In this chapter, we will use special effects to put our spacecraft in outer space and even make both weapons shoot! These effects will be created with a mix of particles and composition nodes that will generate the effects in a very short time. Both techniques and tools will help a lot in this project, and both can be used in other 3D modeling and rendering projects as well.
In the last versions of Blender 3D, the particle system received a huge upgrade, making it more complex and powerful than before. This upgrade, however, made it necessary to create more parameters and options in order for the system to acts. What didn't change was the need for an object that works as emitter of the particles. The shape and look of this object will be directly related to the type of effects we want to create.
Before we discuss the effects that we will be creating, let's look at how the particles work in Blender....