Houdini 20.5 Nodes Geometry nodes

Labs Tree Branch Placer geometry node

Manually place tree branches

This allows the user to manually place tree branches on a trunk created with the Tree Trunk Generator or on other branches created with the Tree Branch Generator or Tree Branch Placer.

This node is best used through it’s view state by hitting enter while the cursor is over the viewport. Then: LMB click to add branches and hold to move. Shift-LMB drag to move placed branches. Ctrl-LMB click to delete placed branches. MMB click to select branch. Scroll wheel to adjust branch length. Shift-Scroll Wheel to rotate branch up and down. Ctrl-Scroll Wheel to rotate around. (Make sure to set the construction perpendicular to your tree - generally X or Z for proper branch movement)

Parameters

Global

Tag

Creates an attribute and group for the branches geometry/curve under this name (node name by default)

Branch on Group

Generate branches on a specific curve group. If blank, branches are generated on curves of the previous branch level

Delete Previous Levels

Delete geometry and curves from all previous branch levels

Override Branch Level

Manually set branch level of generated branches

Branch Level

Manually set branch level of generated branches

Randomize

Random seed value

General

Placed Branches

Roll

Angle to rotate all branches together around parent

Branches

Manually add new branches

Position|Length

Position

Position of branch along parent

Length

Length of branch

Rotation

Rotate Around

Angle around parent at which to create new branch

Rotate Up Down

Angle perpendicular to parent at which the branch is placed

Radius

Radius Falloff Ramp

Falloff of radius along generated branch

Radius Adjust

Adjust radius inherited from parent

Override Inherited Radius

Set radius explicitly instead of inheriting along parent

Radius

Available if overriding inherited radius. Set branch radius

Bend

Bend

Angle to bend placed branch

Up Vector Angle

Axis along which to bend placed branch

Offset Start

Offset bend start from placed branch base

Capture Length

Offset bend from placed branch end

Bend Profile

Adjusts the bend amount along the length of the placed branch

Min

Remap bend profile minimum (default 0) to new minimum

Max

Remap bend profile maximum (default 1) to new maximum

Make Knot

Enable

Create an indent on the end cap of the placed branch

Offset

Depth of indent

Shape Ramp

Shape of indent

Drawn Branches

Angle

Angle to rotate drawn branches around parent

Roll

Angle to rotate all drawn branches together around parent

Radius Falloff Ramp

Falloff of radius along generated branch

Radius Adjust

Adjust radius inherited from parent

Override Inherited Radius

Set radius explicitly instead of inheriting along parent

Radius

Available if overriding inherited radius. Set branch radius

Advanced

Detangle

Detangle branches to minimize collisions

Grid Behavior

Options for how branches intersecting with the grid plane will be handled

  • Constrain - snap branches along grid

  • Clip - delete branch sections beneath grid

  • None - do nothing when branches intersect with grid

Ray Points to Surface

Snap branch points to the edge of their parent rather than the center

Tropism

Override Tropism

Override tropism parameters from control node

Bend Along Parent

Bends the branch along the axis of its parent branch Enable

Enable bend along parent

Strength

Amount to bend the branch along its parent

Falloff

Adjusts the bend amount along the length of the branch

Gravitropism

Bends the branch along the axis of the specified direction to simulate gravity Enable

Enable gravitropism

Direction

Direction of gravity

Strength

Amount to bend the branch by gravity

Falloff

Adjusts the bend amount along the length of the branch

Phototropism

Bends the branch along the axis of the specified direction to simulate growth towards light Enable

Enable phototropism

Direction

Direction of light

Strength

Amount to bend the branch towards light

Falloff

Adjusts the bend amount along the length of the branch

Thigmotropism

Bends and moves the branch to avoid and/or wrap around the input object Enable

Enable thigmotropism

Object

Input object for the branch to react to

Strength

Amount to bend the branch around the input object

Falloff

Adjusts the bend amount along the length of the branch

Noise

Line Noise

Override Line Noise

Override line noise parameters from control node

Enable

Enable line noise

Intensity Ramp

Adjusts noise amplitude along the length of the branch

Primary

“”“ Curl Noise ”“” Noise Type

Type of curl noise

Intensity

Noise amplitude

Frequency

Amount of noise repetitions

Roughness

Amount of jitter in noise

Step Size

Noise resolution

Randomize Offset

Randomly generate an offset number based on random seed

Offset

Amount to move noise through space

Secondary

“”“ Anti-Aliased Noise ”“” Intensity

Noise amplitude

Frequency

Amount of noise repetitions

Roughness

Amount of jitter in noise

Randomize Offset

Randomly generate an offset number based on random seed

Offset

Amount to move noise through space

Mesh Noise

“”“ Turbulent Noise ”“” Override Mesh Noise

Override mesh noise parameters from control node

Enable

Enable mesh noise

Type

Type of turbulent noise

Frequency

Amount of noise repetitions

Randomize Offset

Randomly generate an offset number based on random seed

Offset

Amount to move noise through space

Intensity

Noise amplitude

Multiply Intensity by Radius

Multiplies the noise amplitude by the branch radius

Intensity Ramp

Adjusts noise amplitude along the length of the branch

Meshing

Override Meshing

Override meshing parameters from control node

Custom Branch Profile

Input a profile or flat geometry to sweep along branch instead of the default tube. Please center and orient to the XY plane

Intersections

Intersection Behavior

Options for how branch intersections are handled

  • None - branch is stuck in parent with no intersection handling

  • Boolean + Normal Blending - parent is subtracted from branch creating a flush intersection and the normals around the intersection are blended creating a seamless transition

  • Normal Blending - the normals around the intersection are blended creating a seamless transition

Smooth Amount

Available when using Boolean + Normal Blending. Amount to smooth the intersection geometry

Blend Falloff

Available when using Normal Blending. Falloff of the normal blend

UV Blending

Creates a second UV set that inherits the UVs from the parent and adds vertex color around branch intersections to use to blend the UV sets Watch this tutorial by Simon Verstraete for more information about this workflow Enable UV Blending

Enable UV Blending

Blend Distance

Distance along branch to stretch vertex color

Blend Falloff

Amount to blur vertex color

End Caps

End Cap Type

Type of end cap geometry

Cap Divisions

Amount of divisions around end cap

Triangular Poles

If enabled, connects all points at end cap pole

End Cap Scale

Amount of end cap bulge: 0 = flat, 1 = half sphere

End Cap Roundness

Amount of round or linear falloff to end cap bulge

Resolution

Override Resolution

Override resolution parameters from control node

Resolution

Density of horizontal cross sections on geometry

Refinement Amount

Threshold to reduce amount of resolution on straight geometry

Divisions

Density of vertical cross sections on geometry

Displacement

Override Displacement

Override displacement parameters from control node

Enable Displacement

Enable displacement

Displacement Texture

Displacement map

Displacement Intensity

Displacement amplitude

Subdivision Amount

Amount to subdivide geometry before displacement

Reduce Resolution

Enable poly reduction after displacement

Polygon Count

Polygon target for poly reduction

Tolerance

Poly reduction tolerance to further reduce poly count

Visualization

Override visualization

Override visualization parameters from control node

Enable Visualization Color

Enable color visualization

Color

Set visualization color

Geometry nodes