@c -*-texinfo-*-
@node MeshObject Emit, MeshObject Haze, MeshObject Spr3D, MeshObject
@subsection Emitter Mesh Object
@cindex MeshObject
@cindex Emitter Particle System
@cindex @code{iMeshObject}
@cindex @code{iMeshObjectFactory}
@cindex @code{iMeshObjectType}
@cindex @code{iEmitState}
@cindex @code{iEmitFactoryState}
@cindex @code{iParticleState}

@emph{Written by Wouter Wijngaards,
@email{wouterw@@cs.vu.nl}.}

An emitter particle system is a very general particle system, that
can do a variety of things. It is considered mostly deprecated and if possible
you should use the new particle system instead. In the future we will
extend the new particles mesh object so that all features of emit are
supported. @xref{MeshObject Particles}.

The emitter can be customized to a high degree, using the @samp{iEmitGen3D}
objects. Particles are emitted from position you choose, with speeds
and accelerations you choose. During their lifetime they age and change
as you choose.

@subsubheading Basic Structure

The following @sc{scf} class names are used (for @code{csLoadPlugin}):

@itemize @bullet
@item
Type plugin: @samp{crystalspace.mesh.object.emit}
@item
Loader plugin: @samp{crystalspace.mesh.loader.emit}
@item
Factory loader plugin: @samp{crystalspace.mesh.loader.factory.emit}
@end itemize

Objects in this plugin implement the following @sc{scf} interfaces (acquire
with @code{scfQueryInterface}):

@itemize @bullet
@item
@emph{MeshObject}
@itemize @bullet
@item
Implements @samp{iMeshObject}
@item
Implements @samp{iParticleState}
@item
Implements @samp{iEmitState}
@end itemize
@item
@emph{MeshObjectFactory}
@itemize @bullet
@item
Implements @samp{iMeshObjectFactory}
@item
Implements @samp{iEmitFactoryState}
@end itemize
@item
@emph{MeshObjectFactory}
@itemize @bullet
@item
Implements @samp{iMeshObjectType}
@end itemize
@end itemize

@subsubheading Factory State Interface

The factory state interface has methods to create new emitter objects,
that implement the @samp{iEmitGen3D} interface. These objects return a random
3D x,y,z value. They are used to specify starting position, speed and
acceleration for the particles. Several exist:

@table @code
@item iEmitFixed
This emitter returns a fixed x,y,z value. Corresponds to a point in space,
a fixed speed, or fixed acceleration.

@item iEmitBox
Returns a value with each component between a min and max.  Corresponds to
points from a box in space.  Use it to variate x,y,z for speed and
acceleration, or to get positions inside a box.

@item iEmitSphere
Returns a point in a sphere. The center of the sphere and a min and max radius
must be given. The point is between the min and max radius from the center.
Thus you can generate points from a hollowed sphere if you like.
The points are evenly distributed across the entire volume of the sphere.

@item iEmitCone
Returns a point inside a cone. Give a start point, aperture angle, azimuth
and elevation just like in the fountain particle system. The points are
chosen between a min and max distance from the origin.

@item iEmitMix
The mix has a set of other @samp{iEmitGen3D} objects, and samples a weighted
distribution from them. You can give some other emitgen3ds and a weight
for each one. Items with a heavier weight will be asked to return a 
point more often.

For example, you could add several EmitLine objects to the mix, each 
with a weight equal to its length. Then the mix will return points from
a random line, but those points will be evenly distributed in space.

@item iEmitLine
Returns points from the line between start and end position.

@item iEmitCylinder
Give the start and end of the middle line of the cylinder, the two end
points. Returns points between min and max radius from the middle line.
The points are evenly distributed in space. Also, when the start = end point,
points from a circle are returned.

@item iEmitSphereTangent
The position point that is passed is used to compute a vector that is
tangential to a sphere, relative to given origin. Use it to give a speed
or acceleration tangential to a sphere. Speed is between min and max.

@item iEmitCylinderTangent
The position point that is passed is used to compute a vector that is
tangential to a cylinder, relative to given start and end of the middle line. 
Use it to give a speed or acceleration tangential to a cylinder. Speed is 
between min and max.
@end table

@subsubheading Factory Loader

The emitter mesh factory loader has no parameters.

@subsubheading Object State Interface

@samp{iEmitState} is the @sc{scf} interface that you can
use to set/get settings for a emitter object. The definition of this
interface can be found in @file{CS/include/imesh/emit.h} and that's also the
header file you need to include in your applications to use this plugin.
Using this interface you can access the number of particles, the size
of the particles, and various other emitter parameters.
You can set:

@itemize @bullet
@item
The number of particles

@item
If particles are lighted

@item
The time a particle lives, in msec (1/1000). This is the maximum age 
of the particles.

@item
The starting position @samp{iEmitGen3D}.

@item
The starting speed @samp{iEmitGen3D}.

@item
The starting acceleration @samp{iEmitGen3D}.

@item
The attractor @samp{iEmitGen3D}. You can also leave this at @sc{null}, and 
no attractor is used. If given, each point is mysteriously attracted
to a point generated by the attractor @samp{iEmitGen3D}. 

@item
The force of the attractor, higher means a faster acceleration
towards the attractor. Negative will repel.

@item
The shape of the particles, either rectangular (given width, height)
or regular shaped (given number of sides and radius).

@item
Also a table a ages and settings can be given. The particles will
have their settings interpolated from the table in their lifetime.
At a particular time (in milliseconds), you can set the colour of the particle,
the alpha value of the particle (1=transparent), the swirliness of the
particle (it will jiggle around a bit), the rotationspeed (positive or
negative) in radians per second, and the scale (relative to the starting
scale) of the particle.
@end itemize

In addition you can use @samp{iParticleState}.

@subsubheading Object Loader

@table @code
@item <rectparticles w="" h="" />
Set the width and height of the particles rectangular shape.
@item <regularparticles sides="" radius="" />
Set the number of sides and a radius of the regular shaped particles.
@item <totaltime>milliseconds</totaltime>
Set the maximum age in milliseconds.
@item <lighting>yes/no</lighting>
Disable or enable lighting for the particles
@item <number>numberparticles</number>
Set the number of particles
@item <startpos> @dots{}
Give an @sc{emit} object for starting position.
@item <startspeed> @dots{}
Give the starting speed @sc{emit}.
@item <startaccel> @dots{}
Give the starting acceleration @sc{emit}.
@item <attractorforce>forcevalue</attractorforce>
Give the attractor force value.
@item <attractor> @dots{}
Give the @sc{emit} that makes attracting points (per particle).
@item <aging> @dots{}
@example
<aging>
  <color red="" green="" blue="" />
  <time>time</time>
  <alpha>alpha</alpha>
  <swirl>swirl</swirl>
  <rotspeed>rotspeed</rotspeed>
  <scale>scale</scale>
</aging>
@end example
Give a colour red, colour green, colour blue, age time, alpha, swirl, 
rotationspeed and scale. 
@item <emitfixed x="" y="" z="" />
Fixed (x, y, z) emitter.
@item <emitbox> @dots{}
Box emitter, min x,y,z, max x,y,z.
@example
<emitbox>
  <min x="" y="" z="" />
  <max x="" y="" z="" />
</emitbox>
@end example
@item <emitsphere x="" y="" z="" p="" q="" r="" />
Sphere emitter, origin x,y,z, min, max.
@item <emitcone x="" y="" z="" p="" q="" r="" s="" t="" />
Cone emitter, start x,y,z, elevation, azimuth, aperture, min,max radius.
@item <emitmix> @dots{}
Use several @samp{emitmix} keywords in a row to create a mix with several
@sc{emit}s.  Inside each @samp{emitmix}, @code{WEIGHT(value)} can be used to
set the weight.
@item <emitline>
Line emitter, start, end point.
@example
<emitline>
  <min x="" y="" z="" />
  <max x="" y="" z="" />
</emitline>
@end example
@item <emitcylinder p="" q="" />
Cylinder emitter, min, max distance, start, end point.
@example
<emitcylinder>
  <min x="" y="" z="" />
  <max x="" y="" z="" />
</emitcylinder>
@end example
@item <emitcylindertangent p="" q="" />
CylinderTangent emitter. Give start, end point, min, max speed.
@example
<emitcylindertangent>
  <min x="" y="" z="" />
  <max x="" y="" z="" />
</emitcylindertangent>
@end example
@item <emitspheretangent p="" q="" />
SphereTangent emitter. Give origin, min, max speed.
@example
<emitspheretangent>
  <min x="" y="" z="" />
  <max x="" y="" z="" />
</emitspheretangent>
@end example
@end table
