Houdini 20.5 Nodes Geometry nodes

HeightField Mask by Feature geometry node

Creates a mask based on different features of the height layer.

Since 16.0

This node is useful for isolating peaks and valleys, areas where snow should be placed, and areas where vegetation can grow.

The node has several different criteria you can use to create a mask. When more than one criterion is on, the final mask is the intersection of the different feature masks.

Warning

If you don’t turn on any criteria, the node will flood fill the mask to 1.

Parameters

Masking

Smooth Radius

Amount (in voxels) to blur the output mask.

Combine with Existing

How to combine this mask with any existing mask in the input.

Replace

Clear the existing mask and replace it with the new mask.

Add

Add the values in this mask to any existing mask.

Subtract

Subtract the values in this mask from any existing mask.

Difference

Set the mask values to the difference between the old mask and this mask.

Multiply

Multiply the values of the old mask by the values in this mask. This might be useful to “scale” existing values while leaving empty areas alone.

Maximum

Set the mask values to the maximum of the old mask and this mask.

Minimum

Set the mask values to the minimum of the old mask and this mask.

Blend

Blend the old mask and this mask by a certain amount.

Blend

The amount to blend the old mask with what you draw, when Combine with existing is “blend”. A value of 0 leaves the existing mask, a value of 1 replaces with the new mask, a value of 0.5 blends equally between the old and new mask.

Invert Maks

Turn on the checkbox to reverse the mask values.

Slope

Mask by Slope

Generate a mask based on the slope of the terrain.

Min Slope Angle

Add areas with slope greater than or equal to this value to the mask.

Max Slope Angle

Add areas with slope less than or equal to this value to the mask.

Slope Ramp

Controls the value of the mask over the range from the minimum to the maximum slope. This lets you control the feathering of the mask.

Height

Mask by Height

Generate a mask based on the height of the terrain.

Compute Range

Click to set the minimum and maximum parameters to the current minimum and maximum in the input height field.

Min Height

Add areas at this height or higher to the mask.

Max Height: Maximum Height for Height mask to be applied.

Height Ramp

Controls the value of the mask over the range from the minimum to the maximum slope. This lets you control the feathering of the mask.

Peaks and Valleys

Mask by Curvature

Compute Range

Click to set Max Curvature to the current maximum curvature in the input height field.

Max Curvature

Add areas with curvature greater than this value to the mask.

Curvature Ramp

Controls the value of the mask over the range from 0 to the maximum curvature. This lets you control the feathering of the mask.

Direction

Mask by Direction

Create a mask based on the “horizontal” direction the terrain surface faces at a given point.

Goal Angle

Add areas to the mask which face this direction. The value is in degrees, plus or minus Angle spread. A value of 0 degrees means facing in the -X direction, +90 degrees means facing in the -Z direction.

Angle Spread

Amount of variance allowed around the Goal angle.

Direction Ramp

Controls the value of the mask across the Angle spread. This lets you control the feathering of the mask.

Occlusion

Mask by Occlusion

Create a mask based on nearby obstructed terrain areas.

Minimum Occlusion

Scales the output mask. Areas with occlusion less than or equal to this value will have mask 0.0.

Maximum Occlusion

Scales the output mask. Areas with occlusion greater than or equal to this value with have mask 1.0.

Maximum Occlusion

Scales the output mask. Areas with occlusion greater than or equal to this value with have mask 1.0.

Quality

View Distance

Step Scale

Number of Searches

Layer Bindings

Mask Layer

If a mask volume is wired into this node’s second input, this specifies which volume in the second input to use to mask this node’s effect, usually mask. Click the “Add mask paint” button to paint the mask directly in the viewport (this automatically adds a paint node to the second input).

Height Layer

The name of the height volume to operate on, usually height.

Geometry nodes