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Unity Engine


Collision module reference

Explore properties on the Collision module, to configure particle collisions.
Read time 4 minutesLast updated 22 days ago

This module controls how particles collide with GameObjects in the Scene.

Property

Function

TypeUse the Type* drop-down to define whether your collision settings apply to Planes or to the World. If you choose World, use the Collision Mode drop-down to define whether your collision settings apply for a 2D or 3D world.

Planes module properties

For some properties in this section, you can use different modes to set their value. For information on the modes you can use, refer to Vary Particle System properties over time.

Property

Function

Planes popupSelect Planes mode.
PlanesAn expandable list of Transforms that define collision planes.
VisualizationSelects whether the collision plane Gizmos will be shown in the Scene view as wireframe grids or solid planes.
Scale PlaneSize of planes used for visualization.
DampenThe fraction of a particle's speed that it loses after a collision.
BounceThe fraction of a particle's speed that rebounds from a surface after a collision.
Lifetime LossThe fraction of a particle's total lifetime that it loses if it collides.
Min Kill SpeedParticles travelling below this speed after a collision will be removed from the system.
Max Kill SpeedParticles travelling above this speed after a collision will be removed from the system.
Radius ScaleAllows you to adjust the radius of the particle collision spheres so it more closely fits the visual edges of the particle graphic.
Send Collision MessagesIf enabled, particle collisions can be detected from scripts by the OnParticleCollision function.
Visualize BoundsRenders the collision bounds of each particle as a wireframe shape in the Scene view.

World module properties

For some properties in this section, you can use different modes to set their value. For information on the modes you can use, refer to Vary Particle System properties over time.

Property

Function

World popupSelect World mode.
Collision Mode3D or 2D.
DampenThe fraction of a particle's speed that it loses after a collision.
BounceThe fraction of a particle's speed that rebounds from a surface after a collision.
Lifetime LossThe fraction of a particle's total lifetime that it loses if it collides.
Min Kill SpeedParticles travelling below this speed after a collision will be removed from the system.
Max Kill SpeedParticles travelling above this speed after a collision will be removed from the system.
Radius ScaleSetting for 2D or 3D.
Collision QualityUse the drop-down to set the quality of particle collisions. This affects how many particles can pass through a collider. At lower quality levels, particles can sometimes pass through colliders, but are less resource-intensive to calculate.
    HighWhen Collision Quality is set to High, collisions always use the physics system for detecting the collision results. This is the most resource-intensive option, but also the most accurate.
    Medium (Static Colliders)When Collision Quality is set to Medium (Static Colliders), collisions use a grid of voxels to cache previous collisions, for faster re-use in later frames. See Particle collisions: World collisions, below, to learn more about this cache.

The only difference between Medium and Low is how many times per frame the Particle System queries the physics system. Medium makes more queries per frame than Low.

Note that this setting is only suitable for static colliders that never move.
    Low (Static Colliders)When Collision Quality is set to Low (Static Colliders), collisions use a grid of voxels to cache previous collisions, for faster re-use in later frames. See Particle collisions: World collisions, below, to learn more about this cache.

The only difference between Medium and Low is how many times per frame the Particle System queries the physics system. Medium makes more queries per frame than Low.

Note that this setting is only suitable for static colliders that never move.
Collides WithParticles will only collide with objects on the selected layers.
Max Collision ShapesHow many collision shapes can be considered for particle collisions. Excess shapes are ignored, and terrains take priority.
Enable Dynamic CollidersDynamic colliders are any collider not configured as Kinematic (see documentation on colliders for further information on collider types).

Check this option to include these collider types in the set of objects that the particles respond to in collisions. If you uncheck this option, the particles only respond to collisions against static colliders.
Voxel SizeA voxel represents a value on a regular grid in three-dimensional space. When using Medium or Low quality collisions, Unity caches collisions in a grid structure. This setting controls the grid size. Smaller values give more accuracy, but cost more memory, and are less efficient.

Note: You can only access this property when Collision Quality is set to Medium or Low.
Collider ForceApply a force to Physics Colliders after a Particle collision. This is useful for pushing colliders with particles.
Multiply by Collision AngleWhen applying forces to Colliders, scale the strength of the force based on the collision angle between the particle and the collider. Grazing angles will generate less force than a head-on collision.
Multiply by Particle SpeedWhen applying forces to Colliders, scale the strength of the force based on the speed of the particle. Fast-moving particles will generate more force than slower ones.
Multiply by Particle SizeWhen applying forces to Colliders, scale the strength of the force based on the size of the particle. Larger particles will generate more force than smaller ones.
Send Collision MessagesCheck this to be able to detect particle collisions from scripts by the OnParticleCollision function.
Visualize BoundsPreview the collision spheres for each particle in the Scene view.

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