Looking for a good particle engine

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good BlitzMax particle module (free or commercial)?

It's coming... ;)

This isn't a standalone system, but it does quite a lot, and it's GPU-based.

Introduction to Particles
http://www.leadwerks.com/files/Tutorials/CPP/Introduction_To_Particles.pdf
http://www.leadwerks.com/files/Tutorials/CPP/Introduction_To_Particles.wmv

Heat Haze
http://www.leadwerks.com/files/Tutorials/CPP/Heat_Haze.pdf
http://www.leadwerks.com/files/Tutorials/CPP/Heat_Haze.wmv

Pretty nice work.

My simple particle system include an easy to use editor:

http://intermediaware.com/index.php?id=289

Here's my particle module...

yah.mod/particles.mod/particles.bmx

SuperStrict

Rem
bbdoc:	Yahfree's particle engine
about:	library of functions to handle particles
EndRem
Module Yah.particles

ModuleInfo "Name: Yahfree's particle engine"
ModuleInfo "Description: engine for handling particles"
ModuleInfo "License: Public Domain"
ModuleInfo "Author: Yahfree"

Import BRL.Map
Import BRL.LinkedList
Import BRL.D3D7Max2D
Import BRL.Random

Import "Include/cParticles.cpp"
Include "Include/bParticles.bmx"

yah.mod/particles.mod/Include/cParticles.cpp

#include <math.h>
#define DEG_TO_RAD 0.0174532925199432957692369076848861

//Functions to grab a Radian sin/cos not in degrees.
double Sin2( double ang ){
	return sin( ang*DEG_TO_RAD );
}
double Cos2( double ang ){
	return cos( ang*DEG_TO_RAD );
}

// All the stuff that can be accessed in bmax
extern "C" {

    // our particle class
    class cParticle {
    public:
          // all the variables associated with a particle
          float x;
          float y;
          float a;
          int r;
		 float s;
          float dx;
          float dy;
          float da;
          int maxdistance;
          float speed;
          int dir;
          int fade;
		 int scale;
          int z;
          
          // constructor (AKA Create())
          cParticle(float, float, int, float, int, bool, bool, bool, int);
          // destructor have not found a use yet
          ~cParticle();
          
          //Update particle
          void Update(float, float, float, float); 
    };
    
    // Our class functions redefined:
           
    // constuctor
    cParticle::cParticle(float _x, float _y, int _dir = 0, 
                               float _speed = 0, 
                          int frames = 1, bool _fade = false, 
                          bool _autorot = false, bool _scale = false, int _z = 0) {
                
  		z = _z;
		x = _x;
		y = _y;
		speed = _speed;
		dir = _dir;
		dx = (Sin2(dir) * speed); 
		dy = (-Cos2(dir) * speed);
		da = 1.0 / frames;
		a = 1.0;
		s = 1.0;
		maxdistance = frames;
		if(dir > 0&&_autorot > 0){
			r = dir;
		}

		if(_fade > 0) {
			fade = true;
        }
		if(_autoscale > 0)  {
			scale = true;
		}
                               
    
    }
    //destructor
    cParticle::~cParticle() {
        
        // code for destructor
    }      
    
             
    void cParticle::Update(float ax,float ay,float fx, float fy) {
		dx = dx+fx;
		dy = dy+fy;
		x=x+dx+ax;
		y=y+dy+ay;
		if( fade == true ) { a=a-da; }
		if( scale == true ) { s=s-da; }
		maxdistance--;
    }
    
    // mainsteam functions:
                 
    // Wrap function to create a particle
    cParticle *cCreateParticle(float _x, float _y, int _dir = 0, 
                               float _speed = 0, 
                          int frames = 1, bool _fade = false, 
                          bool _autorot = false, bool _scale = false, int _z = 0) {
         cParticle *p; // particle that we will return
         p = new cParticle(_x, _y, _dir, 
                           _speed, frames, 
                           _fade, 
                           _autorot, _scale,
						 _z); // basicly shove the arguments of this function into a constructor
         return p;
    }
    
    //Wrap function to delete a particle
    void cDeleteParticle(cParticle *p) {
         if (p != 0) { delete p; }
    }
    
    //Wrap function to update a particle
    void cUpdateParticle(cParticle *p, float ax, float ay, float fx, float fy){
         if (p != 0){ p->Update(ax, ay, fx, fy); }
    }
    
    //functions to get various states of a particle
    float cPX(cParticle *p) {
         if (p != 0){ return p->x; }
    }
    float cPY(cParticle *p) {
         if (p != 0){ return p->y; }
    }
    float cPA(cParticle *p) {
         if (p != 0){ return p->a; }
    }
	float cPS(cParticle *p) {
         if (p != 0){ return p->s; }
    }
    int cPR(cParticle *p) {
         if (p != 0){ return p->r; }
    }
    int cPLife(cParticle *p) {
        if (p != 0){ return p->maxdistance; }
    }
}

yah.mod/particles.mod/Include/bParticles.bmx

Private

'Wrap functions from the particle C++ code
Extern "C"
	Function cCreateParticle:Byte Ptr(_x:Float, _y:Float, _dir:Int = 0, _speed:Float = 0, frames:Int = 1, _fade:Int = False, _autorot:Int = False, _z:Int = 0)
	Function cUpdateParticle(p:Byte Ptr, ax:Float, ay:Float, fx:Float, fy:Float)
	Function cDeleteParticle(p:Byte Ptr)
	Function cPX:Float(p:Byte Ptr)
	Function cPY:Float(p:Byte Ptr)
	Function cPA:Float(p:Byte Ptr)
	Function cPR:Int(p:Byte Ptr)
	Function cPLife:Int(p:Byte Ptr)
End Extern


