Rules to keep in mind:

• The file size must be in a power of 2 (64, 128, 256, 512, 1024...) A file that is not in a power of two will not import into UDK.

• You can color the particle in UDK, so leave it gray scale for now.

• You may wish to make an alpha channel to handle the particle's opacity once it is in UDK.

• Save your particle as a Targa (.TGA)

• If you made an alpha channel, save your Targa as a 32 bit/pixel image. If you did not make an alpha channel, save it as a 24 bit/pixel image.

• Open the Content Browser and click on the import button at the bottom.

• Navigate to your .TGA and click open.

• Import the texture into the appropriate package and group, and give it an appropriate name.

• Create a new material for your particle.
• Assign the appropriate package, group, and name, and make sure that Material is selected for your Factory, then click ok.

• Drag in four nodes: Vertex Color, Texture Sample, and two Multiply
• Set them up as seen above. (Note: if you did not set up an alpha channel in your file, link the red channel out from the Texture Sample instead of the white channel)

• Change your blend mode to additive.  It should now show up transparent in the preview window.
• Click the green check button to compile your material.

• Create a new particle system.
• Choose the appropriate package, group, and name.  Make sure Particle system is selected next to Factory.

• Click on the Emitter in the top right window, and rename it in the properties window.

• Click on the Required module and assign your new particle material.

• Disable the Initial Velocity module.

• Click on the Lifetime module and change particle Lifetime to 0.1 seconds.

• Click on the Initial Size Module and change initial size to 20-25 units.

• Right click in the black area under your modules, and add an Initial Rotation module.  By default, it is set to 0-1 units.

• Disable the Color Over Life module.

• Right click in the black area under your modules, and add a Parameter Color module and choose your particle's color.

• Right click on the first emitter and duplicate it.

• Click on the new emitter and rename it.

• Click on the Initial Size module and change it to 25

• Right click on the second emitter and duplicate it.

• Find the M_shock_Ring_Band material in the Content Browser and assign it under the Required module. (It is in the Shock Rifle package)

• Click on the Initial Size module and set it to 10-12

• Click on the Lifetime module and change it to 0.6-0.8 seconds

• Click on the Spawn module and change the spawn rate to 8 per second

• Add a Size By Life module, and then click on the graph button to bring it to the graph editor

• Lock your X, Y, and Z axis

• Use control click to drag the last point in the graph editor to 0.80, 0

• Right click on the third emitter and duplicate it.

• Find the M_EFX_Distortion_Noise_01 material in the Content Browser and assign it under the Required module. (It is in the Envy_Effects package)

• Click on the Initial Size module and set it to 25