The Grid Emitter emits particles on a 2D or 3D grid.
Step-by-step instructions on using the Grid Emitter
Start with a new comp (Ctrl/Cmd-N), make it 640*480 at 30 fps. 5 seconds long.
Create a comp-sized solid (Ctrl/Cmd-Y), make sure to click "Make Comp Size" before OK.
Apply Effect>Trapcode>Particular to the solid.
In Particular, set Emitter>Emitter Type to Grid.
Set Emitter>Velocity to 0 (zero) so particles are emitted without velocity.
Step one frame ahead (PgDn) so the particles can be seen:
To make the grid larger:
Set Emitter>Emitter Size X to 200.
Set Emitter>Emitter Size Y to 200.
To have more particles in the grid, go into Options and in the "Grid Emitter" section, set:
Particles in X to 10
Particles in Y to 20
Now, we'll add some gravity:
Set Physics>Gravity to 200.
Hit RAM preview:
All the particles in the grid are emitted at once. Let's try another mode of emission where the grid is traversed.
Go into Options and in the "Grid Emitter" section, check the "Traverse" option.
Set Emitter>Particles/sec to 50.
Set Emitter>Z Rotate to 180.
Hit RAM preview:
