---
title: "03 - Parameter Overview"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/03-Trapcode-Particular-overview-of-the-interface.html"
section_path: "Particles and 3D > Trapcode Particular > 03 - Parameter Overview"
description: "When you first apply Particular, you'll see an array of parameters which can all be expanded using their twirl-down (>) buttons. Below, you'll find brief …"
---

# 03 - Parameter Overview

Particular

### Parameter Overview

When you first apply Particular, you'll see an array of parameters which can all be expanded using their twirl-down (>) buttons. Below, you'll find brief summaries of what these parameters control, along with links to other parts of this user guide that provide more detailed information.

- The [Designer](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/04-Trapcode-Particular-overview-of-the-designer.html.md) is a more modular, intuitive interface for building and previewing particle settings. It also features a gallery of customizable presets for you to explore and potentially use as jumping-off points to create whatever effect you desire.
- The [Show System](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/14-Trapcode-Particular-working-multiple-systems.html.md) group contains controls that allow you to show, hide, add, or remove multiple particle emitters from your Particular layer.\
  *Note that selecting different systems in this group will affect the suffix to the labels for the following groups. For example, if you add and select System 2, the suffix “S2” will be added to all parameters for that system.*
- The [Emitter group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/15-Trapcode-Particular-emitter.html.md) generates particles. This section controls the shape of the emitter, its initial direction, particle velocity, and moving and rotating the Emitter.
- The [Particle group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/22-Trapcode-Particular-particle.html.md) controls the particles' properties, such as size, opacity, and color. This section also controls how the properties vary over particles' lifespans. The Particle group contains an important pop-up called [Particle Type,](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/23-Trapcode-Particular-particle-type.html.md) which sets the base shape of particles.
- The [Environment](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/29-Trapcode-Particular-environment.html.md) group contains parameters to control the outside forces acting upon your particle systems, such as Gravity, Wind, and Air Turbulence.
- [Physics Simulations](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/30-Trapcode-Particular-physics-simulations.html.md) includes exciting new particle behaviors, including Bounce, Meander, Flocking, and Fluids.
- The [Fast Physics group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/35-Trapcode-Particular-displace-drift-and-spin.html.md) includes physics emulations, such as Drift, Turbulence, and Spherical Fields, that don’t require burdensome rendering times.
- [Global Controls (All Systems)](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/48-Trapcode-Particular-global-controls.html.md) parameters, such as Pre Run, Physics Time Factor, and World Transform, affect all emitters globally.
- The [Layer Maps group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/41-Trapcode-Particular-layer-maps.html.md) provides a means of driving various aspects of a particle field via the color, alpha, and luminance values of a source layer.
- The [Lighting group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/51-Trapcode-Particular-lighting-group.html.md) includes all Shading effects, such as [Shadowlets](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/52-Trapcode-Particular-lighting-shadowlet.html.md). (Shadowlets creates a shadow off the main light for soft self-shadowing.)
- The [Visibility group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/53-Trapcode-Particular-visibility.html.md) gives control over where particles are visible. For example, particles far away can be set to fade out. There are also obscuration settings here, which allow layers in the composition to obscure particles.
- The [Rendering group](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/55-Trapcode-Particular-rendering.html.md) controls how particles look when they render. The [Motion Blur](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/57-Trapcode-Particular-render-motion-blur.html.md) feature gives fast-moving particles a smooth look, as a real camera does.