PhysX World Operator

Path: Particle View > Add or select PhysX World.

The PhysX World operator associates the particles in the current event or system to a specific simulation world, in the form of a PhysX World helper (driver) in the scene. After you make the connection, that helper's settings affect all particles in the event.

You can place the PhysX World operator in local and global events. The presence of the operator in an event means that the particles in the event participate in a physics simulation. If the operator is in a global event, all particles in the Particle Flow system always participate in the simulation.

Particles in an event can belong to only one simulation world, specified by the PhysX World operator in the event. While it is possible to add multiple PhysX World operators to an event, this creates ambiguity, and, as a result, Particle Flow disregards all of them.

The presence of a PhysX World operator in an event (with an associated PhysX World driver) is not enough to start a simulation. A second necessary component is the PhysX Shape operator, which defines the particles' simulation properties. Always place the PhysX Shape operator before the PhysX World operator in an event, so the PhysX World operator knows the particle properties, defined by PhysX Shape, for simulation.

Note: Particles from different Particle Flow systems (with different global PF Source events) cannot participate in the same simulation world. This is due to the fact that particles are tracked by their IDs in a simulation world, and each PF Source creates its own set of IDs. Even if PhysX World operators in two different Particle Flow system are associated with the same PhysX World driver, in effect two simulation worlds are created (one for each Particle Flow system), but both simulations have the same global properties as defined by PhysX World driver.

Interface

[None] - To specify the PhysX World helper that influences particles in the current event, click this button and then select the helper.

=> - Opens the parameters of the associated PhysX World driver in the standard command panel.

Create New Driver - Automatically creates a new PhysX World helper object in the scene and associates the PhysX World operator with this helper.

Suppress Express Save - Available if you're using Box#2 in 3ds Max 2009 or higher. Starting with 3ds Max 2009 (with the Creativity Extension add-on), Particle Flow has an integrated Express Save functionality (from Box#1) that allows fast save when the current frame is not zero. However, this feature can interfere with the integrity of the PhysX simulation. Therefore, if you have a complex PhysX setup, with the simulation starting at or before frame zero, it's recommended that you enable Suppress Express Save (it's on by default). That way the integrated Express Save functionality is disabled in the events that have PhysX World operator.