dayz-particles
DayZ Particle Effects — Complete Modding Reference
CRITICAL: .ptc AND .emat ARE PLAIN TEXT
DayZ particle files (.ptc) and material files (.emat) are plain text configs, not binary. Custom particles can be created programmatically without Workbench.
| Layer | Format | Creatable? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
.ptc |
Plain text config | YES | Particle effect (emitters, physics, curves) |
.emat |
Plain text config | YES | Material (texture ref, blend mode, color) |
.edds |
Standard DDS renamed | YES | Billboard sprite texture |
.meta |
Plain text (GUIDs) | Workbench only | NOT needed for mod runtime |
All particles are CLIENT-ONLY. Server controls state via SyncVars; client
creates/destroys particles in response.
(until 1.29: this was the documented PlayOnObject contract; wrecks gated with !g_Game.IsDedicatedServer(). SEffectManager.CreateParticleServer already existed for trees/fishing/traps.) (since 1.30 Exp: local PlayOnObject is still client-only, but ceiling dust and other synced effecters spawn on the server via CreateParticleServer; vanilla wrecks, FireplaceBase, and ParticleManager.GetInstance() now gate with !g_Game.IsHeadlessOrDedicatedServer(). Details: references/dayz-1-30-particles.md.)