My First Effect

In this tutorial you will learn how to create particle effects (Particle Effects, PFX) - from simple smoke, through fire, to rain and snow.

How Do Particle Effects Work?

The PFX system in Gothic emits particles (small textured sprites) from an emitter with a defined shape. Each particle has its own direction, speed, lifespan, and appearance.

Effects are defined as instances of the C_ParticleFX class in files in the System/PFX/ directory:

File	Description
`PfxInst.d`	General effects (fire, smoke, sparks, water, weather)
`PfxInstEngine.d`	Engine-required effects (blood, dust, water splash)
`PfxInstMagic.d`	Magic effects (spells, runes, auras)

The C_ParticleFX Class - Overview

The class has 49 fields divided into 7 categories. You don't need to set them all - fields you don't set will use default values (usually 0 or empty string).

1. Emission Rate - How Many Particles and When

Field	Type	Description
`ppsValue`	`float`	Base particles emitted per second
`ppsScaleKeys_S`	`string`	Time-varying multipliers, e.g., `"1 2 3"`
`ppsIsLooping`	`int`	`1` = looping, `0` = one-shot
`ppsIsSmooth`	`int`	`1` = smooth interpolation between keys
`ppsFPS`	`float`	Key playback speed (frames/sec)
`ppsCreateEm_S`	`string`	Child effect name (spawned per particle)
`ppsCreateEmDelay`	`float`	Child effect delay

2. Emitter Shape - Where Particles Come From

Field	Type	Description
`shpType_S`	`string`	Shape: `"POINT"`, `"LINE"`, `"BOX"`, `"CIRCLE"`, `"SPHERE"`, `"MESH"`
`shpFOR_S`	`string`	Frame of reference: `"OBJECT"` or `"WORLD"`
`shpOffsetVec_S`	`string`	Offset: `"X Y Z"`
`shpDistribType_S`	`string`	Distribution: `"RAND"`, `"UNIFORM"`, `"WALK"`, `"DIR"`
`shpIsVolume`	`int`	`1` = emit from volume, `0` = from surface only
`shpDim_S`	`string`	Dimensions (shape-dependent)
`shpMesh_S`	`string`	Emitter mesh (when `shpType_S = "MESH"`)
`shpMeshRender_B`	`int`	`1` = render the emitter mesh

3. Direction and Speed

Field	Type	Description
`dirMode_S`	`string`	Mode: `"DIR"`, `"TARGET"`, `"MESH_POLY"`, `"RAND"`, `"NONE"`
`dirFOR_S`	`string`	Direction frame of reference
`dirAngleHead`	`float`	Horizontal rotation angle (°)
`dirAngleHeadVar`	`float`	Angle variance (±°)
`dirAngleElev`	`float`	Elevation angle (°); `90` = up, `-90` = down
`dirAngleElevVar`	`float`	Elevation variance (±°)
`velAvg`	`float`	Average initial velocity
`velVar`	`float`	Velocity variance (±)

4. Particle Lifespan

Field	Type	Description
`lspPartAvg`	`float`	Average lifespan (ms)
`lspPartVar`	`float`	Lifespan variance (±ms)

5. Flight Behavior

Field	Type	Description
`flyGravity_S`	`string`	Gravity vector: `"X Y Z"`
`flyCollDet_B`	`int`	`0` = no collision, `1` = collisions, `3` = collisions + marks

6. Visualization

Field	Type	Description
`visName_S`	`string`	Texture (`.TGA`) or model (`.3DS`)
`visOrientation_S`	`string`	Billboard: `"NONE"`, `"VELO"`, `"VELO3D"`, `"VOB"`
`visTexIsQuadPoly`	`int`	`0` = triangle, `1` = quad mesh
`visTexAniFPS`	`float`	Texture animation FPS
`visTexAniIsLooping`	`int`	`0` = once, `1` = loop, `2` = ping-pong
`visTexColorStart_S`	`string`	Start color: `"R G B"` (0–255)
`visTexColorEnd_S`	`string`	End color (interpolated over lifespan)
`visSizeStart_S`	`string`	Start size: `"W H"`
`visSizeEndScale`	`float`	End size multiplier
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`string`	Blending: `"BLEND"`, `"ADD"`, `"MUL"`
`visAlphaStart`	`float`	Start alpha (0–255)
`visAlphaEnd`	`float`	End alpha (0–255)

