Sub-emitters in Unity - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Unity Particle System with Sub-emitters

📖 Scenario: You are creating a simple Unity particle effect where one particle system triggers another smaller particle system when particles die. This is useful for effects like sparks that burst when a firework particle disappears.

🎯 Goal: Build a Unity script that sets up a main particle system and adds a sub-emitter particle system that triggers on particle death.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a main particle system GameObject called mainParticleSystem

Create a sub-emitter particle system GameObject called subEmitterSystem

Add the subEmitterSystem as a sub-emitter to mainParticleSystem triggered on particle death

Print a confirmation message when the sub-emitter is successfully added

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Sub-emitters are used in games and simulations to create rich visual effects like explosions, sparks, and smoke that react dynamically.

💼 Career

Understanding particle systems and sub-emitters is important for game developers and visual effects artists working with Unity to create immersive experiences.

1

Create the main particle system GameObject

Create a variable called mainParticleSystem and assign it a new GameObject with a ParticleSystem component.

Unity

# Create the main particle system GameObject
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use new GameObject("MainParticleSystem").AddComponent<ParticleSystem>() to create the particle system.

2

Create the sub-emitter particle system GameObject

Create a variable called subEmitterSystem and assign it a new GameObject with a ParticleSystem component.

Unity

using UnityEngine;

public class ParticleSetup : MonoBehaviour
{
    ParticleSystem mainParticleSystem;
    ParticleSystem subEmitterSystem;

    void Start()
    {
        mainParticleSystem = new GameObject("MainParticleSystem").AddComponent();
        // Create the sub-emitter particle system GameObject
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use new GameObject("SubEmitterSystem").AddComponent<ParticleSystem>() to create the sub-emitter.

3

Add the sub-emitter to the main particle system

Use mainParticleSystem.subEmitters.AddSubEmitter to add subEmitterSystem as a sub-emitter triggered on ParticleSystemSubEmitterType.Death with ParticleSystemSubEmitterProperties.InheritNothing.

Unity

using UnityEngine;

public class ParticleSetup : MonoBehaviour
{
    ParticleSystem mainParticleSystem;
    ParticleSystem subEmitterSystem;

    void Start()
    {
        mainParticleSystem = new GameObject("MainParticleSystem").AddComponent();
        subEmitterSystem = new GameObject("SubEmitterSystem").AddComponent();
        // Add the sub-emitter to the main particle system
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use AddSubEmitter method with the correct parameters to link the sub-emitter.

4

Print confirmation message

Write a Debug.Log statement that prints "Sub-emitter added successfully!" inside the Start method after adding the sub-emitter.

Unity

using UnityEngine;

public class ParticleSetup : MonoBehaviour
{
    ParticleSystem mainParticleSystem;
    ParticleSystem subEmitterSystem;

    void Start()
    {
        mainParticleSystem = new GameObject("MainParticleSystem").AddComponent();
        subEmitterSystem = new GameObject("SubEmitterSystem").AddComponent();
        mainParticleSystem.subEmitters.AddSubEmitter(subEmitterSystem, ParticleSystemSubEmitterType.Death, ParticleSystemSubEmitterProperties.InheritNothing);
        // Print confirmation message
        // Your code here
    }
}

Need a hint?

Use Debug.Log("Sub-emitter added successfully!") to print the message.