to enlarge.
From Create mode, press the Tab key to open the CREATIVE inventory screen.
Click the DEVICES tab. You can scroll to select the device, use the Search box to look up the device by name, or the Categories in the panel on the left.
Click PLACE NOW to place immediately, or put the device in the QUICK BAR to place later.
Press Esc to return to your island in Create mode. Use your phone to position the device, then click to place it. Press Esc to detach the device from your phone.
Point at the device with your phone. If the Customize popup doesn't open immediately, move closer until it does, then press E to open the Customize panel.
If you're using multiple copies of a device on an island, it can be helpful to rename them. You can choose names that relate to each device's purpose, so it's easier to remember what each one does.
Contextual Filtering
Some devices are affected by a feature called contextual filtering. This feature hides or displays options depending on the values selected for certain related options. This feature will reduce clutter in the Customize panel and make options easier to manage and navigate. However, it may not be easy to recognize which options or values trigger contextual filtering. To help you identify them, any values in our device docs that trigger contextual filtering are in italic. All options will be listed, including those affected by contextual filtering; if they are hidden or displayed based on a specific option's value, there will be a note about that in the Description field for that option.
Device Options
This device has some basic functionality, like choosing the sprite for the effect, and choosing the color and brightness of the effect. Additionally, there are some advanced options, like choosing a secondary color and determining whether the effect loops.
You can configure this device with the following options.
Default values are bold. Values that trigger contextual filtering are italic.
Basic Options
|
Option |
Value |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Start Effects When Enabled |
Yes, No |
Determines whether the device executes the effects when it is enabled. |
|
Sprite Shape |
Soft Circle, Pick a sprite |
Determines which sprite is used for the particle effect. Click the sprite to open the sprite picker. Click to select a sprite, then click the checkmark to close the sprite picker.
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Sprite Size |
1X, Pick a multiplier |
Determines the sprite particle's size when the effect starts. This is expressed as a multiple of the sprite's original default size, which can vary from sprite to sprite. |
|
Sprite Duration |
1S, Pick an amount of seconds |
Determines the lifetime of each sprite particle in the effect. |
|
Sprite Rotation Alignment |
Random, Speed, Planar |
Determines how the sprite particles are displayed. If you choose Random, each sprite particle is rotated in a random direction. If you choose Speed, each sprite particle is rotated in the direction the particle is moving. If you choose Planar, each sprite particle faces the device. |
|
Use Random Color |
No, Yes |
Determines how the color of the effect is chosen. If you choose Yes, the device uses a random color each time the effect loops. If you choose No, the Main Color option displays so you can select a color for the effect. |
|
Main Color |
White, Pick a color |
This option only displays if you choose No for the Use Random Color option. This option sets the color of the effect. Click the swatch to open the Color Picker. Click to select a color, then click the checkmark to close the Color Picker.
|
|
Main Color Brightness |
1, Pick a level |
Determines the brightness level of the effect's color. |
|
Sprite Speed |
50%, Pick a percentage |
Determines the speed of the sprite particles when the effect loop starts. |
|
Effect Gravity |
50%, Pick a percentage |
Determines how fast sprite particles fall, expressed as a percentage of normal gravity. |
|
Randomness |
50%, Pick a percentage |
Determines how random the movement and size of the sprites will be. The percentage values are an abstract expression of the amount of randomness used. |
|
Size Change |
Keep the Same, Pick a percentage |
Determines how much the sprite particles will change in size over time. |
|
Spawn Mode |
Continuous, Bursts |
Determines whether the sprite particles will generate continually, or whether they will generate in bursts. |
|
Effect Generation Amount |
50%, Pick a percentage |
Determines how many sprite particles are generated. |
|
Spawn Zone Shape |
Sphere, Box, Point |
Determines the shape of the space where the sprite particles initially spawn. |
|
Spawn Size |
0.5, Pick a size |
Determines the size of the Spawn Zone Shape, in tiles. |
All Options (Additional)
|
Option |
Value |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Enabled During Phase |
None, All, Create Only, Game Countdown, Gameplay Only |
Determines the phases during which the device is enabled. |
|
Use Secondary Color |
No, Yes |
Determines whether a second color will be used along with the main color, to create a color transition in the effect. If you choose Yes, the Random Secondary Color and Secondary Color Brightness options display. |
|
Random Secondary Color |
No, Yes |
This option only displays if you choose Yes for the Use Secondary Color option. Determines how the secondary color of the effect is chosen. If you choose Yes, the device uses a random secondary color for the effect. If you choose No, the Secondary Color option displays so you can select a color for the effect. |
|
Secondary Color |
White, Pick a color |
This option only displays if you choose No for the Random Secondary Color option. This option sets the secondary color of the effect. Click the swatch to open the color picker. Click to select a color, then click the checkmark to close the color picker. |
