Hello Everyone,
We are happy to announce phase 7 is complete. In this phase, we’ve integrated particle effects, fireworks, new lighting, dynamic environments, animated clouds, time lapse, weather effects, and more!
Theme Park Studio contains a very powerful particle engine. Users can create many types of effects using our extensive set of options and controls.
As with other modules of Theme Park Studio, particle effects are easy to use, plus fully customizable, appealing to both casual and advanced users. Casual users can enjoy a simple point-and-click method of adding particle effects to almost any scenery object, while advanced users have full access to the particle parameters for creating unique effects. We’ve introduced two new libraries: Particle Scenery and Particle Effects.
Particle Scenery
The Particle Scenery Library contains scenery objects easily placed anywhere in your scene. Like other scenery objects, simply click on the thumbnail and place the particle object in your scene. Some objects contain animated texture maps for finely detailed elements, like waterfall mist curtains. Other elements emit particles to create stunning animated visuals, like fountains and fireworks.
Particle Effects
The Particle Effects Library is useful for adding particle effects to existing objects in your scene. Adding effects is as simple as clicking on the thumbnail, and then clicking on the object in your scene you want to receive the effect. For example, if you have a cabin in your scene, click on the smoke thumbnail, and then click on the cabin chimney to instantly add smoke. The smoke effect is now part of the cabin. When you move the cabin, the particle effect moves with it. You can even attach particle effects to flat rides!
New Procedural Skies and improved lighting:
This update also includes new procedural skies and improved lighting. The new dynamic skies include animated clouds, time-lapsed lighting, lens flares, weather effects, dynamic time of day rendering, and even Crepuscular Rays, which together produce stunning results.
Optimizations
We added some performance optimizations, with more to come. Depending on your hardware configuration, some of you may notice a significant performance increase when running parks with guests.
Undo
Finally, we have been working hard to implement community requests while developing the phases. In this update, we are starting to roll out Undo. In this phase, you can undo coaster rail transformation and deletion. We will continue to work hard to fulfill backer requests over the next phases.
We look forward to moving on to Phase 8 and appreciate our backers working with us during Early Access.