Shape Splatter 2D


  • Where to find it:


    • Add Procedural Layer / Procedural / Extension Pack / Generators


    • NodeGraph / Right Mouse Click / Add Nodes / Procedurals / Extension Pack / Generators



This Node is also available as a Triplanar Version






Designed for creating random patterns, Splatter nodes allow Texture Bombing using a procedural shape




It is recommended to cache this node or attach a bake point after you are done tweaking it to keep its performance impact low




Video



Pattern Engine


Pattern Engine Overview


This Node is part of a collection of Nodes making up the Pattern Engine:


Node Overview




Node Ports

  • Output

The Default Output


  • Pattern UVs

Outputs the UV coordinates of the cells




Additional Information such as pattern rotation is encoded in the Blue and Alpha channel that might make this output appear transparent. The UV information is unaffected.



  • Pattern Center

Outputs the center UV coordinate for each cell as a uniform value across the entire cell




  • Pattern Manifold

Outputs Manifold Data from the node that can be used to drive other nodes.


A simple example of a Pattern Generator Node driving another node via the Manifold Output




  • Pattern Index

Outputs a R,G,B packed Index



    • R - Row Index


Multiplies the normalized Row Number (0.0 - 1.0) against the result.

Each row will have a different value this way


       


    • G - Column Index


Multiplies the normalized Column Number (0.0 - 1.0) against the result

Each column will have a different value this way



    • B - Pattern Index


Multiplies the normalized Cell Number (0.0 - 1.0) against the result

Each cell will have a different value this way





  • Pattern Scale

Change the Value of each Cell based on the Cell scale, defined in the size group

Evaluated are Random Size X/Y, Random Scale,Random Scale Map, Normal Map


Example of Scale Output



  • Pattern Mask

Outputs the pure pattern result as a mask without the Background Color applied



  • Pattern Random

Outputs the random signal used inside the node to randomize elements


  • Manifold UV

Allows you to overwrite the UV Settings of the Node with a manifold node


  • Seed

Randomization of Pattern


  • Pattern Specific 1

An option to change the look of the generated Pattern. Varies based on Patttern. Overwrites Pattern Specific 1 Slider (Pattern Group) if mapped,.


  • Pattern Specific 2

An option to change the look of the generated Pattern. Varies based on Patttern. Overwrites Pattern Specific 2 Slider (Pattern Group) if mapped,.


  • Amount

Allows setting the Amount of Cells via a Nodegraph Input.

Will overwrite the Amount X and Amount Y Sliders.

Separate values can be fed to X and Y by specifying different values for Red and Green channel of the attached node stream



  • Background

Allows for setting a Pattern Background. Fill Background needs to be turned on in the Color Group



Node Properties


MAIN TAB


  • Random Seed

By modifying the Random Seed, different looks can be achieved with the otherwise same settings. 



  • Amount Multiplier

A multiplier on the amount of Cells generated. Each cell is processed independently with the given settings (Position, Rotation etc. etc.)


  • Amount X

Amount of cells generated horizontally. Each cell is processed independently with the given settings (Position, Rotation etc. etc.)


  • Amount Y

Amount of cells generated vertically. Each cell is processed independently with the given settings (Position, Rotation etc. etc.)


  • Pattern

Determines what pattern is used to fill each cell.

Options are


    • One of 23 procedurally generated Patterns


For a complete overview of all procedural patterns visit the Shape Node Help 



  • Pattern Specific 1

An Option to change the look of procedurally generated Patterns. Varies based on Patttern



  • Pattern Specific 2

An Option to change the look of procedurally generated Patterns. Varies based on Patttern


  • Pattern Size

Determines the size of the procedurally generated Pattern within a cell.


Please note this works together with any size/scale specified in the Size Group.


  • Pattern Rotate

Determines the rotation of the procedurally generated Pattern within a cell



  • Pattern Alpha Intensity

Determines the processing of the Alpha Channel of a procedurally generated pattern.


Example of reducing the Alpha Intensity from 1 to 0 on a large Hemisphere pattern


  • Pattern Repeat U

Repeats the pattern or input image x-amount of times horizontally in each cell.


Example of increasing Pattern Repeat U

 on a 'Gaussian' Pattern


  • Pattern Repeat V

Repeats the pattern or input image x-amount of times vertically in each cell.



  • Pattern Random X

Randomly horizontally offsets the Pattern or Input Image within each cell

This is useful to have a more random look when using tileable textures


Example of randomly offsetting a tileable texture in X and Y



  • Pattern Random Y

Randomly vertically offsets the Pattern or Input Image within each cell

This is useful to have a more random look when using tileable textures


  • Invert Pattern

Invert pattern or Input Image


  • Blend Mode

The Blend Mode used to overlay a cell over other cells


Example of different effects achieved by changing the blend mode



  • Random Rotation

Applies a random rotation in 90 degree increments



  • Keep Direction

If on, Random ROtation will rotate in 180 degrees to avoid changes of directions when using patterns that have a directionality

(e..g wood grain or brushed metal)




The Pattern Crop options allow to 'cut' the edges of a patterns or input images, allowing even more variation


Example of using the Pattern Crop to generate a triangle from a square


  • Top

Control the Crop from Top to Bottom per Shape


  • Bottom

Control the Crop from Bottom to Top per Shape


  • Left

Control the Crop from Left to Right per Shape


  • Right

Control the Crop from Right to Left per Shape


  • Rotate

Rotate the Crop 'Frame' around its center



  • Scale

A uniform scale factor.