|
Secondary Color Brightness |
1, Pick a level |
Determines the brightness level of the effect's color. |
|
Loop |
Forever, Never, Pick a number |
Determines whether the effect plays once, or loops the selected number of times. |
|
Loop Duration |
1S, Pick an amount of seconds |
Determines how long it takes for the effect to play through once. If the effect loops, this is how long the loop lasts. |
|
Time Between Loops |
1S, Instant, Pick an amount of seconds |
If the effect is set to loop, this determines whether the effect begins again immediately, or if the device waits the selected amount of time before starting the effect again. |
|
Stick to Player |
No, Yes |
Determines whether the sprite effect spawns and sticks to a player. If you choose Yes, the Spawn On Player Body Part options displays, and several new channel options are also displayed. The primary channel option used with Stick to Player is Spawn At Player When Receiving From. |
|
Spawn On Player Body Part |
Center, Head, Base, Weapon |
Sets where on the player the effects will spawn, used with the Spawn At Player When Receiving From option. |
Sprites Available
Below is a table showing all the sprites you can use when creating an effect.
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Sprites |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Soft Circle |
Square |
Triangle |
Spark |
Lens Flare 01 |
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Lens Flare 02 |
Star |
Disc 01 |
Disc 02 |
Fire Disc |
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Shockwave Disc |
Dots |
Musical Notes |
Electric |
Oak Leaf |
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Flower |
Snowflake |
Droplet |
Arrow 01 |
Arrow 02 |
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Arrow 03 |
Smoke 01 |
Smoke 02 |
Smoke 03 |
Plus Sign |
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Heart |
Splatter |
Bubble |
Ash |
Channels
When one device needs to "talk" to another device, it does so by transmitting a signal on a specific channel. The receiving device needs to be set up to receive the signal on the same channel.
A channel is identified by a number, and channel numbers are customized for a device under the option that uses the channel. Most devices will also pass the identity of the player who triggered the device with the signal.
This device has receivers that perform a variety of functions when receiving a signal over a channel. Also, this device can transmit signals when certain conditions are met.
Receivers
Receivers listen for a channel and perform an action when they hear any device (including themselves) send a signal on that channel.
|
Option |
Value |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Enable When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
The device is enabled when it receives a signal on the selected channel. |
|
Disable When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
The device is disabled when it receives a signal on the selected channel. |
|
Start Effect At Device When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it starts the effect. |
|
Stop Effect At Device When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it stops the effect. |
|
Toggle Effect At Device When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it starts the effect if it was stopped, and stops the effect if it was playing. |
|
Toggle Effect Pause When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it pauses the effect if the effect is running. If the effect is paused, receiving a signal on the selected channel unpauses the effect. Pausing an effect causes the effect to freeze in place. |
|
Start Effect At Player When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it starts the effect at the instigating player's location. |
|
Stop Effect For All Players When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it stops effects that are spawning at all players' locations. |
|
Toggle Effect At Player When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it starts the effect at the instigating player's location, or stops it if the effect was already playing. |
|
Toggle Effect Pause At Player When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it pauses the effect at the instigating player's location if it is playing, or resumes the effect if it is paused. When paused the effect freezes in place. |
|
Start Effect For All Players When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it starts the effect at all players' locations. |
|
Stop Effect At Player When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it stops the effect that is spawning at the instigating player's location. |
|
Toggle Effect For All Players When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it starts the effect at all players' locations, or stops it if it was already playing. |
|
Toggle Effect Pause For All Players When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, it pauses the effect at all players' locations if it is playing, or resumes the effect if it is paused. When paused the effect freezes in place. |
|
Spawn At Player When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, the effect is spawned and started at the instigating player's location. |
|
Remove Effect From Player When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, the effect is removed from the player and continues playing at the device location. |
|
Remove Effect From All Players When Receiving From |
No Channel, Pick a channel or enter a channel number |
This channel option only displays if Stick to Player is set to Yes. When the device receives a signal on the selected channel, the effect is removed from all players and continues playing at the device location. |
This device does not have transmitter options.