ParticleSun is a fast, lightweight particle engine that uses 3D vectors for its calculations, allowing for the particles to be viewed in a three-dimensional environment. It’s expandable and comes with an effect explorer, code generator and a fully-documented API.

Sample

package {
	import com.blueflamedev.effects.ParticleSeed;
	import com.blueflamedev.events.ParticleEvent;
	import com.blueflamedev.math.Vector3D;

	import flash.display.Bitmap;
	import flash.display.Sprite;
	import flash.geom.Rectangle;

	public class Bubbles extends Sprite
	{
		//the particle generator
		private var bubbleSeed:ParticleSeed;
		//the background
		private var bg:Sprite;
		//holds the particles and particle generator
		private var holder:Sprite;

		public function Bubbles()
		{
			stage.align = "topLeft";
			stage.scaleMode = "noScale";

			bg = new Bg();
			addChild(bg);

			holder = new Sprite();
			addChild(holder);
			holder.y = bg.height / 2;//sets the z-axis vanishing point in the middle (rather than the upper-left)
			holder.x = bg.width / 2; 

			createBubbleSeed(); //set all the variables for the particle effect
		}

		//creates the particle system
		private function createBubbleSeed():void
		{
			bubbleSeed = new ParticleSeed(holder);
			bubbleSeed.particle = Bubble; // (set the particle to the bubble graphic)
			bubbleSeed.bounds = new Rectangle(-750, 300, 1500, 10); // (the bubbles will spawn anywhere within this rectangle)
			bubbleSeed.force = new Vector3D(0, -.2, 0); // (add gravity (x, y, z))
			bubbleSeed.setMagnitude(0, 0); //no initial trajectory
			bubbleSeed.releaseInterval = 250; // (release one bubble per half second
			bubbleSeed.duration = 15000; // (bubbles fade out after 15,000 ms)
			bubbleSeed.start(); // (start propagation)
			holder.addChild(bubbleSeed); // (add the seed to the stage).

			bubbleSeed.addEventListener(ParticleEvent.CREATE, onParticleCreate);
		}

		//randomly places the bubbles on the Z axis when they're created.
		private function onParticleCreate(event:ParticleEvent):void
		{
			bubbleSeed.z = Math.random() * 600;
		}
	}
}