pImage Emitter Node

pImage Emitter is a specialized emitter: instead of creating random particles in a region, it reads an image and creates one particle for each visible pixel (with its exact color).

Ideal for rebuilding an image out of particles and then animating them - for example, blowing up a logo, dissolving text into smoke, or having particles gather to gradually form an image.

• Effects Library: Tools > Particles > pImage Emitter
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Particles > pImage Emitter

pEmitter

Random emission inside a region. Colors are set in the Style tab.

pImage Emitter

Emission on a pixel-perfect grid. Colors are inherited from the source image. It visually rebuilds an image with particles.

Rule: generic particles (smoke, fire, rain) → pEmitter. Rebuilding a specific image out of particles → pImage Emitter.

• Image Input (orange) - source image whose pixels become particles.
• Style Bitmap (green) - optional. A 2D image used as the sprite for each particle (e.g. each pixel becomes a small triangle).
• Region Input (teal/white) - optional. Limits the emission area.

Logo dissolve:
Logo → pImage Emitter (X/Y Density 1.0, Alpha Threshold 0.5)
    → pForces (radial explosion)
    → pRender
(the logo disintegrates into scattering particles)

Text reveal (reverse assembly):
Text+ → pImage Emitter
     → pForces animated in reverse (particles converge)
     → pRender
(particles gather to form the text)

Image that follows a motion:
Source image (animated) → pImage Emitter (Create Every Frame ON)
                     → pRender

X / Y Density (default: 1.0 - one particle per pixel)

Particle-per-pixel ratio. 1.0 = one particle per pixel. 0.5 = one particle every 2 pixels (less dense, faster). 2.0 = 2 particles per pixel (denser, heavier).

Alpha Threshold

Minimum alpha threshold for a pixel to become a particle. It lets you harden the edges - semi-transparent pixels (edges) are ignored.

Lock Particle Color to Initial Frame

On (default): each particle keeps the color of the frame it was born on. Off: the color updates with the video (for animated sources).

Create Particles Every Frame

On: new particles are created on every frame (animated video image). Off: particles are created once from the initial image.

Velocity / Rotation (inherited)

Same parameters as a classic pEmitter for initial velocity and rotation.

• Logo dissolve / explosion - the logo goes into pImage Emitter, then explosive forces = the logo bursts into colored particles. A motion graphics classic.
• Text reveal (particles that assemble) - particles emitted elsewhere, then converging with pFollow toward the text position. A "gradual build" effect.
• An image turning into a cloud - particles from an image + gravity + turbulence = an image that evaporates into colored smoke.
• Artistic pixelation - low Density + a custom Style Bitmap = a pixel-art render of the source image with sprites.
• Rebuilding from chaos - the reverse of the dissolve: chaotic particles that gradually line up to form the image.
• Video as particles - animated footage + Create Every Frame ON = each frame emits new particles that drift away, a visual trail.

• Density 0.3-0.5 is often enough - Density 1.0 (one per pixel) on a 1080p image = 2M particles → an almost guaranteed crash. Lower it.
• Alpha Threshold 0.5 for clean edges - keeps semi-transparent edge pixels from emitting "ghost" particles.
• Lock Color for frozen effects - each particle keeps its original color. Perfect for dissolving a static logo.
• A reasonable Image Size - shrink the source image to 256×256 or 512×512 with a Resize before pImage Emitter = much better performance for previews.
• Style Bitmap for visual quality - instead of plain Points, use a Style Bitmap (a small blob or glow) so the particles look nicer.
• For advanced logo breakup effects, combine pImage Emitter + pTurbulence (chaos) + pDirectionalForce (dispersion) + pKill (off-frame cleanup).