7. Additional Effects

Field	Type	Description
`trlFadeSpeed`	`float`	Trail fade speed
`trlTexture_S`	`string`	Trail texture
`trlWidth`	`float`	Trail width
`mrkFadeSpeed`	`float`	Mark (decal) fade speed
`mrkTexture_S`	`string`	Mark texture
`mrkSize`	`float`	Mark size
`flockMode`	`string`	Flocking mode: `"WIND"`
`flockStrength`	`float`	Flocking strength
`useEmittersFOR`	`int`	`1` = particles follow emitter position
`timeStartEnd_S`	`string`	Render time window: `"8 22"` (8am–10pm)
`m_bIsAmbientPFX`	`int`	`1` = ambient effect (can be disabled in gothic.ini)

Example 1: Simple Smoke

Let's start with something simple - a column of smoke rising upward:

instance PFX_MySmoke (C_ParticleFX)
{
    // --- Emission: 30 particles/sec, continuous ---
    ppsValue        = 30;
    ppsScaleKeys_S  = "1";
    ppsIsLooping    = 1;

    // --- Shape: point ---
    shpType_S       = "POINT";
    shpFOR_S        = "OBJECT";

    // --- Direction: upward with random variance ---
    dirMode_S       = "DIR";
    dirFOR_S        = "OBJECT";
    dirAngleElev    = 90;
    dirAngleElevVar = 15;
    dirAngleHeadVar = 180;
    velAvg          = 0.02;
    velVar          = 0.01;

    // --- Lifespan: 2–3 seconds ---
    lspPartAvg      = 2500;
    lspPartVar      = 500;

    // --- No gravity (smoke rises) ---
    flyGravity_S    = "0 0.0001 0";

    // --- Appearance ---
    visName_S           = "SMOKE1.TGA";
    visOrientation_S    = "NONE";
    visTexColorStart_S  = "150 150 150";
    visTexColorEnd_S    = "80 80 80";
    visSizeStart_S      = "10 10";
    visSizeEndScale     = 5;
    visAlphaFunc_S      = "BLEND";
    visAlphaStart       = 180;
    visAlphaEnd         = 0;
};

Field	Value	Description
`ppsValue`	`30`	30 particles per second
`ppsScaleKeys_S`	`"1"`	Constant rate (no scaling)
`ppsIsLooping`	`1`	Continuous emission
`shpType_S`	`"POINT"`	Emits from a single point
`shpFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Relative to the emitter object
`dirMode_S`	`"DIR"`	Directional emission
`dirFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Direction relative to object
`dirAngleElev`	`90`	Upward direction
`dirAngleElevVar`	`15`	±15° random variance
`dirAngleHeadVar`	`180`	Full 360° horizontal spread
`velAvg`	`0.02`	Slow speed
`velVar`	`0.01`	Slight speed variation
`lspPartAvg`	`2500`	Average lifespan 2.5 seconds
`lspPartVar`	`500`	±0.5s lifespan variance
`flyGravity_S`	`"0 0.0001 0"`	Slightly upward (smoke rises)
`visName_S`	`"SMOKE1.TGA"`	Smoke texture
`visOrientation_S`	`"NONE"`	Billboard facing camera
`visTexColorStart_S`	`"150 150 150"`	Gray at birth
`visTexColorEnd_S`	`"80 80 80"`	Darkens over time
`visSizeStart_S`	`"10 10"`	10×10 starting size
`visSizeEndScale`	`5`	Grows 5×
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`"BLEND"`	Standard blending
`visAlphaStart`	`180`	Semi-transparent at birth
`visAlphaEnd`	`0`	Fades out completely

tip

visAlphaFunc_S - blending modes:

"BLEND" - classic blending (smoke, fog, dust)
"ADD" - additive (fire, sparks, magic - bright, glowing)
"MUL" - multiplicative (shadows, darkening)

