User Manual

Last Updated: 2008/06/13 as of Build 32060

Introduction and Setup

• What Is Krakatoa?
• System Requirements
• Installing Krakatoa for 3ds Max
• Licensing
  • Evaluation Licenses
  • Node-locked Licenses
  • Floating Licenses
• Troubleshooting

Quick Start

• Getting Started
• Krakatoa Macroscripts - Common UI Shortcuts
• Configuring the Renderer
• 3ds Max Settings

Tutorials

Krakatoa 1.0 and higher

• Basic Particle Rendering
  • Basic Demo File
• Saving Particles to Disk
• Matte Objects and Shadows
• Casting Shadows On Geometry
• High Particle Counts
• Using Krakatoa with Deadline
• Offsetting Saved Particles In Space and Time

Krakatoa 1.1

• Using the Krakatoa Particle Flow File Operators - Added: April 2,2008
• Blending Particle File Sequences Using Krakatoa Particle Flow Operators - Added: April 4,2008
• Using the Krakatoa Geometry Test Operator - Added: April 2,2008
• Partitioning Existing File Sequences Using Krakatoa Particle Flow Operators - NEW: April 22,2008

Frequently Asked Questions, Tips and Tricks

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Exploring Shading Options
• Understanding Particle Density
• Fading Off Particle Density By Age
• Particle Color By Speed Using Dataflow
• Particle Color By Speed Using MAXScript
• Camera Mapping Particles Using Dataflow and MAXScript incl. Animated Map Support

Work In Progress Examples

• Work In Progress User Gallery

External Resources

• External Krakatoa Resources

Krakatoa Flow Charts

• General Krakatoa Flow
• Particle Flow Deformations Flow
• Particle Culling Flow

Features

• Feature List
• Particle Color Sources
• Motion Blur
• Depth of Field
• Supported Cameras and Lights
• Ambient Participating Medium Extinction
• Casting Shadows On Geometry

Interoperability with Other 3ds Max Plugins and 3rd Party Applications

• Interoperability with Particle Flow
• Interoperability with Sitni Sati FumeFX
• Interoperability with Cebas Thinking Particles
• Interoperability with Next Limit RealFlow
• Interoperability with Other Applications

TECHNICAL REFERENCE

• Krakatoa Scripted GUI

Krakatoa GUI Rollouts

• Presets and History Rollout
• Main Controls Rollout
• Save Particles Rollout
• Channels Rollout
• Partitioning Rollout
• Scene Particle Systems Rollout
• Particle Loaders Rollout
• Thinking Particles Groups Rollout
• Matte Objects Rollout
• Shadows On Geometry Rollout
• Ambient PME Rollout
• Preferences Rollout
• User Notes Rollout
• About Rollout

Rendered Frame Window (VFB) Custom Controls

• Rendered Frame Window Extension (3ds Max 2009 and higher)

Factory and User-Defined Startup Defaults

• Factory and User-Defined Startup Defaults
• Value Presets System

Krakatoa Toolbar

• Krakatoa Toolbar - Main Settings At A Glance

Krakatoa Particle Loader

• PRT Loader Object
  • File Sequence Manager
  • Particle Culling and Normals Acquisition
  • Particle Deformations

Krakatoa Camera Modifier

• Krakatoa Camera Modifier

Krakatoa Operators in Particle Flow

• Krakatoa Options Operator
• Krakatoa File Birth Operator, Krakatoa File Update Operator, Krakatoa File ID Test
• Krakatoa Geometry Test Operator
• Legacy Krakatoa File Operators

Additional Krakatoa Utilities

• Particle Analyzer Utility
• Shadows On Geometry Utility

Particle File Format Specifications

• PRT Particle File Format Specification
• CSV Particle File Format Specification
• Real Flow BIN Particle File Format Specification
• Particle File Channels

Krakatoa and MAXScript

• MAXScript Access to Krakatoa
• Particle Loader MAXScript Exposure

Release History

• Version 1.1.1.32060 Release Notes
• Version 1.1.0.31453 Release Notes
• Version 1.0.1.29090 Release Notes
• Version 1.0.0.29022 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.19 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.18 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.17 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.16 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.15 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.13 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.12 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.10 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.9 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.8 Release Notes
• Beta 0.9.6 Release Notes