Setup

This page covers the component requirements and basic setup for adding Trails FX to GameObjects and characters.

Component Requirements

Adding Trail Effect

1. Select the target GameObject in the Hierarchy.
2. Click Add Component in the Inspector.
3. Search for Trail Effect and add it.
4. Configure the trail style and trigger settings (see Trail Effect Settings).

Using Profiles

Profiles let you save and reuse trail configurations across multiple objects:

1. On any TrailEffect component, click the Create button next to the Profile field.
2. A new TrailEffectProfile asset is created with the current settings.
3. Drag the profile asset into the Profile field of other TrailEffect components to share settings.

Multi-Part Characters

For characters with multiple body parts that each need trails (e.g., armor pieces on a character):

1. Add a TrailEffect component to each body part that should render a trail. Each part can have its own visual properties.
2. Designate one trail as the master (e.g., the body). Assign this master trail to the Parent field on the other parts.
3. On the master trail, when using Draw Behind, enable Hierarchy Occluder to prevent trails from rendering over the character.
4. Leave Clear Stencil disabled unless you have overlapping trails from different characters that need clean stencil state.

Target Override

By default, Trails FX creates trails from the GameObject it is attached to. You can specify a different target by assigning a GameObject to the Target field. This is useful when you want to control trail generation from a parent script while the visual target is a child object.