2. Modify the Emitter

To create more realistic-looking dust, you’ll need to set your sprite material property to the material you created, then modify the module inputs to adjust the sprite properties that hang in the air so they'll appear more like dust particles.

1. Click Sprite Renderer in the emitter to open the Sprite Renderer options in the Details panel.

2. Click the Material dropdown arrow and select the Dust material. The sprites use the dust material in the preview window.

Next, edit the particle Shape Location to spread the sprites out and determine the center of the dust cluster.

1. Click Shape Location in the emitter to open the Shape Location options in the Details panel.

2. Select Box/Plane from the Shape Primitive dropdown menu. This creates an invisible box where the sprites spawn then spread throughout the shape.

3. Change the Box Size options:

• X: 450.0

• Y: 450.0

• Z: 450.0

1. Select Random Range Vector from the Box Midpoint dropdown menu.

2. Change the Maximum axis values:

• X: 2.00

• Y: 2.00

• Z: 2.00

This causes the box’s overall shape to adjust into 3D quadrants around the origin.

Next, edit the Initialize Particle options to set the particles lifecycle range and sprite size.

1. Click Initialize Particle in the emitter to open the Initialize particle options in the Details panel.

2. Select Random from the Lifetime Mode dropdown menu.

3. Change the Lifetime Min and Max values:

• Min: 5.0

• Max: 8.0

  

1. Scroll down and change the Sprite Size Mode option to Random Uniform.

2. Change the Uniform Sprite Size Min and Max values:

• Min: 2.0

• Max: 3.5

1. Select Random from the Sprite Rotation Mode dropdown menu.

2. Select Random X/Y from the Sprite UV Mode dropdown menu.

   

Edit the Scale Sprite Size for the particles so the sprites that spawn into the room have a range that mimics real dust.

1. Click Scale Sprite Size in the emitter to open the Initialize particle options in the Details panel.

2. Drag the second key point between 6–4.

3. Drag the third key point between 8–6.

   

Edit the Spawn Rate for the particles so they spawn in a range determined by the Minimum and Maximum settings.

1. Click Spawn Rate in the emitter to open the Spawn Rate options in the Details panel.

2. Select Random Range Float from the SpawnRate dropdown menu. The value is selected each time the Emitter loops, every 2 seconds.

3. Change the Spawn Rate values:

• Minimum: 75.0

• Maximum: 200.0

1. Uncheck the Recalculate Random Each Loop option.

   

This visual effect is perfect for a room where a large window lets in sunlight.

This effect works great for a room with a large amount of light, but what if you want to use this effect in a shaft of light? The next tutorial edits the sprite effect shape to create a shaft of illuminated dust.

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