I have used Particle Illusion 3 for a few years now and it is a terrific program.

It is very easy to use, has tons of download-able libraries, and has some very cool effects.

Usually what I do is export the PI output with alpha to a TGA image sequence and use it in Vegas. You can use DV footage directly in PI though.

I used (own) Cool3d and personally did not like it. Render times were horrendous, plus I did not find it very intuitive, but that is just my opinion. Plus Ulead's support seems completely non-existent. PI support questions were answered by the program's author. Some feel that Cool3d is a dead program with no more development taking place. Cool3d and PI are very different programs.

Cool3d does 3d stuff, but PI's claim to fame is particle generation. I think PI makes better particle effects than Boris Red 3GL, which I also use.

...and there ya go.

PI3 Rocks! Didn't use any other program... after reading Johnny & Kent's comments, I'm glad I didn't!!!

How much more praise can you give PI3. Pay for it, 3-400 bux will be worth it.

Kentwolf, can you help me?
A few weeks ago I purchased Movie Studio+DVD Platinum and I just downloaded the trial version of PI SE. I'm really excited about all the things I'm seeing but am having a hard time figuring out how to apply it to my video.

I did a video with the Star Trek transporter effect and used the Vegas Video FX Noise for the transporter effect. It looked very cool, but now that I've seen what PI SE can do, I'd like to substitute the noise for one of the PI effects but can't figure out how to add the effect into the alpha channel in Vegas. All it does is add the effect to the whole frame. How do I apply the PI effect to just the part I want to transport?

You asked Kentwolf, but I'm going to give it a go at answering.
My workflow;
Render an AVI of the section on my Vegas timeline that I need to lay my effects in.
I take that AVI into PI3 and lay it in as a background. I'll get rid of it later, it's just there for timing and positioning.
Now I create my particle effect over that AVI. Timing and everything should be perfect.
Now get rid of the background by checking "bg" and you are left with just your effect.
Render that out as a series of TGAs.
For this, I sub-create a folder in my project folder and name it something like "transporter fx01." Then, after telling PI3 to create TGAs, I name it the first file something like "transporter_001."
Check "Save Alpha" and render away.
On rare occasion, I have had to check, "Create non-intense alpha,' but I don't remember why I did that.
Now, go to Vegas. and import that sequence.
Click ONCE on the very first file. After a moment, you will see that a box at the bottom left corner says, "Open Still Image Sequence." Check that.
Click Open and then, under properties, I change my alpha channel to Straight Alpha. But there are times i've used Pre-Multiplied as well.
Your Media Pool should have that TGA sequence at a clip now. Use as needed.
You should have a beautiful animation

...just got home...

While I have not personally done that (transporter) effect, I do not believe I can state it simpler than mjroddy.

I think most Vegas users simply use PI to generate targa image sequences. I know I do.

I reread the procedure outlined by mjroddy and tht is exactly what I would do; such as using the Vegas rendered clip for positioning, then getting rid of it.

I will say that the one PI effect that does not go well via TGA image sequence export, import into Vegas, is the "dust" settings. They just don't look right. That, however, is the only effect I can say that about. That may be best to be used with DV material inside of PI.

Thnks for the comments.

I take it that with PI, the preferred method is tga sequence instead of video.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

After working on it for most of the evening, I believe that I've begun to understand how this works. For some reason, PI would not accept an AVI that was saved in the NTSC DV template. I kept getting an AVI Request Format error. I finally tried to save it as a Default Template (uncompressed) and that worked.

Is that how you save your AVI's?

Yup... Sorry I forgot that little detail. Could have saved you a few hours there.