In the Emitter settings, you have two choices when particle count exceeds max:

While major version 4 introduced the revolutionary "Particle Meshes" and "Fluid Dynamics," version focuses on stability, speed, and UI refinement. If you are transitioning from version 3, here is what matters most in this incremental update.

: Version 4.1.2 includes improved shading options, specifically a "Match Particle Shape" checkbox for Shadowlets. This ensures that the soft shadows cast between particles match their actual geometry (like a leaf or a custom sprite) rather than defaulting to a simple sphere. The Designer Interface

Particular 4.1.2 crashes when switching to "Designer" mode. Fix: Adobe After Effects Beta versions often break UI hooks. Roll back to AE 2023 or 2024 official release. Also, trash your After Effects preferences (Hold Ctrl+Alt+Shift on launch).

Even the best software has glitches. Here is the "Red Giant Support" knowledge.