Example 2: Campfire

Fire combines fast emission, additive blending, and animated textures:

instance PFX_MyFire (C_ParticleFX)
{
    // --- Emission: lots of particles, continuous ---
    ppsValue        = 80;
    ppsScaleKeys_S  = "1";
    ppsIsLooping    = 1;

    // --- Shape: circle (fire base) ---
    shpType_S       = "CIRCLE";
    shpFOR_S        = "OBJECT";
    shpIsVolume     = 1;
    shpDim_S        = "15";

    // --- Direction: upward ---
    dirMode_S       = "DIR";
    dirFOR_S        = "OBJECT";
    dirAngleElev    = 90;
    dirAngleElevVar = 20;
    dirAngleHeadVar = 180;
    velAvg          = 0.05;
    velVar          = 0.02;

    // --- Lifespan: short (fast fire) ---
    lspPartAvg      = 800;
    lspPartVar      = 200;

    // --- Slight upward gravity (hot air) ---
    flyGravity_S    = "0 0.0003 0";

    // --- Appearance ---
    visName_S           = "FIREFLARE.TGA";
    visOrientation_S    = "NONE";
    visTexAniFPS        = 8;
    visTexAniIsLooping  = 1;
    visTexColorStart_S  = "255 255 255";
    visTexColorEnd_S    = "255 100 30";
    visSizeStart_S      = "5 5";
    visSizeEndScale     = 4;
    visAlphaFunc_S      = "ADD";
    visAlphaStart       = 255;
    visAlphaEnd         = 0;
};

Field	Value	Description
`ppsValue`	`80`	80 particles per second
`ppsScaleKeys_S`	`"1"`	Constant rate
`ppsIsLooping`	`1`	Continuous emission
`shpType_S`	`"CIRCLE"`	Circular emitter shape
`shpFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Relative to the emitter object
`shpIsVolume`	`1`	Emits from entire disk area
`shpDim_S`	`"15"`	Circle radius 15 units
`dirMode_S`	`"DIR"`	Directional emission
`dirFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Direction relative to object
`dirAngleElev`	`90`	Upward direction
`dirAngleElevVar`	`20`	±20° random variance
`dirAngleHeadVar`	`180`	Full 360° horizontal spread
`velAvg`	`0.05`	Moderate speed
`velVar`	`0.02`	Speed variation
`lspPartAvg`	`800`	Short lifespan (0.8s)
`lspPartVar`	`200`	±0.2s variance
`flyGravity_S`	`"0 0.0003 0"`	Slight upward pull (hot air)
`visName_S`	`"FIREFLARE.TGA"`	Fire texture
`visOrientation_S`	`"NONE"`	Billboard facing camera
`visTexAniFPS`	`8`	Texture animation speed
`visTexAniIsLooping`	`1`	Animation loops
`visTexColorStart_S`	`"255 255 255"`	White (overexposed center)
`visTexColorEnd_S`	`"255 100 30"`	Orange (flame edges)
`visSizeStart_S`	`"5 5"`	5×5 starting size
`visSizeEndScale`	`4`	Grows 4×
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`"ADD"`	Additive blending (glowing)
`visAlphaStart`	`255`	Fully opaque at birth
`visAlphaEnd`	`0`	Fades out completely

Example 3: Sparks

Sparks are small, fast particles with gravity and collisions:

instance PFX_MySparks (C_ParticleFX)
{
    // --- Emission: one-time burst ---
    ppsValue        = 50;
    ppsScaleKeys_S  = "1 0";
    ppsIsLooping    = 0;
    ppsFPS          = 2;

    // --- Shape: point ---
    shpType_S       = "POINT";
    shpFOR_S        = "OBJECT";

    // --- Direction: scatter in all directions ---
    dirMode_S       = "DIR";
    dirFOR_S        = "OBJECT";
    dirAngleHeadVar = 180;
    dirAngleElev    = 45;
    dirAngleElevVar = 45;
    velAvg          = 0.15;
    velVar          = 0.08;

    // --- Lifespan: short ---
    lspPartAvg      = 600;
    lspPartVar      = 300;

    // --- Gravity pulls down ---
    flyGravity_S    = "0 -0.0005 0";
    flyCollDet_B    = 1;

