xpDataExporter

With xpDataExporter, you can export a snapshot of particle data at any time, in comma-separated value (CSV) format.

You can then import this into a variety of other applications.

To use the exporter, you first need some particle data.

Set up the scene, run it for however many frames you wish and then call up the exporter dialog box.

Remember that this process is not a cache; it takes a snapshot of one frame of particle data.

You don’t have to export all possible particle data; it is likely that the importing application can only handle some of it and would be confused if unwanted data was exported.

With this in mind, the first thing you need to do is decide which data needs to be exported; for that you will need to see the documentation of the importing application.

The data export dialog has two lists: Available Fields and Export Fields.

The fields in the Available Fields list will not be exported, they are the data items which you can export if you want to.

To export a data item, select it in the Available Fields list and click the button marked >>>> to move it to the Export Fields list.

If you decide not to export a field after all, simply select it in the Export Fields list and click the button marked <<<< to move it to the Available Fields list.

The field will be moved back to the bottom of that list.

The importing application may expect the data to be in a specific order.

You will need to establish the expected order and arrange the list in the Export Fields list accordingly.

To re-order the list, select the field in the Export Fields list and use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to change the field position; repeat with any other fields which need to be changed.

The importing application may expect each data field to have a specific name in order to match the correct data to the correct field.

If that is what is needed then you can leave the order in the Export Fields list alone but you will have to rename the data fields.

If you need to do this, select the field in the Export Fields list then, from the Edit menu in the dialog box, choose Edit Field…

A small dialog box will appear into which you can type the new name.

Click OK to close this dialog and save the name.

The xpDataExporter is not an object added to the Objects Manager, like the Data Importer.

It is a command you invoke from the main X-Particles menu, which displays the dialog box below.

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xpDataExporter dialog box.

Emitter

Drag an emitter into this field.

This is the emitter whose particle data will be exported.

Export File

This is the file to which the data will be saved.

It can be an existing file (which will be overwritten) or a new file.

If the file has no extension, the .extension ‘.csv’ will be added automatically but, if it already has an extension, no change will be made.

Export Headers

If checked, the exporter will create the first line of the file, as a header row, containing the data field names separated by the delimiter character.

The field names are the names shown in the Export Fields list and are saved in that order

Max Number

If you had a million particles on screen and export them all, this would produce quite a large data file.

You can restrict the number saved by entering any number in this field.

Delimiter

Set as Comma, by default, this drop-down lets you indicate which character is used as a delimiter in the data file.

The most common is a comma, but tabs and semicolons are also popular.

Use the drop-down to specify the delimiter to use.

If you want to create a file which must use something else, you can select Other, then enter the character in the Custom field.

Some applications are very specific about the delimiter they require, others are more flexible.

Custom

This is the field delimiter character to use if Other is selected in the Delimiter setting.

Position Space

When position data for the particle is exported it can be treated as either World or Local data.

Set as Local, by default, this drop-down lets you select which one to use.

If you choose World, the data is treated as being in 3D world space, so no matter where the emitter is located the particle position in the 3D world will be used.

If Local is selected, the position is taken as relative to the emitter, so the exported position may be different from the world position, depending on the emitter position.

If they are being emitted from an object, you should ensure that the emitter and the object have the same world position (and rotation, if either are rotated).

If the positions (and/or rotations) are different, the particle positions will not be local to the emitting object.

Direction Space

This is exactly the same as the Position Space setting except that the exported particle direction is either set to World or Local space.

Color Space

Color values in data files may take several different formats and the importing application will almost certainly have its own requirement for how color data is handled.

Set as RGB (…255), by default, this drop-down lets you choose which color space to use.

RGB (0…255)

This is probably the most common choice.

The color is expressed in three data fields: one for red, green, and blue respectively.

A value of 0 means there is none of that component in the final color, a value of 255 means that component is at its maximum amount.

RGD (0…1)

Exactly the same as RGB (0…255) except that the range is given from 0.0 to 1.0 (the format used internally by X-Particles).

RGB (0…100%)

Exactly the same as RGB (0…1) except that the range is given from 0.0% to 100.0%.

HSV

The color is exported in Hue, Saturation and Value format.

HSL

The color is exported in Hue, Saturation and Luminance format.

Rotation Units

If the data file contains rotation values, these can be expressed in either Degrees or Radians.

Select the method used from this drop-down.

Available Fields, Export Fields

These are two lists containing the names of the fields which will be exported (the Export Fields list) and those which are available to be exported (the Available Fields list).

Only the fields in the Export Fields list will be exported.

Export All

Click this button to move all fields from the Available Fields list to the Export Fields list.

Restore All

Click this button to move all fields from the Export Fields list back to the Available Fields list.

>>>>, <<<<

These are used to move fields between the two lists.

Move Up, Move Down

These are used to re-order the list of fields, as explained above.

Export Data

Once you have set everything up, simply click this button to export the data.

Cancel

Click this button to cancel the export and close the dialog.