Learning new software

As part of my current project, I’m having to extend my knowledge on one of the key pieces of software I use, After Effects. To get the effect I'm after, I have chosen a plug-in for After Effects called Trapcode Particular.

I have chosen Trapcode Particular because as far as I can see, it can generate effects very close to what I'm after. I believe if I can learn how the product works, I can then, with a little bit of experimentation, get the effect I’m after. I will do this initially by watching tutorials on the manufacturer’s website. This should give me a basic understanding of the capabilities and settings within Trapcode Particular.
The next stage, will be to try and create something of my own. I will start off by recreating one of the tutorial examples. Hopefully at this point I will have enough knowledge to create a project from scratch.

When starting my own original project, I'll be able to focus on my objective, which creating the ink in water effect. I'll keep you up-to-date on my progression of this, with some example footage.