Niagara does not have the option ( as far as I know ) to modify parameters of cached smoke / gas simulations.
Once your simulation of cigarette smoke, chimney smoke, etc is cached, the attributes are baked in. Once you've cached your simulation—whether it’s cigarette smoke, chimney smoke, or any other gaseous effect—the attributes are baked in. There’s no built-in way to access and adjust them afterward.
This can be frustrating, especially when you’re happy with how the simulation moves but find that changes in lighting make it look off. Normally, the only solution would be to recache the entire simulation, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. Unlike traditional fluid simulations that rely on materials for their final look, Niagara’s fluid sims don’t offer that flexibility.
Here’s the approach I’ve been using to solve this issue:
Cache the Niagara Simulation
Ensure your Niagara simulation is cached in a Level Sequence.
Create a Light Source
Add a light to your scene (e.g., an Area Light).
Position and rotate the Area Light so that it points toward the Niagara simulation.
Adjust Lighting Channels
Select the Area Light and go to the Details tab.
Locate the Lighting Channels section.
Change the lighting channel from 0 to 1 or 2.
Ensure the chosen lighting channel is not already in use by other objects or lights unless you want them to be affected as well.
Modify the Niagara System's Lighting Channel
Select your Niagara System and apply the same lighting channel value as the Area Light.
Adjust Volumetric Scattering Intensity
Select the Area Light and increase Volumetric Scattering Intensity to 4.0.
Fine-tune the Light Properties
Now, adjusting the light’s intensity and color will influence the Niagara simulation.
Increasing intensity can create a denser smoke effect.
Changing the light color will modify the color of the Niagara simulation.
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