Houdini 20.5 Nodes Geometry nodes

HeightField Pattern geometry node

Adds displacement in the form of a ramps, steps, stripes, Voronoi cells, or other patterns.

Since 16.0

This node can be useful for creating ramps, steps, and filling out backgrounds to create more visual interest.

Tip

You could also use this node with a mask layer to, for example, make a gradient mask using the ramp pattern.

Parameters

Pattern Layer

The name of the layer to displace.

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).

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.

Height

The distance to displace the layer, in meters.

Base Height

The offset from the initial heightfield’s elevation that the displacement will start.

Post Blur Radius

After the displacement how much blurring should occur. Usually used to smooth out sharp peaks due to low grid resolution.

Pattern

Pattern

The displacement pattern to apply to the input.

A linear, concentric, or radial ramp.

Exponential ramp.

Linear steps.

Strips of displacement and no displacement.

Displacement in the shape of stars or other radially symmetrical polygons.

Voronoi cells.

Position

Rotate

Rotates the pattern around the center of the input volume.

Size

Uniform size of the pattern. The “Step” pattern ignores this parameter and uses its own Rise over run and Step height parameters to scale the steps.

Scale

Lets you stretch the pattern in one direction or the other.

Center

Moves the pattern across the volume grid.

Phase

For certain repeating periodic patterns, offsets the start of the pattern, so you can move the points of repetition across the grid.

Ramp

Mode

Whether to ramp linearly (across the grid), concentrically (from the center of the grid outward), or radially (sweeping around the grid in a circle).

Repeat

Repeats the ramp outside the specified size. When this is off, the pattern streaks the first and last values.

Mirror

When Repeat is on, this reverses every other ramp so the starts and ends of the repetitions line up.

Ramp Remapping

Shape of the ramp to displace.

Steps

Use the Phase to offset the pattern horizontally.

Rise over Run

Proportion of height change to step distance. Use the Step height to set the actually size of the steps.

Step Height

Height of each individual step in meters.

Step Reference Height

Vertical offset for the step pattern.

Stripes

Use the Phase to offset the stripe pattern.

Stripe Width

Scaling factor on the Size parameter, controlling the width of the spaces between the stripes.

Stars ~~~

Shape Size

Size of the individual stars.

Size Randomness

Varies the size of each star randomly. Larger numbers give more variation.

Shape Rotate

Rotates the individual stars in the pattern. To rotate the star placement, use the Rotate parameter.

Rotate Randomness

Varies the rotation of each star randomly. Larger numbers give more variation.

Shape Jitter

Varies the placement of each star randomly. Larger numbers give more variation.

Sides

Number of points on each star.

Sharpness

The concavity or convexity of the sides of the star. Smaller settings create stars with rounded edges.

Starness

How much to inset the sides of the stars.

Voronoi

Jitter

How much each cell varies from a square. A value of 0 gives a square grid of cell walls. Higher values vary the size of each cell randomly.

Wall

Scaling factor on the Size parameter, controlling the thickness of the walls between cells.

Distortion

Enable Distortion

Add noise to the displacement pattern to make it look like mathematical.

Noise Type

The type of noise to add to the displacement pattern.

Amplitude

The strength of the noise.

Element Size

Period (wavelength) of the noise.

Element Scale

Stretches the noise in different axes.

Offset

Offsets the noise pattern in world space.

Roughness

Controls the coarseness of the noise.

Max Octaves

Limits the noise to a fixed number of iterations.

Turbulence

Controls the degree of noise. Higher values create a more chaotic and less smooth look with more peaks and valleys.

Substeps

More substeps give more accurate and stable results, but are slower. However, sometimes the chunkiness of a low step size creates an aesthetically interesting effect.

Geometry nodes