With PopcornFX v2, we ship a set of basic templates, which we call the PopcornFX core template library.

It defines a set of template nodes, ranging from script function wrappers such as “scene.axisUp()”, to more advanced event placement nodes, physics, collision, and trail nodes, with a whole spectrum of helpers in-between, such as color helpers, rotation helpers, and much more.

You can create effects without using the core template library, but it is not recommended.
It contains the building blocks which will allow you to quickly create complex effects.

By default, the core template library files are located, from the root of your project, in “Library/PopcornFXCore/Templates”

We currently provide 11 core template files:

• Core.pkfx : All core templates, samplers, scene.axisUp, scene.dt, self.lifeRatio, view.position, etc…
• Events.pkfx : Event and layer helpers. Contains the event processing nodes such as the event multiplier
• Samplers.pkfx : Sampling helpers. Contains the sampling nodes that allow to sample resource nodes (images, shapes, vector-fields, …)
• Dynamics.pkfx : Contains movement templates such as the Physics or Collision templates
• Trails.pkfx : Contains the generic trail template, which helps spawning child particles.
• Color.pkfx : Contains color-related helper templates
• Placement.pkfx : Contains placement templates, which are a variation of the multiplier node, and can pulse events laid-out along specific patterns such as spheres, circles, grids, etc..
• Utils.pkfx : Contains various misc helpers, such as emitter placement templates.
• Debug.pkfx : Contains various debug helpers, such as line-drawing templates to visually plot particle properties such as velocity, axes, etc.
• CurvePresets.pkfx : Contains some presets for the curve editor (since v2.4.0)
• Legacy.pkfx : Contains helper templates that reproduce the functionality of most v1 evolvers, here you’ll find the physics, collision, trail, field, rotation, containment, projection, attractor, and flipbook evolvers.

Core library updates

We update the core template library automatically with every new release, and keep fleshing it up, fixing usability issues along the way, based on community feedback.

You should not modify the template library files !
When opening your projects with a new PopcornFX editor build, it will overwrite the entire template library with the updated version. Therefore, any changes you made to the corelib files will be lost.

Breaking changes

Even though we try to avoid these when possible, sometimes we need to change the way some templates work, for the greater good 🙂
When we do this, the editor knows about it and is able to patch your effects so they still work with the new changes. You shouldn’t have to worry about anything.

Your project will appear as needing upgrades. If you choose to upgrade, it will open with the new editor version. The editor will silently update the corelib files. It will patch your effects so they produce the same results with the new corelib changes.

This robust upgrade system is what allows us to keep moving forward without having to support hard to use legacy stuff during years. It also allows to stay in sync with the user feedbacks and the advances of the tech behind PopcornFX, and keep the corelib fresh and efficient.