Fork Particle is a computer graphics

Computer graphics

Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....

 visual effects

Visual effects

Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...

 modeling and software development kit

Software development kit

A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...

 (SDK) developed and sold by Fork Particle, Inc. Fork Particle uses its real time

Real-time computing

In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...

  Particle Systems

Particle Systems

Particle Systems Ltd. was a computer game developer based in Sheffield, England. The company was founded by Glyn Williams and Michael Powell. Games developed by Particle Systems include Independence War and its sequel Independence War 2: Edge of Chaos...

 technology to simulate visual effects or particle effects such as CGI

Computer-generated imagery

Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...

 explosions, fire, rain, smoke, dust, etc. Fork Particle is used in video games and visual simulation software such as a flight simulator

Flight simulator

A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and various aspects of the flight environment. This includes the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they react to applications of their controls and other aircraft systems, and how they react to the external...

. It has been licensed to game developers for PC

Personal computer

A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

, Apple Mac, Linux

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

, Xbox 360

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, and PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

.



Notable Fork Particle licensees include Trickstar Games, Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games is a computer game developer. It was founded in 1996 by Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds upon leaving MicroProse. The company focuses on strategy games and is based in Sparks, Maryland in the United States....

 , THQ

THQ

THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...

, Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...

, Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

, LEGO

Lego

Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...

, and Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

. Video games that have utilized Fork Particle’s technology include Empire Earth III

Empire Earth III

Empire Earth III, also called EE3, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Mad Doc Software and published by Sierra Entertainment, released on November 6, 2007...

, LEGO Universe

Lego Universe

Lego Universe is a massively multiplayer online game developed by NetDevil. The game was released on October 26, 2010, with an early opening for LEGO "Founders", which consisted of users who pre-ordered the game. It is globally distributed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment...

, Splosion Man, and Sid Meier's Civilization V.

Fork Particle SDK

Fork Particle's real time technology component or particle engine is meant to be integrated and used with a video game engine or computer graphics engine. Particle effects are authored by VFX artists or designers using Fork Particle’s effects modeling tool and then brought into the user’s 3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 environment or 2D computer graphics

2D computer graphics

2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...

 environment where these particle effects are simulated by Fork Particle’s engine in real time and displayed by the user application’s graphics engine.



The Fork Particle SDK includes these components: real time particle engine (Fork Runtime SDK), particle editor or modeling tool (Fork Particle Studio), live update for in application particle effects editing (Fork Live Tuner), and particle effects definitions batch file exporter.

Technology Partners

Fork Particle also includes incorporation or integrations with partner technologies:

• Microsoft Xbox360
• Sony PlayStation 3
• Havok Physics,
• Havok
  Havok (software)
  Havok Physics is a physics engine developed by Irish company Havok. It is designed primarily for video games, and allows for real-time collision and dynamics of rigid bodies in three dimensions. It provides multiple types of dynamic constraints between rigid bodies , and has a highly optimized...
  
   Vision Engine
• Emergent Gamebryo LightSpeed
• Perforce
  Perforce
  Perforce is a commercial, proprietary, centralized revision control system developed by Perforce Software, Inc.-Architecture:Perforce is a client/server system.The server manages a central database and a master repository of file versions....
  
   SCM
• Autodesk
  Autodesk
  Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...
  
   FBX
  FBX
  FBX is technology and a file format owned and developed by Autodesk. It is used to provide interoperability between digital content creation applications.-History:...
  
  
• NVidia
  NVIDIA
  Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
  
   PhysX
  PhysX
  PhysX is a proprietary realtime physics engine middleware SDK developed by Ageia with the purchase of ETH Zurich spin-off NovodeX in 2004...
  
  
• Intel (Multi-core processor support)

External links

• Fork Particle Official Website – news, updates, screenshots, and information about Fork Particle
• Develop Online feature article on Fork Particle – “Particle effects middleware Fork Particle is all about making the most of your game’s big events…”
• Develop Magazine feature article on Fork Particle – “TOOLS SPOTLIGHT” (page 50-51)
• Firaxis Civilization V news article – “Firaxis Using Fork Particle Toolset For Civ V's Visual Effects” by Eric Caoili