diff --git a/Runtime/Scripts/Effects/UIParticleSystem.cs b/Runtime/Scripts/Effects/UIParticleSystem.cs
index 6c1f468..4083b02 100644
--- a/Runtime/Scripts/Effects/UIParticleSystem.cs
+++ b/Runtime/Scripts/Effects/UIParticleSystem.cs
@@ -43,6 +43,22 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
             }
         }
 
+        public ParticleSystem.Particle[] Particles
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                if (particles == null)
+                {
+#if UNITY_5_5_OR_NEWER
+                    particles = new ParticleSystem.Particle[pSystem.main.maxParticles];
+#else
+                    particles = new ParticleSystem.Particle[pSystem.maxParticles];
+#endif
+                }
+                return particles;
+            }
+        }
+
         protected bool Initialize()
         {
             // initialize members
@@ -66,8 +82,10 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
                     mainModule.maxParticles = 14000;
                 }
 #else
-                    if (pSystem.maxParticles > 14000)
-                        pSystem.maxParticles = 14000;
+                if (pSystem.maxParticles > 14000)
+                {
+                    pSystem.maxParticles = 14000;
+                }
 #endif
 
                 pRenderer = pSystem.GetComponent<ParticleSystemRenderer>();
@@ -95,18 +113,9 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
 #if UNITY_5_5_OR_NEWER
                 mainModule.scalingMode = ParticleSystemScalingMode.Hierarchy;
 #else
-                    pSystem.scalingMode = ParticleSystemScalingMode.Hierarchy;
+                pSystem.scalingMode = ParticleSystemScalingMode.Hierarchy;
 #endif
-
-                particles = null;
             }
-#if UNITY_5_5_OR_NEWER
-            if (particles == null)
-                particles = new ParticleSystem.Particle[pSystem.main.maxParticles];
-#else
-                if (particles == null)
-                    particles = new ParticleSystem.Particle[pSystem.maxParticles];
-#endif
 
             imageUV = new Vector4(0, 0, 1, 1);
 
@@ -127,7 +136,9 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
         {
             base.Awake();
             if (!Initialize())
+            {
                 enabled = false;
+            }
         }
 
 
@@ -160,17 +171,17 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
             Vector2 corner1 = Vector2.zero;
             Vector2 corner2 = Vector2.zero;
             // iterate through current particles
-            int count = pSystem.GetParticles(particles);
+            int count = pSystem.GetParticles(Particles);
 
             for (int i = 0; i < count; ++i)
             {
-                ParticleSystem.Particle particle = particles[i];
+                ParticleSystem.Particle particle = Particles[i];
 
                 // get particle properties
 #if UNITY_5_5_OR_NEWER
                 Vector2 position = (mainModule.simulationSpace == ParticleSystemSimulationSpace.Local ? particle.position : _transform.InverseTransformPoint(particle.position));
 #else
-                    Vector2 position = (pSystem.simulationSpace == ParticleSystemSimulationSpace.Local ? particle.position : _transform.InverseTransformPoint(particle.position));
+                Vector2 position = (pSystem.simulationSpace == ParticleSystemSimulationSpace.Local ? particle.position : _transform.InverseTransformPoint(particle.position));
 #endif
                 float rotation = -particle.rotation * Mathf.Deg2Rad;
                 float rotation90 = rotation + Mathf.PI / 2;
@@ -182,8 +193,8 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
                 if (mainModule.scalingMode == ParticleSystemScalingMode.Shape)
                     position /= canvas.scaleFactor;
 #else
-                    if (pSystem.scalingMode == ParticleSystemScalingMode.Shape)
-                        position /= canvas.scaleFactor;
+                if (pSystem.scalingMode == ParticleSystemScalingMode.Shape)
+                    position /= canvas.scaleFactor;
 #endif
 
                 // apply texture sheet animation
@@ -378,8 +389,7 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
                     }
                 }
             }
-            if (material == currentMaterial)
-                return;
+            if (material == currentMaterial) { return; }
             pSystem = null;
             Initialize();
         }
@@ -408,4 +418,4 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
         }
     }
 #endif
-                    }
\ No newline at end of file
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/ExtensionMethods.cs b/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/ExtensionMethods.cs
index fb20ec0..8afe3f0 100644
--- a/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/ExtensionMethods.cs
+++ b/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/ExtensionMethods.cs
@@ -29,5 +29,27 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
                 !gameObject.hideFlags.HasFlag(HideFlags.HideInHierarchy);
                     // I don't care about GameObjects *inside* prefabs, just the overall prefab.
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Generic clamp method to limt a value between a range of values
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <typeparam name="T"><see cref="IComparable"/> data type</typeparam>
+        /// <param name="value">Value to clamp</param>
+        /// <param name="min">Minimum value</param>
+        /// <param name="max">Maximum value</param>
+        /// <returns></returns>
+        public static T Clamp<T>(this T value, T min, T max) where T : IComparable<T>
+        {
+            if (value.CompareTo(min) < 0)
+            {
+                value = min;
+            }
+            if (value.CompareTo(max) > 0)
+            {
+                value =  max;
+            }
+
+            return value;
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UIExtensionMethods.cs b/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UIExtensionMethods.cs
index 2b2f10a..3472139 100644
--- a/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UIExtensionMethods.cs
+++ b/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UIExtensionMethods.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
                 parentCanvas = rt.GetComponentInParent<Canvas>();
                 if (parentCanvas == null)
                 {
+                    if (parent.parent == null)
+                    {
+                        return null;
+                    }
                     parent = parent.parent.GetComponent<RectTransform>();
                     SearchIndex++;
                 }
diff --git a/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UILineConnector.cs b/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UILineConnector.cs
index 6b18000..487dec5 100644
--- a/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UILineConnector.cs
+++ b/Runtime/Scripts/Utilities/UILineConnector.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ namespace UnityEngine.UI.Extensions
 
         private void Awake()
         {
-            canvas = GetComponentInParent<RectTransform>().GetParentCanvas().GetComponent<RectTransform>();
+            var canvasParent = GetComponentInParent<RectTransform>().GetParentCanvas();
+            if (canvasParent != null)
+            {
+                canvas = canvasParent.GetComponent<RectTransform>();
+            }
             rt = GetComponent<RectTransform>();
             lr = GetComponent<UILineRenderer>();
         }