---
title: About the Particle Emitter Editor
framework: ides
role: article
path: apple-archive/documentation/IDEs/Conceptual/xcode_guide-particle_emitter/Introduction
---

# About the Particle Emitter Editor

Describes how to simulate rain, snow, fire, and other particle effects in a game.

## At a Glance

Particle emitters provide you with a quick and efficient way to add special effects to their SpriteKit apps. Emitters can range from a single image that barely moves to thousands of small particles flying around the screen. You can control the following emitter items:

- The number of particles created and the maximum number of particles allowed - How long each particle lasts before disappearing - Where the particle is created - The direction that the particle moves out from its creation point - The size of the particle and whether it expands or shrinks over its lifetime - The rotation, if any, of the particle - How the color of the particle changes throughout its lifetime

## How to Use This Document

This document is intended for developers that are incorporating particle emitters into their SpriteKit–enabled apps. The following chapters describe how to use and add an emitter to your app:

- [Getting Started with the Particle Emitter](../GettingStartedwiththeParticleEmitter/GettingStartedwiththeParticleEmitter.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013297-CH3-SW1) shows how to incorporate a particle emitter into your SpriteKit–enabled Xcode project. It also lists and describes the different particle emitter templates included with Xcode. - [Manipulating the Particle Emitter](../ManipulatingtheParticleEmitter/ManipulatingtheParticleEmitter.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013297-CH2-SW1) shows how to change the look and feel of a particle emitter.

## See Also

For additional information on SpriteKit and particle emitters, see the following:

- The [SKEmitterNode Class Reference](http://developer.apple.com/reference/spritekit/skemitternode) contains the API references for SpriteKit. - The *[SpriteKit Programming Guide](../../../../GraphicsAnimation/Conceptual/SpriteKit_PG/Introduction/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013043)* shows you how to create a SpriteKit–enabled app. - The [Xcode Help](https://help.apple.com/xcode/) shows you how to use Xcode to create and develop your app.

[Next](../GettingStartedwiththeParticleEmitter/GettingStartedwiththeParticleEmitter.html)

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