Boom! Make a Sparkling Firework in Fortnite

Do you want to light up the night sky on your Fortnite island? We will build a cool firework effect. It shoots up and pops into bright colors. You do not need to write code for this one. We use a special tool called Niagara. It is like a digital paintbrush for magic.

What You'll Learn

• What a Niagara System is. Think of it as a recipe book for effects.
• How to make a Material. This is the skin or color of your sparkles.
• How to add Emitters. These are the parts that actually show up on screen.

How It Works

Imagine you are making a cake. You need a bowl, flour, and eggs. In Fortnite, we need a system, a material, and emitters.

A Niagara System is the main container. It holds all the pieces of your effect. It tells the game when to start and stop.

A Material is like a sticker. It gives your sparkles their color and shine. We will make a simple glowing sticker for our firework.

An Emitter is a machine that shoots out particles. A particle is a tiny dot of light. We will make two emitters. One shoots the firework up. One makes the big pop at the top.

We will build this step by step. Do not skip steps. Each part is important for the final show.

Let's Build It

Here is how to build your first firework in the editor.

Step 1: Make a Home for Your Effect

First, we need a folder. This keeps your files tidy.

1. Open the Content Browser. This is your file manager.
2. Right-click in the empty space.
3. Select New Folder.
4. Name it Fireworks.
5. Double-click your new folder to open it.

Step 2: Create the Firework Recipe

Now we make the main system.

1. Right-click inside the Fireworks folder.
2. Hover over Niagara System.
3. Click Niagara System.
4. A window will pop up. Select New system from selected emitter(s).
5. Click Next.
6. Select Empty from the list.
7. Click the Plus sign to add it.
8. Click Finish.

You now have a blank firework recipe! It has nothing in it yet.

Step 3: Make the Glowing Sticker (Material)

We need a color for our sparks.

1. Right-click in the Fireworks folder again.
2. Select Material.
3. Name it FireworkMat.
4. Double-click FireworkMat to open it.
5. Find the Base Color node.
6. Change the color to something bright. Try yellow or orange.
7. Click Apply and Save.

This material is now ready to be used on our sparks.

Step 4: Add the Firework Head

This is the part that flies up.

1. Open your Niagara System file.
2. In the Emitter List, click the Plus icon.
3. Name this emitter Head.
4. Select the Head emitter.
5. In the Module Browser, find Spawn.
6. Click Add Module on Spawn.
7. Set the Rate to 1. This means one spark per shot.
8. Find Velocity.
9. Add the Velocity module.
10. Set the Velocity Y value to 1000. This makes it shoot up fast.
11. Find Color.
12. Add the Color module.
13. Click the color box and choose your FireworkMat.

Your firework head is ready to launch!

Step 5: Add the Explosion

This is the big pop at the top.

1. In the Emitter List, click the Plus icon again.
2. Name this emitter Explosion.
3. Select the Explosion emitter.
4. In the Module Browser, find Spawn.
5. Add the Spawn module.
6. Set the Rate to 50. This makes 50 sparks pop at once.
7. Find Velocity.
8. Add the Velocity module.
9. Set the Velocity to random values. This makes sparks fly in all directions.
10. Find Color.
11. Add the Color module.
12. Choose your FireworkMat.

Now you have a head and an explosion. But they need to work together.

Step 6: Connect the Dots

We need to tell the explosion to happen when the head stops.

1. Go back to the Niagara System view.
2. Look for Events.
3. Add an On Emitter Deactivate event.
4. This event will start the Explosion emitter.

Your firework is complete! Test it out in your island.

Try It Yourself

Can you make the firework explode in a different color?

Hint: Go back to your FireworkMat. Change the base color to blue. Save it. Then look at your Explosion emitter. Does it change too? Try making a second material called BlueFireworkMat. Use it only for the explosion.

Recap

You made a firework using Niagara! You learned about systems, materials, and emitters. Systems hold the effect. Materials give it color. Emitters shoot the particles. Now you can make your island sparkle at night. Great job!

References

• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/uefn/creating-fireworks-with-niagara-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/creating-fireworks-using-niagara-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/uefn/visual-effects-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/fortnite/creating-fireworks-1-create-the-firework-material-and-niagara-emitter-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite
• https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/uefn/fireworks-material-and-niagara-emitter-in-unreal-editor-for-fortnite