    // --- Appearance: small, bright dots ---
    visName_S           = "ZFLARE1.TGA";
    visOrientation_S    = "NONE";
    visTexColorStart_S  = "255 220 100";
    visTexColorEnd_S    = "255 80 20";
    visSizeStart_S      = "2 2";
    visSizeEndScale     = 0.5;
    visAlphaFunc_S      = "ADD";
    visAlphaStart       = 255;
    visAlphaEnd         = 0;
};

Field	Value	Description
`ppsValue`	`50`	50 particles in burst
`ppsScaleKeys_S`	`"1 0"`	Instant burst, then nothing
`ppsIsLooping`	`0`	One-shot (not looping)
`ppsFPS`	`2`	Scale key playback speed
`shpType_S`	`"POINT"`	Emits from a single point
`shpFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Relative to the emitter object
`dirMode_S`	`"DIR"`	Directional emission
`dirFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Direction relative to object
`dirAngleHeadVar`	`180`	Full 360° scatter
`dirAngleElev`	`45`	Slightly upward
`dirAngleElevVar`	`45`	Wide vertical variance
`velAvg`	`0.15`	Fast speed
`velVar`	`0.08`	High speed variance
`lspPartAvg`	`600`	Short lifespan (0.6s)
`lspPartVar`	`300`	±0.3s variance
`flyGravity_S`	`"0 -0.0005 0"`	Gravity pulls down
`flyCollDet_B`	`1`	Collides with world geometry
`visName_S`	`"ZFLARE1.TGA"`	Small flare texture
`visOrientation_S`	`"NONE"`	Billboard facing camera
`visTexColorStart_S`	`"255 220 100"`	Yellow
`visTexColorEnd_S`	`"255 80 20"`	Dark orange
`visSizeStart_S`	`"2 2"`	2×2 small size
`visSizeEndScale`	`0.5`	Shrinks to half size
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`"ADD"`	Additive blending (glowing)
`visAlphaStart`	`255`	Fully opaque at birth
`visAlphaEnd`	`0`	Fades out completely

Example 4: Snow

Snow uses a large emitter high above, with slowly falling particles:

instance PFX_MySnow (C_ParticleFX)
{
    // --- Emission: continuous ---
    ppsValue        = 50;
    ppsScaleKeys_S  = "1";
    ppsIsLooping    = 1;

    // --- Shape: large circle high above the player ---
    shpType_S       = "CIRCLE";
    shpFOR_S        = "OBJECT";
    shpOffsetVec_S  = "0 500 0";
    shpIsVolume     = 1;
    shpDim_S        = "300";

    // --- Direction: downward ---
    dirMode_S       = "DIR";
    dirFOR_S        = "OBJECT";
    dirAngleHead    = 20;
    dirAngleHeadVar = 10;
    dirAngleElev    = -89;
    velAvg          = 0.05;
    velVar          = 0.02;

    // --- Lifespan: long ---
    lspPartAvg      = 5000;

    // --- No gravity (constant fall speed) ---
    flyGravity_S    = "0 0 0";

    // --- Appearance: white flakes ---
    visName_S           = "MFX_SLEEP_STAR.TGA";
    visOrientation_S    = "NONE";
    visTexColorStart_S  = "255 255 255";
    visTexColorEnd_S    = "255 255 255";
    visSizeStart_S      = "5 5";
    visSizeEndScale     = 1;
    visAlphaFunc_S      = "ADD";
    visAlphaStart       = 255;
    visAlphaEnd         = 255;

    // --- Ambient effect (can be disabled in options) ---
    m_bIsAmbientPFX     = 1;
};

