Here's a list of dust types with id and a short description.

0 = Brown Particle
1 = Gray Paticle
2 = Green Particle
3 = Green Leaves Particle (Blade of Grass?)
4 = Gray Particle (Slime, Hellbat, Toxic Sludge hit fx)
5 = Red Particle (Blood)
6 = Flame Particle* (Fiery Greatsword, Fireball, Imp hit fx, all Meteor particles, 1/2 Hellfire Arrow trail)
7 = Brown Particle (Wooden Chest Mimic hit fx)
8 = Dark Brown Particle
9 = Brown Particle
10 = Light Brown Particle (Gold Chest Mimic hit fx)
11 = Gray Particle
12 = Red Particle
13 = Light Blue Particle
14 = Dark Blue (Corrupted Slime hit fx, Demonite?)
15 = White and Light Blue Particles* (Cursed Skull hit fx, 1/2 Holy Arrow trail, Magic Missile?)
16 = Light Blue Particle (Wyvern hit effect)
17 = Light Blue Particle (Clouds?)
18 = Yellow Particle (Hornet Stinger trail, Seeker, Vile Spit hit fx)
19 = Yellow Particle
20 = Purification Powder*
21 = Vile Powder*
22 = Dark Brown Particle
23 = Dark Red Particle
24 = Dark Gray Particle
25 = Red Particle (one of Meteor head's hit fx)
26 = Bone Particle (Skeleton, Skeletron, Bone Serpent hit fx)
27 = Purple Particle* (Night's Edge, Dark Lance, Shadow Armor's Rocket Boots, Chaos Ball)
28 = Red Particle
29 = Water Particle* (Water Sphere, Muramasa?)
30 = Gray Particle
31 = Light Gray Particle (Hardmode bosses, Mummy hit fx, 1/2 Hellfire Arrow trail)
32 = Yellow Particle
33 = Light Blue Particle (Bubbles? Water?)
34 = No Particle?
35 = Faint Flame Light* (No particles)
36 = Dark Gray Particle
37 = Dark Blue Particle (Shadow Chest Mimic hit fx, Demonite?)
38 = Dark Red Particle
39 = Green Particle (Jungle Armor particles)
40 = Small Green Particle (Man Eater hit fx)
41 = Water Particle*
42 = Small Blue Particle
43 = Very Small White Particle*
44 = Green Particle* (Jungle Spore)
45 = White Particle*
46 = Dark Green Particle (poisoned)
47 = Dark Green Particle
48 = Dark Green Particle
49 = Dark Green Particle
50 = Red Particle
51 = Light Gray Particle
52 = Purple Particle
53 = Dark Green Particle
54 = Black Particle (Wraith, Possessed Armor hit fx)
55 = Fire Particle* (Flamethrower?)
56 = Water Particle*
57 = Yellow Particle* (Hallowed Weapons?)
58 = Purple Particle* (1/2 Holy Arrow trail)
59 = Blue Particle* (Blue Torch)
60 = Red Particle* (Red Torch)
61 = Green Particle* (Green Torch)
62 = Purple Particle* (Purple Torch)
63 = White Particle* (White Torch)
64 = Yellow Particle* (Yellow Torch)
65 = Demon Particle* (Demon Torch)
66 = White Particle**
67 = Light Blue Particle*
68 = Light Blue Particle* (Larger)
69 = Purple Particle
70 = Light Purple Particle*
71 = More Light Purple Particle (Chaos Enemies hit fx)
72 = Pink Particle (Gastropod hit fx)
73 = PInk Particle*
74 = Green Flame Particle* (Cursed Flames?)
75 = Green Flame Particle (Cursed Torch)
76 = White Particle (Snow)

* Makes different colored light depending on the particle type.

** Also called "Divide-by-Zero" particle, for obvious reasons .

Snibb has compiled a handy chart for reference .

Debug Weapon Edit

This is a simple debug script for weapons. Apply this to any weapon (preferably on a VERY slow weapon with same useAnimation and useTime) and will show a differente type of dust at any swing and its id on player's head, allowing you to select the one you prefer.

int effect = -1;

public void UseItem(Player player, int playerID)
{
effect +=1;
if (effect > 76) effect = 0;
player.HealEffect(effect);
}

public void UseItemEffect(Player player, Rectangle rectangle)
{
Color color = new Color();
int dust = Dust.NewDust(new Vector2((float) rectangle.X, (float) rectangle.Y), rectangle.Width, rectangle.Height, effect, (player.velocity.X) + (player.direction * 3), player.velocity.Y, 100, color, 2.0f);
Main.dust[dust].noGravity = true;
}

Alternate viewing:The debug weapon is very nice, but wanted to be able to pick from the whole variety, and many of the particles type have a lot properties other than color that are hard to list. So I made a makeshift mod tool that creates a row of bowls that spew dusts with numbers over them. Two items, one skips further ahead. The dust produced is dependant on screen position- higher resolutions/widescreen will see more of them. Some glow, some don't, if you can't tell because one is too bright, you can break a bowl on either side and move back and forth to put it there. No promises or guarantees but I find it useful. Particle 66 is excluded because it will quickly cover the screen. It is available here.

Additional Alternate Viewing: Try Romulan Paladin's Dust and Sound Catalog Mod in order to view and shop for different dust and sounds in game with some degree of direct control.

Adding a Particle effect to a Weapon.Edit

This assumes you already have a base weapon to add an effect to.

In your Item folder for your Mod, make a new text document, and make its name the same as your weapons.

e.g. Darkfire.cs, open it and put this code into it:

public static void UseItemEffect(Player player, Rectangle rectangle) 
{
    Color color = new Color();
    //This is the same general effect done with the Fiery Greatsword
    int dust = Dust.NewDust(new Vector2((float) rectangle.X, (float) rectangle.Y), rectangle.Width, rectangle.Height, 6*, (player.velocity.X * 0.2f) + (player.direction * 3), player.velocity.Y * 0.2f, 100, color, 1.9f);
    Main.dust[dust].noGravity = true;
}

• Replace with whatever particle effect you want.

Code from Wik10, all thanks are to be delivered to him.