Pulse v1.0.0 is finally out!
Pulse brings the CPU-based GameMaker’s particles a much needed step up, closer to what you might find in other engines like Unity.
**You can test it online at **Gx.Games.
Features
Version 1.0.0 comes with a complete Wiki Documentation, a full Demo (that works as a rouch editor), and tons of features, such as:
- Easy-to-use fluent interface for quick setting up of particle, system and emitter’s properties.
- Many helper functions for particles that make achieving a precise effect *…
Pulse v1.0.0 is finally out!
Pulse brings the CPU-based GameMaker’s particles a much needed step up, closer to what you might find in other engines like Unity.
**You can test it online at **Gx.Games.
Features
Version 1.0.0 comes with a complete Wiki Documentation, a full Demo (that works as a rouch editor), and tons of features, such as:
- Easy-to-use fluent interface for quick setting up of particle, system and emitter’s properties.
- Many helper functions for particles that make achieving a precise effect *much *easier.
- Multiple emitter types : Ellipse, Line and Path (both GameMaker’s path assets and PathPlus).
- Several ways to shape an emitter, such as masks, soft radiuses, and animation curve-based ‘stencils’.
- Emitters can alter multiple particle properties, from direction, speed and life to sprite, color, size, etc.
- Emitters can even use sprites as a base for the emission, including pixel-by-pixel colorization.
- Occlusion and Collision detection for the emitter area.
- External and Internal Forces can affect one or multiple emitters for more complex looking effects.
- Emit Instances for more complex behaviours.
- Performance guard-rails and resource management options to keep a tight graphics budget without overly complicated systems.
- Cache-ing of emitters for fast performance without any compromise on results or complexity.
- Exporting and Importing of particles, systems, emitters and cached emitters allow for easy exchange of effects over multiple projects.
Tutorials
WIP of the first tutorial for Pulse. Artwork by me.
Tutorials and sample projects are on the pipeline as well, as I understand that the amount of features might be initially overwhelming. Some of the planned tutorials include:
- Energy ball charge up (WIP Gif shared here)
- Fairy sparkle trail
- Explosions that react to a tileset and enemy size
- Destruction particles that adapt to a shape
- Good old Fire and smoke
- Much more!
If you have any special requests leave a comment!
"Upcoming" wishlist:
- ImPulse, a thorough particle editor for Pulse.
- RePulse, a rendering + custom particle pipeline fully integrated with Pulse.
- More helper functions for simplifying particle use.
- Better Instance Particle handling (pooling, others)
- Integration with other popular libraries (?)
Some of these additional developments might be paid features, but core Pulse will always be free and open source (as it is released under MIT license). The amount of updates and frequency of them will depend on reception of the library. As much as I enjoy making Pulse, documenting and making it useful for other people takes a substantial amount of effort.
So if you like the library, please let me know!
Known Issues for v 1.0.0:
- Exported Animation Curves with Bezier handles will not be imported properly due to GameMaker limitations in regards to them exposing the handles’ data.