Why does my Particle Strip collapse to a point on spawn?

All particles spawn at the same position with zero velocity, so the strip has no length. Add an initial position spread or velocity so consecutive particles separate, giving the strip its line.

Yes. Strip Order should be Particle Index for chronological strips (trail behind a moving emitter). Strip By Distance gives angular ribbons; Sort Position 3D for arbitrary.

Trail follows emitter inconsistently?

Increase Capacity (more strip particles = smoother), and ensure emitter velocity is sampled by Inherit Velocity in Init. Strip mesh is rebuilt each frame from the live particle ring buffer.

Fix: VFX Graph Particle Strip Collapses On Spawn

Quick answer: Output Strip context: Strip Order = Particle Index. Init: Inherit Velocity from emitter + small position offset. Capacity tuned to trail length.

Trail effect for a missile. Spawns. Renders one dot. Strip needs spread between consecutive particles to draw a ribbon.

The Symptom

Output Strip renders a single point or a flickering speck instead of a ribbon following the emitter.

The Fix

System: Particle Strip
  Capacity:                  128     // trail particle count
  Output Particle Strip:
    Strip Order:             Particle Index
  Init:
    Set Position:             World transform of emitter
    Inherit Source Velocity:  weight 1.0
    Set Lifetime Random:      0.5 .. 1.0
  Update:
    Velocity: integrate Position

Inherit velocity gives consecutive spawn-instants different positions in space (since the emitter moves between spawns). Strip connects them in the order set by Particle Index.

Verifying

Move emitter through scene. Strip draws a continuous ribbon trail. Without inherit velocity: collapses to a point at the emitter location.

“Particle Index order. Inherit velocity. Strip stretches.”

Related Issues

For VFX Graph mesh flat shading, see flat mesh. For VFX Graph spawn rate, see spawn rate.

Particle Index. Inherit velocity. Trail draws.