Field	Value	Description
`ppsValue`	`50`	50 particles per second
`ppsScaleKeys_S`	`"1"`	Constant rate
`ppsIsLooping`	`1`	Continuous emission
`shpType_S`	`"CIRCLE"`	Circular emitter shape
`shpFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Relative to the emitter object
`shpOffsetVec_S`	`"0 500 0"`	500 units above the emitter
`shpIsVolume`	`1`	Fills entire disk area
`shpDim_S`	`"300"`	Circle radius 300 units
`dirMode_S`	`"DIR"`	Directional emission
`dirFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Direction relative to object
`dirAngleHead`	`20`	Slight wind direction
`dirAngleHeadVar`	`10`	±10° wind variance
`dirAngleElev`	`-89`	Nearly straight down
`velAvg`	`0.05`	Slow falling speed
`velVar`	`0.02`	Slight speed variation
`lspPartAvg`	`5000`	Long lifespan (5 seconds)
`flyGravity_S`	`"0 0 0"`	No gravity (constant fall speed)
`visName_S`	`"MFX_SLEEP_STAR.TGA"`	Snowflake texture
`visOrientation_S`	`"NONE"`	Billboard facing camera
`visTexColorStart_S`	`"255 255 255"`	White
`visTexColorEnd_S`	`"255 255 255"`	Stays white
`visSizeStart_S`	`"5 5"`	5×5 flake size
`visSizeEndScale`	`1`	No size change
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`"ADD"`	Additive blending (bright flakes)
`visAlphaStart`	`255`	Fully visible
`visAlphaEnd`	`255`	Stays visible (no fade)
`m_bIsAmbientPFX`	`1`	Ambient effect (can disable in options)

Example 5: Blood (Child Emitters)

The child emitter system lets you create complex effects. Blood in Gothic consists of two instances - the main one (blood spray) and the child one (ground splat):

// Main effect: blood spray scattering
instance PFX_MyBlood (C_ParticleFX)
{
    ppsValue            = 64;
    ppsCreateEm_S       = "PFX_MyBlood_Splat";

    dirMode_S           = "DIR";
    dirFOR_S            = "OBJECT";
    dirAngleHeadVar     = 30;
    dirAngleElevVar     = 30;
    velAvg              = 0.1;
    velVar              = 0.05;

    lspPartAvg          = 750;
    lspPartVar          = 550;

    flyGravity_S        = "0 -0.0001 0";
    flyCollDet_B        = 1;

    visName_S           = "BLOOD1.TGA";
    visTexColorStart_S  = "255 255 255";
    visTexColorEnd_S    = "255 255 255";
    visSizeStart_S      = "6 6";
    visSizeEndScale     = 1;
    visAlphaFunc_S      = "BLEND";
    visAlphaStart       = 255;
};

// Child effect: ground splat
instance PFX_MyBlood_Splat (C_ParticleFX)
{
    ppsValue            = 1;
    ppsIsLooping        = 0;

    shpType_S           = "POINT";

    dirMode_S           = "NONE";
    velAvg              = 0;

    lspPartAvg          = 3000;

    visName_S           = "YOURBLOODSPLAT.TGA";
    visSizeStart_S      = "10 10";
    visSizeEndScale     = 1;
    visAlphaFunc_S      = "BLEND";
    visAlphaStart       = 200;
    visAlphaEnd         = 0;
};

PFX_MyBlood:

Field	Value	Description
`ppsValue`	`64`	64 particles in burst
`ppsCreateEm_S`	`"PFX_MyBlood_Splat"`	Spawns child effect per particle
`dirMode_S`	`"DIR"`	Directional emission
`dirFOR_S`	`"OBJECT"`	Direction relative to object
`dirAngleHeadVar`	`30`	±30° horizontal scatter
`dirAngleElevVar`	`30`	±30° vertical scatter
`velAvg`	`0.1`	Moderate speed
`velVar`	`0.05`	Speed variation
`lspPartAvg`	`750`	0.75s lifespan
`lspPartVar`	`550`	High lifespan variance
`flyGravity_S`	`"0 -0.0001 0"`	Falls downward
`flyCollDet_B`	`1`	Collides with world geometry
`visName_S`	`"BLOOD1.TGA"`	Blood texture
`visTexColorStart_S`	`"255 255 255"`	White (preserves texture color)
`visTexColorEnd_S`	`"255 255 255"`	No color change
`visSizeStart_S`	`"6 6"`	6×6 starting size
`visSizeEndScale`	`1`	No size change
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`"BLEND"`	Standard blending
`visAlphaStart`	`255`	Fully opaque

PFX_MyBlood_Splat:

