Random Seed
Sets the random seed used to generate repeatable particle variation.
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ParticlesAdvanced
pEmitter
Generate a particle stream
Creates procedural particles for sparks, dust, snow, smoke, debris and other particle-based effects.
pEmitter
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
pEmitter is the starting point for many Fusion particle systems. It generates particles with rules for birth rate, lifespan, position, velocity, direction, rotation, style and color.
Overview
What pEmitter does
pEmitter does not create the final visible image by itself. It creates a particle data stream that is modified by force and behavior nodes, then converted to pixels by pRender.
Number controls how many particles are generated, Lifespan controls how long they survive, and velocity/direction controls define the initial motion.
Style controls how particles look when rendered. A good workflow is to keep particle counts modest while designing motion, then raise density only when the behavior is stable.
Mental model
Think of pEmitter as a programmable spray nozzle: it decides how many particles are born, where they start, how long they live and what initial motion they receive.
Common uses
Sparks and embers
Dust and snow
Smoke-like particle fields
Magic or energy particles
Abstract procedural motion graphics
Particle trails and debris
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Source image for the operation.
Region / Mask
Input used by pEmitter.
pEmitter
Fusion node
Particles
The generated particle stream for forces, modifiers and pRender.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Reseed
Generates a new random seed and therefore a new particle variation.
Time Lock
Locks the random particle pattern to time so the same frame evaluates reproducibly.
Number
Sets the number of particles emitted.
Number Variance
Adds random variation to the emitted particle count.
Lifespan
Sets how long particles live.
Lifespan Variance
Adds random variation to particle lifetime.
Color
Sets the initial particle color.
Position Variance
Randomizes particle birth positions around the emitter.
Temporal Distribution
Controls how particle births are spread through time rather than all occurring at one instant.
Velocity
Sets the initial particle speed.
Velocity Variance
Adds random variation to initial particle speed.
Inherit
Sets how much motion from the emitter or source is inherited by newly born particles.
Inherit Variance
Randomizes the amount of inherited motion.
Angle / Angle Variance
Sets the emission direction and the random spread around that direction.
Angle Z / Angle Z Variance
Sets the Z-axis emission direction and its random spread for 3D particle motion.
Rotation Mode
Chooses how initial particle rotation is interpreted.
Always Face Camera
Keeps particle sprites or instances facing the camera.
Rotation X/Y/Z [3D] and Variance
Sets initial 3D rotation and the random variation on each axis.
Spin X/Y/Z and Variance
Sets angular velocity and its random variation on the X, Y and Z axes.
Sets 1–32
Chooses the particle sets new particles are assigned to.
Style
Chooses the visual style used to represent emitted particles.
Apply Mode
Chooses how the particle image or color is composited when the style is rendered.
Sub-Pixel Rendered
Allows particles smaller than a pixel to contribute smoothly instead of popping on and off.
Color Controls
Opens the controls for the base particle color.
Color Variance
Adds random variation around the base particle color.
Lock Color Variance
Links the color-variance channels so they can be adjusted together.
Color Over Life Controls
Controls how particle color changes from birth to death.
Fade Controls
Controls particle fade-in and fade-out over their lifetime.
Region
Chooses the shape or region from which particles are emitted.
Region Size
Sets the dimensions of the emission region.
Translation X/Y/Z Offset
Offsets the emission region on the X, Y and Z axes.
Rotation X/Y/Z
Rotates the emission region around the X, Y and Z axes.
Pivot X/Y/Z
Sets the pivot used to rotate or scale the emission region.
Pick...
Lets you pick the emitter region position or related spatial value interactively in the Viewer.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Create pEmitter.
- 2
Start with a low Number and moderate Lifespan.
- 3
Set position and initial velocity.
- 4
Add force nodes such as pDirectionalForce or pTurbulence.
- 5
Connect the final particle stream to pRender.
- 6
Raise density only after the motion looks correct.
Typical node chain
pEmitter→
particle forces→
pRender→
Merge
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Wind-blown sparks
Particles are emitted, pushed and given turbulence before rendering.
pEmitterpDirectionalForcepTurbulencepRender
Slow drifting dust
Low-speed particles receive turbulence and friction.
pEmitterpTurbulencepFrictionpRender
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Expecting an image directly from pEmitter without pRender.
Starting with an extremely high particle count and making the comp slow before motion is tuned.
Using identical lifespan and velocity values so the system looks mechanical.
Production notes
Practical tips
Design motion at low density.
Use variance to break up repeated patterns.
Separate birth behavior from later forces so the particle graph stays readable.
Related nodes