GMLive.gml for GameMaker

Code and asset live-reloading for GameMaker! · By YellowAfterlife

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Error on updating code with particle effect emitters

A topic by PsychoSeel created May 30, 2026 Views: 249 Replies: 7

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PsychoSeel116 days ago (1 edit)

Whenever I change an event that's been emitting particles like:

    part_particles_burst(global.ps_vfx, x, bbox_top + 315, PE_MiningDrill_Smoke);

I'm getting error like this

 called from obj_BOSS_MiningDrill:Step_0 [line 36, col 60]
[GMLive][30-05-2026 15:56:40][ERROR] Runtime error: [error] `instance#ref instance 103824(obj_BOSS_MiningDrill)` (instance of obj_BOSS_MiningDrill) does not have a variable `PE_MiningDrill_Smoke`.

This error is persistent, updating a code with similar code %100 gives error.

YellowAfterlifeDeveloper116 days ago

You could do a live_constant_add in obj_gmlive’s Create event, like so

live_constant_add("PE_MiningDrill_Smoke", PE_MiningDrill_Smoke);

I’ll need to check if asset_ functions work for particle systems in latest GM.

Aaron Craig89 days ago

I was also going to come here and say that particles are not supported correctly right now. Every time any code reloads in a section where I'm using a particle system, particle emitter, it begins to error out. Fixes on a reboot of the project.

YellowAfterlifeDeveloper84 days ago

I could use a slightly bigger example on what’s going on with emitters as you generate GML for these

Aaron Craig77 days ago (3 edits)

A code section that has anything with particles (I am using a system and burst here) will throw a runtime error. My code looks like this

if object && variable_instance_exists(object, "Take_Hit") {
            var objX = object.x, objY = object.y, objZ = object.z;
            var statuss = object.Take_Hit(inventory[overlayMenuIndex]);
            var sparks = part_system_create_layer(layer, false);
            part_particles_burst(sparks, objX, objY - objZ, psMiningHit);
            if statuss == "Dead" { 
                //Reset highlight list
                Fill_Selectable_List(animDirection);
                highlightableListIndex = 0;
            }
        }

And if I make any change at all in this section, not even to the particle system at all, and then enter it in the game, it throws:

[GMLive][7/8/2026 7:40:09 AM][ERROR] Runtime error: [error] `instance#ref instance 100267(objPlayer)` (instance of objPlayer) does not have a variable `psMiningHit`.

called from mining changer [line 14, col 61]

Making changes elsewhere works fine. Closing the runner and restarting resolves the runtime error, without changing any code at all. Restarting the room or game doesn't fix it.

I just went and tried your suggestion of adding a live constant. I put live_constant_add("psMiningHit", psMiningHit); in the obj_gmlive and then the live reload during gameplay worked without a hitch.

I am running GameMaker-LTS2026 v2026.0.0.16, Runtime v2026.0.0.23

YellowAfterlifeDeveloper77 days ago

I did catch that part, but where’s psMiningHit coming from? How is it defined

Aaron Craig77 days ago

Defined in the Particle System Editor. All properties set in GameMaker, not in GML.

YellowAfterlifeDeveloper65 days ago(+1)

Did a tweak for this in 1.0.79 - particle system resources should now get auto-exposed to “live” code.

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GMLive.gml for GameMaker

Error on updating code with particle effect emitters