Field	Value	Description
`ppsValue`	`1`	Single particle (one splat)
`ppsIsLooping`	`0`	One-shot
`shpType_S`	`"POINT"`	Point emitter
`dirMode_S`	`"NONE"`	No movement direction
`velAvg`	`0`	Stationary
`lspPartAvg`	`3000`	Lasts 3 seconds
`visName_S`	`"YOURBLOODSPLAT.TGA"`	Splat texture
`visSizeStart_S`	`"10 10"`	10×10 splat size
`visSizeEndScale`	`1`	No size change
`visAlphaFunc_S`	`"BLEND"`	Standard blending
`visAlphaStart`	`200`	Slightly transparent
`visAlphaEnd`	`0`	Fades out completely

info

ppsCreateEm_S - each particle from the main emitter becomes a source for a new child effect. This is a powerful tool but expensive - use carefully to avoid overloading the engine.

Emitter Shapes

Shape	`shpType_S`	`shpDim_S`	Description
Point	`"POINT"`	-	Emission from a single point
Line	`"LINE"`	`"100"` (length)	Emission along a line
Box	`"BOX"`	`"W H D"`	Emission from a rectangular area
Circle	`"CIRCLE"`	`"50"` (radius)	Emission from a circle (or disk when `shpIsVolume = 1`)
Sphere	`"SPHERE"`	`"50"` (radius)	Emission from a sphere
Mesh	`"MESH"`	`"250"` (scale)	Emission from a 3D mesh surface

shpIsVolume

shpIsVolume = 0 - particles appear on the edge of the shape (e.g., on the circle circumference)
shpIsVolume = 1 - particles appear inside the shape (e.g., within the entire circle)

Particle Orientation

Mode	`visOrientation_S`	Description
Billboard	`"NONE"`	Particles always face the camera (default)
Along velocity	`"VELO"`	Particles stretched in movement direction (rain, sparks)
3D along velocity	`"VELO3D"`	Like VELO, but with full 3D rotation
Object	`"VOB"`	Orientation matches the parent object

Registration in ParticleFX.src

Particle effects have a separate compilation from game scripts. Add your file to System/ParticleFX.src:

_intern\ParticleFx.d
Pfx\PfxInstEngine.d
Pfx\PfxInst.d
Pfx\PfxInstMagic.d
Pfx\MyPfx.d

warning

PFX effects are not compiled by Gothic.src - they use their own ParticleFX.src file in the System/ directory.

Practical Tips

Performance

Higher ppsValue means more particles = more computation
flyCollDet_B with many particles heavily loads the CPU
useEmittersFOR = 1 combined with flyCollDet_B is the most expensive combination
ppsCreateEm_S multiplies the number of effects - each particle creates a new emitter

Debugging

If the effect is not visible, check that visAlphaStart > 0 and visSizeStart_S is not too small
Verify that the texture (.TGA) exists in the Textures/ directory
Effects with m_bIsAmbientPFX = 1 can be disabled in game options

Common Patterns

Effect	Key Settings
Smoke	BLEND, large `visSizeEndScale`, `visAlphaEnd = 0`
Fire	ADD, animated texture, short `lspPartAvg`
Sparks	ADD, one-time burst, downward gravity, collisions
Rain/Snow	Large CIRCLE emitter, Y offset, `dirAngleElev = -89`
Blood	BLEND, gravity, child emitter (splats)
Magic/Aura	ADD, CIRCLE emitter, `useEmittersFOR = 1`

Summary

Creating particle effects requires:

An instance of the C_ParticleFX class with appropriate parameters
An emitter shape (shpType_S) - where particles come from
Direction and speed - how they move
Visualization - texture, color, size, blending
Registration in ParticleFX.src (not in Gothic.src!)

How Do Particle Effects Work?​

The C_ParticleFX Class - Overview​

1. Emission Rate - How Many Particles and When​

2. Emitter Shape - Where Particles Come From​

3. Direction and Speed​

4. Particle Lifespan​

5. Flight Behavior​

6. Visualization​

7. Additional Effects​

Example 1: Simple Smoke​

Example 2: Campfire​

Example 3: Sparks​

Example 4: Snow​

Example 5: Blood (Child Emitters)​

Emitter Shapes​

shpIsVolume​

Particle Orientation​

Registration in ParticleFX.src​

Practical Tips​

Performance​

Debugging​

Common Patterns​

Summary​