Using the particle API you can spawn particles from Minecraft. These work similarly to the /particle command in-game. For particles with special properties like dust, they are placed in the name.

Most of the article assumes you know to avoid calling the player in init.

Spawning Particles

particles:newParticle(particleID,position,velocity)

If you're looking on the Minecraft wiki then the particle id is the name under the 'Java Edition ID Name' column. Or, it's the same id used by the /particle command. If you're using Minecraft particles you can exclude the Minecraft "mod name".

particles:newParticle("minecraft:explosion",player:getPos())

I've added the player position, but excluded the velocity.

Dust example, it's color is included in its name:

particles:newParticle("dust 0 1 1 1",player:getPos())

This will spawn an aqua dust particle as the color values need a number between 0 and 1, the fourth number is the alpha. I excluded the 'minecraft:' mod name to demonstrate that it's unnecessary.

Spawning At A Part Location

To spawn a particle at a modelPart's position you'll need to get the position matrix of that part, and insert it into the position like normal.

particles:newParticle("explosion",modelPart:partToWorldMatrix():apply())

Where modelPart is a reference to a real modelPart in your avatar.

An Alternative Method

You can store a reference to a specific particle, and then use it later to change its properties wile it still exists in the world.

local boom = particles["explosion"]

function events.entity_init()
    boom:spawn():setPos(player:getPos())
end

It's in an entity_init event to protect from an entity init error

spawn

Spawns the particle with its current properties (set with the other functions)

isAlive

Gets if the particle is still in the world

setPos(vec3)

Sets the position of the particle

getPos

Gets the position of the particle

setColor(vec3 or vec4)

Sets the particle color, most particles don't support it. The alpha value can be excluded

getColor

Gets the color as set by setcolor

setScale(vec3)

Sets the scale of the particle

getScale

Gets the scale of the particle

setVelocity(vec3)

Sets the velocity of the particle

getVelocity

Gets the velocity of the particle

setLifetime(integer)

Sets how long the particle should stay in the world. Particles with animations will animate in relation to their life left, so longer lives will make the animation play slower.

getLifetime

Gets the lifetime

setGravity(number)

Sets the strength of gravity

getGravity

Gets the gravity value

setPower

I honestly don't know what this does at time of writing

getPower

Gets the power

setPhysics(bool)

Sets if the particle will experience physics

hasPhysics

Gets if the particle has physics

setSize(number)

Sets the scale of the particle, identical to setScale

getSize

Gets the size of the particle

Community Resources

Confetti by Manuel

Spawns custom particles that you make in Blockbench. Find here in the Discord.