Godot 4.x vapor trails and ribbon effects.
This is a new and improved version of godot_trailmesh.
VaporTrail allows you to add 3D trails via an emitter, have the shape defined by a curve and colored with a gradient. You can set the alignment of the trail mesh to camera or any if the axis of the mitter (x, y, z).
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Alignment | Defines mesh orientation: Camera, X, Y, or Z axis |
| Geometry Nodepath | Node path for mesh placement when camera unavailable |
| Num(ber of) Points | Mesh detail/length (higher = more detailed) |
| Update Interval | Frequency of new point generation (lower = smoother) |
| Randomness | Adds randomness to point sizes |
Defines how to align/orient the mesh:
- Camera: Facing camera
- X: Along the X axis
- Y: Along the Y axis
- Z: Along the Z axis
In some situations where the active camera cannot be fetched, e.g. when using viewports, this will force the mesh instance to be placed under the given node instead of directly under the VaporTrail node.
Also, if you wish to prevent the trail from disappearing when the VaporTrail node is removed, setting this allows the trail to fade out instead of abruptly disappear. This is not perfect but works for some situations.
How many points, or how detailed the mesh can be - essentially defines how long it is along with Update Interval.
When the VaporTrail mesh is moving, how often we push a new point to the mesh (or how often it is allowed to grow). The smaller this is the smoother the trail will be, but for now this is also tied to frame rate.
Adds a bit of randomness to the point size.
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Material | Material applied to the mesh (avoid billboarding) |
| Size | Width of the trail ribbon in units |
| Minimum Onscreen Size | Ensures visibility at distance (camera alignment only) |
| Size Curve | Adjusts point sizes along the trail |
| Color Gradient | Applies color variation to the trail |
| UV Shift | Animates texture by shifting UV coordinates |
| UV Alignment | UV calculation mode: Fixed (linear) or Rolling (distance-based) |
The material applied to the mesh. NOTE: as the mesh itself is already "billboarded" billboarding via material will break things.
Size of the points, 1 gives a ribbon of 1 unit width.
Correctly applies to only trails with Camera alignment. This ensures the mesh will not be smaller than the given amount of pixels when rendered. Useful for making very distant trails visible.
Gives a little bit of shape for the trail, adjusting the point size. This will affect Minimum Onscreen Size.
Gives color to your trail.
Applies simple animation by shifting the positioning of the texture in the uv x axis.
Controls how UV coordinates are calculated along the trail:
- Fixed: Linear UV progression (head is at u-coordinate 0 and tail is 1)
- Rolling: Distance-based UV progression (texture rolls along trail)