# How to get the start frame and end frame of a particle's existence for drivers

**URL:** <https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437>\
**Category:** Particles and Physics Simulations\
**Created:** [July 11, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437 "2012-07-11T14:11:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![danilius](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/danilius/32/11045_2.png) [@danilius](https://blenderartists.org/u/danilius)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437/1 "2012-07-11T14:11:40Z")

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Is it even possible?

I want to animate the material of particles, by creating an emitter material for the particles which will have 0 energy at particle creation (so will not light up) then x amount of energy at midpoint of its life and then finally decay so it has 0 energy when it dies.

All and any suggestions (even for a different way of achieving this) gratefully accepted.

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**Author:** ![danilius](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/danilius/32/11045_2.png) [@danilius](https://blenderartists.org/u/danilius)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437/2 "2012-07-13T05:45:55Z")

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The answer lies in getting the latest builds, which will have a Particle Info node.

At birth, the particles are red, and then they cycle through yellow green and turquoise until they turn blue and die.

Use as per the screengrab below.

### Attachments

 ![](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/3X/7/a/7ae37be3f5ff78f2296ebe2efab0f3c0b09df8fe.jpg)

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**Author:** ![Atom](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/atom/32/2832_2.png) [@Atom](https://blenderartists.org/u/Atom)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437/3 "2012-07-13T07:10:48Z")

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Ah, so that is a Cycles only based solution.

No particle info node for Blender Internal (booo!) I wonder why?

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**Author:** ![danilius](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/danilius/32/11045_2.png) [@danilius](https://blenderartists.org/u/danilius)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:07am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437/4 "2012-07-13T10:07:50Z")

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See [here](http://blendersushi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/vfx-particle-202-color-size-part-two.html) for the equivalent trick in BI.

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**Author:** ![CubOfJudahsLion](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/cubofjudahslion/32/2649_2.png) [@CubOfJudahsLion](https://blenderartists.org/u/CubOfJudahsLion)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/how-to-get-the-start-frame-and-end-frame-of-a-particles-existence-for-drivers/546437/5 "2012-07-27T13:28:51Z")

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\<Necro\>danilus, your tutorials time just made my day. Thanks bunches.