'TParticle type, basicly a wrapper w/ drawing functions for the class counterpart.
Global ParticleList:TList = CreateList()

Type TParticle
	Field img:TImage 'particle img...
	Field cBuddy:Byte Ptr 'the handle for our c++ counterpart.
	Field z:Int 'an 'ID' that we call on to give us seperate drawing abilities
	
	Method Create:TParticle(_x:Float, _y:Float, _img:TImage, _dir:Int = 0, _speed:Float = 0, frames:Int = 1, _fade:Int = False, _autorot:Int = False, _scale:Int = False, _z:Int = 0)
		'create a "c" particle and give it's handle to the cbuddy variable
		cBuddy = cCreateParticle(_x, _y, _dir, _speed, frames, _fade, _autorot, _scale, _z)
		'Add this object to the particle list
		ListAddLast(ParticleList,Self)
		'Add some given arguments to the object
		img = _img
		z = _z
	End Method
	
	Method Update(addx:Float, addy:Float, forcex:Float=0, forcey:Float=0)
		'Update the "c" particle
		cUpdateParticle(cBuddy, addx, addy, forcex, forcey)
		'Grab the new x/y positions of the "c" particle(so we only have to use this function once per loop)
		Local x:Float = cPX(cBuddy)
		Local y:Float = cPY(cBuddy)
		
		'check for conditions for destroying a particle
		If cPLife(cBuddy) = 0 Or x > GraphicsWidth()+ImageWidth(img) Or x < 0-ImageWidth(img) Or y > GraphicsHeight()+ImageHeight(img) Or y < 0-ImageHeight(img)
			Destroy()
			Return
		End If
		
		'Draw the given img at the "c" Particle's locations 
		SetAlpha cPA(cBuddy)
		SetRotation cPR(cBuddy) 
		SetScale cPS(cBuddy),cPS(cBuddy)
		DrawImage img , x , y
		SetScale 1,1
		SetAlpha 1
		SetRotation 0
	End Method
	
	Method Destroy()
		ParticleList.Remove(Self) ' destroy bmax particle
		cDeleteParticle(cBuddy) 'destroy C++ counterpart
	End Method
	
End Type

Public

Rem
bbdoc: ParticleExplosion creator
about: Creates a particle explosion at X and Y with Image with a certain N of particles, that lasts a certain amount of Frames and can have a SpeedMultiplyer, and a Z location(to specify where rendered)
returns: Nothing
EndRem
Function ParticleExplosion(_x:Float, _y:Float, image:TImage, n:Int, frames:Int, speed_multiplyer:Float = 0, ar:Int = False, _z:Int = 0)
	Local speed:Float
	
	For Local i:Int = 1 To n
		Local dir:Int = Rand(0, 359)'random directions
		
		If speed_multiplyer
			speed = Rnd(0.08*speed_multiplyer, 1.5*speed_multiplyer) 'multiplie base speed by multiplier
		Else
			speed = Rnd(0.08, 1.5) 'base speed if no multiplier
		End If
		
		Local part:TParticle = New TParticle.Create(_x, _y, image, dir, speed, frames - 10 + Rand((frames*1.40)), True, ar, False, _z)
	Next
	
End Function

Rem
bbdoc: Particle update routine
about: Updates particles at said Z level, you can add a optional force routine for things such as gravity.
returns: Nothing
EndRem
Function UpdateParticlesZ(z:Int = 0, addx:Float = 0, addy:Float = 0, forcex:Float = 0, forcey:Float = 0)	
	For Local UpdateP:TParticle = EachIn ParticleList
		If UpdateP.z = z
			UpdateP.Update(addx, addy, forcex, forcey)
		End If
	Next
End Function

Rem
bbdoc: Particle creator
about: Creates a particle at said point with said attributes
returns: Nothing
EndRem
Function EmitParticle(_x:Float, _y:Float, image:TImage, frames:Int, fade:Int = True, dir:Int = 0, speed:Float = 0, ar:Int = False, _scale:Int = False, _z:Int = 0)

	Local part:TParticle = New TParticle.Create(_x, _y, image, dir, speed, frames, fade, ar, _scale, _z)

End Function

Rem
bbdoc: Clear particlesZ function
about: Clears all particles on the given Z level.
returns: Nothing
End Rem
Function ClearParticlesZ(z:Int = 0)
	For Local delp:TParticle = EachIn ParticleList
		If delp.z = z
			delp.Destroy
		End If
	Next
End Function

Rem
bbdoc: Particle count function
about: Returns the particle count
returns: The particle count
End Rem
Function ParticleCount:Int()
	Return ParticleList.Count()
End Function