Particles and Filters
FXMaster divides environmental presentation into two broad effect kinds. Both can be Scene-wide, Region-local, layered, gated by darkness or Scene Levels, saved in macros, and controlled through the public API.
Particle effects
Section titled “Particle effects”Particles are visible objects or procedural elements moving through the scene. Examples include Rain, Snow, Clouds, Bats, Embers, Fish, and Autumn Leaves.
Particles are the right choice when the viewer should perceive discrete moving subjects. Their common controls include:
- Scale, speed, lifetime, density, and alpha.
- Direction, spread, lateral movement, orbit, and synchronized direction.
- Top-down rendering for overhead maps.
- Shadows, token avoidance, token trails, or persistent background surfaces.
- Layer placement below tokens, tiles, or foreground coverage.
Filter effects
Section titled “Filter effects”Filters process the rendered Scene or a masked portion of it. Examples include Bloom, Color, Fog, Lightning, Water, Wind, Fire, and Aurora Borealis.
Filters are the right choice when the scene itself should appear distorted, graded, illuminated, displaced, or covered by continuous environmental material.
A filter’s options are more effect-specific, but commonly include:
- Color, opacity, strength, dimensions, speed, and direction.
- Procedural pattern controls such as turbulence, waves, streaks, noise, or refraction.
- Audio awareness or token trails.
- Region masking and stack position.
Combining both
Section titled “Combining both”Particles and filters can be combined when both are needed:
| Scene goal | Particle | Filter |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy storm | Rain, Clouds, or Hail | Lightning, Fog, or Duststorm |
| Underwater map | Bubbles or Fish | Underwater or Water |
| Wildfire | Embers or Fire particles | Fire, Color, or Bloom |
| Frozen environment | Snow or Snowstorm | Ice or Color |
| Magical anomaly | Stars or Magic Crystals | Glitch, Bloom, or Aurora Borealis |
Scene effects and Region effects
Section titled “Scene effects and Region effects”A Scene effect covers the scene according to its normal canvas mask. A Region effect uses the Region’s shape and elevation rules. Suppression behaviors can remove Scene particles or filters only inside designated Regions.