A particle layer adds movement to a section without adding an image or a video, which is why it turns up so often behind hero headings on technical sites.
The Container block draws one on a canvas above the background and below the content.
Before You Start
- Edition: Pro — particle effects needs Nexter Blocks Pro.
- Block to enable: Container, switched on under Nexter > Blocks in your WordPress dashboard.
- A Container block with content inside — see the Container block guide.
- A dark or plain background, since particles need contrast to be visible.
Steps
- Select your Container and open its middle layer options.
- Choose the canvas effect.
- Pick a style from the presets.
- Choose the particle shape and colours.
- Publish and check it against your background on the real page.
How It Behaves
The particles are drawn on their own layer between the background and your content.
- Measured on a published page: choosing the canvas effect rendered a
tpgb-middle-layerelement carrying the chosen style and the block ID, for examplecanvas-style-2. - It is a middle layer, not a background. It sits above whatever background the container has, so it can be combined with a colour or an image.
- The style presets differ considerably — some drift, some connect with lines. Try them against your actual background rather than choosing from the name.
- It is drawn continuously while the section is on screen.
- Measured with Nexter Blocks Pro deactivated: this effect disappears completely and the container renders as a plain section, with nothing on the page to say why.
Limitations
- Pro only — measured with Nexter Blocks Pro deactivated, no middle layer is rendered at all.
- It is the most expensive effect here in processing terms, because every frame is drawn rather than handed to CSS. One per page.
- Invisible on a busy background. Particles need a plain, contrasting backdrop or they simply disappear.
- It can compete with your text. Movement directly behind a heading makes it harder to read, not more interesting.
- Continuous motion is a problem for some visitors. Use it sparingly.
Troubleshooting
I cannot see any particles
Either the canvas effect is not selected, Nexter Blocks Pro is inactive, or the particle colour is too close to the background. Measured, no middle layer renders without Pro.
They are behind my background image
They are not — the particle layer sits above the background. If they are invisible, it is a contrast problem rather than a stacking one.
The page feels sluggish
This effect draws every frame. Use it on one section only, and avoid combining it with a video background.
My heading is hard to read
Put the heading on its own panel, or move the particles to a section without much text in it.
