MonoGame.Samples/Particle3D

Particle3D Sample - MonoGame 3.8

This is a modernized version of the MonoGame Particle3D sample, demonstrating advanced 3D particle effects using MonoGame 3.8.4 framework.

Project Overview

The Particle3D Sample showcases various particle systems including:

• Explosions with smoke
• Fire effects
• Projectile trails
• Smoke plumes
• Various particle emitters and systems

The project demonstrates how to create custom particle effects using vertex buffers, custom shaders, and particle settings that can be configured via XML files.

Project Structure

• Game.cs - Main game class handling initialization, updates, and rendering
• ParticleSystem.cs - Core particle system implementation
• ParticleEmitter.cs - Particle emission logic
• ParticleVertex.cs - Custom vertex structure for particles
• Projectile.cs - Projectile implementation with trail effects
• ParticleSettings/ - Library containing particle configuration classes

Supported Platforms

This modernized version supports the following platforms using .NET 8.0:

Using Visual Studio Code

1. Open the workspace in VS Code.
2. Use the build/run tasks for your platform (see .vscode/tasks.json and .vscode/launch.json).
3. Select the desired launch configuration and press F5 to run.

Project Structure (Post-Refactor)

• /Core - Shared game and particle system code
• /Platforms/Windows - Windows-specific entry point and project
• /Platforms/Desktop - DesktopGL (OpenGL) entry point and project
• /Platforms/Android - Android entry point and project
• /Platforms/iOS - iOS entry point and project

All platform projects reference /Core for shared logic. Platform-specific code and entry points are separated to minimize #if/#endif usage.

dotnet build Platforms/Windows/Particle3DSample.Windows.csproj
dotnet run --project Platforms/Windows/Particle3DSample.Windows.csproj

DesktopGL (Cross-platform OpenGL)

dotnet build Platforms/Desktop/Particle3DSample.DesktopGL.csproj
dotnet run --project Platforms/Desktop/Particle3DSample.DesktopGL.csproj

Android

dotnet build Platforms/Android/Particle3DSample.Android.csproj
dotnet run --project Platforms/Android/Particle3DSample.Android.csproj

iOS

dotnet build Platforms/iOS/Particle3DSample.iOS.csproj
dotnet run --project Platforms/iOS/Particle3DSample.iOS.csproj

Using Visual Studio Code

1. Open the workspace in VS Code.
2. Use the build/run tasks for your platform (see .vscode/tasks.json and .vscode/launch.json).
3. Select the desired launch configuration and press F5 to run.

Project Structure (Post-Refactor)

• /Core - Shared game and particle system code
• /Platforms/Windows - Windows-specific entry point and project
• /Platforms/Desktop - DesktopGL (OpenGL) entry point and project
• /Platforms/Android - Android entry point and project
• /Platforms/iOS - iOS entry point and project

All platform projects reference /Core for shared logic. Platform-specific code and entry points are separated to minimize #if/#endif usage. dotnet build Particle3DSample.DesktopGL.csproj dotnet run --project Particle3DSample.DesktopGL.csproj

#### Android

bash dotnet build Particle3DSample.Android.csproj

Deploy to connected device or emulator

dotnet build Particle3DSample.Android.csproj -t:Run

### Using Visual Studio Code

1. Open the project folder in VS Code
2. Use the integrated terminal or Command Palette
3. Run tasks:
   - `Ctrl+Shift+P` → "Tasks: Run Task"
   - Select "build-windows", "build-desktopgl", or "build-android"
   - Or use "run-windows" or "run-desktopgl" to build and run

#### Available VS Code Tasks
- `build-windows` - Build Windows version
- `build-desktopgl` - Build DesktopGL version
- `build-android` - Build Android version
- `run-windows` - Build and run Windows version
- `run-desktopgl` - Build and run DesktopGL version
- `clean-all` - Clean all projects
- `restore-all` - Restore NuGet packages

## Controls

- **Mouse** - Look around
- **Left Click** - Fire projectiles with particle trails
- **Right Click** - Create explosion effects
- **WASD** - Move camera
- **Space/Shift** - Move up/down
- **Escape** - Exit application

## Technical Details

### Modern .NET Features
- Uses SDK-style project files for simplified configuration
- Targets .NET 8.0 for best performance and modern language features
- Uses MonoGame 3.8.* NuGet packages instead of project references
- Nullable reference types enabled for better code safety

### Content Pipeline
The project uses pre-built .xnb content files located in the `Content/` directory:
- Particle textures (explosion.xnb, fire.xnb, smoke.xnb)
- Particle settings XML files and compiled .xnb versions
- Font files for UI text
- 3D model files

### Particle System Features
- Custom vertex structures optimized for particle rendering
- Hardware-accelerated particle rendering using vertex buffers
- XML-based particle system configuration
- Multiple particle emitter types
- Physics-based particle movement and effects

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

1. **Missing MonoGame Dependencies**

bash dotnet restore ```

1. Content not found errors

   • Ensure all .xnb files are in the Content directory
   • Check that content files are set to "Copy to Output Directory"

2. Graphics/Shader Issues

   • Try the DesktopGL version for better cross-platform compatibility
   • Ensure graphics drivers are up to date

3. Android Build Issues

   • Install Android workload: dotnet workload install android
   • Ensure Android SDK is properly configured

Performance Tips

• The sample is optimized for desktop performance
• On mobile devices, consider reducing particle counts in settings XML files
• Use the DesktopGL version for better cross-platform compatibility

Contributing

This is a sample project demonstrating MonoGame 3.8 features. Feel free to use it as a reference for your own particle system implementations.

License

This sample is provided as-is for educational and reference purposes.