If Pattern is set to a procedural pattern, scale works together with Pattern Size. Set both to 1.0 for 100% Scale


  • Size X

The horizontal size of each cell


  • Size Y

The vertical size of each cell


  • Random Size X

Mix Factor for size randomization in X for each cell.

Positive Values (0 - 1) will  squash the cells along X.

Negative Values (-1 - 0) will stretch the cells along X.


  • Random Size Y

Mix Factor for size randomization in Y for each cell.

Positive Values (0 - 1) will squash the cells along Y.

Negative Values (-1 - 0) will stretch the cells along Y.


  • Random Scale

Mix Factor for uniform scale randomization.

Positive Values (0 - 1) will reduce the size of the cells randomly.

Positive Values (0 - 1) will increase the size of the cells randomly.



  • Position Random X/Y

Randomly offset the Cell Positions along X and Y.




Higher Position Random Values will require a higher Layer Cutoff Value, which in turn reduces performance. 

Often times the same look can be achieved with a lower Position Random Value


  • Global Offset X/Y

Applies a global offset of the generated Pattern (all cells) along X or Y



  • Rotation

Applies a rotation to each cell


  • Global Rotation

Rotates the end result of the Pattern Generation. (globally, instead of per cell)


  • Rotation Pivot Centered

Controls the Rotation Pivot for the Global Rotation Slider.

If ticked on, the Pivot sits at the center of each UDIM (0.5,0.5)

If ticked off, the Pivot sits at U/V 0.0 of UDIM 1001



  • Rotation Random

Applies a random rotation to Cells


  • Rotation Steps

Determines the freedom of the Rotation Random.

WIth a value of 360, Rotation Random will rotate cells freely from 0 to 360 degrees.

With a value of e.g. 90, Rotation Random will rotate cells in a range from 0 to 90 degrees.


  • Mask Random

Randomly hides Cells



  • Noise Type

Determines the Noise Type used for hiding cells when using Mask Random.


  • Noise Seed

Randomizes the Noise Type used for hiding cells when using Mask Random




Shape Masking applies a mask to all cells of the Node. The Mask is applied in binary mode - a cell is either fully visible or hidden. 
Other than for example using a Probability Mask attached to the Node Input Port, a Mask will never "cut through" a cell.


  • Use Shape Mask

Activate Shape Mask Mode


  • Shape Mask

The Image to use as Shape Mask


  • MipMap Blur

A blur applied to the Shape Mask Image


  • Shape Threshold

The value of the map representing the pivot point between "hidden" and "visible"


  • Mask Repeat

THe number of times the Mask Image is repeated


  • Mask Repeat U

The number of times the Mask Image is repeated horizontally. Multiplies against the "Mask Repeat"


  • Mask Repeat V

The number of times the Mask Image is repeated vertically. Multiplies against the "Mask Repeat"


  • Mask Rotation

Rotation of the Mask Image


  • Rotation Pivot Centered

If on, rotation is evaluated against the center position (0.5 / 0.5) of the UVs. 

If a 2D Node is used (as opposed to a triplanar node), this will mean a unique rotation pivot in the center of each udim.


  • Mask Offset U/V

Translation values for the Mask in U and V 


  • Layer Cutoff

The Layer Cutoff determines the number of iterations and radius around each cell the node runs through before it stops calculating.

If you are experiencing Seams this might be the reason




Higher Layer Cutoff Values reduces performance !

Keep this value as low as possible without seeing seams


To better understand this behavior and to anticipate consider this:


    • By default each cell is generated in a grid pattern at a scale of 1.
    • Each cell has an internal position of 0.0 for its own coordinate system


If you change the position of a cell from its original position of 0.0/0.0 the Layer Cutoff needs to be increased

for a wider sample radius. So for example 


    • adding a Random Position Value of 1.0/1.0 means we need to sample up to 1 additional cell around the original cell.
      • We need to increase the Layer Cutoff to at least 2


    • adding a Random Position Value of 2.0/2.0 means we need to sample up to 2 additional cell around the original cell.
      • We need to increase the Layer Cutoff to at least 3


If you change the scale of a cell from its original scale of 1.0  the Layer Cutoff needs to be increased

for a wider sample radius. So for example 


    • Changing the Scale to 2 means we need to sample 1 additional cell around the original cell.
      • We need to increase the Layer Cutoff to at least 2


    • Changing the Scale to 4 means we need to sample 3 additional cell around the original cell.
      • We need to increase the Layer Cutoff to at least 4



  • Attenuation

Attenuation lowers the value of layers in the background successively for each Layer ID until it reaches a value of 0


  • Fill Background

If ticked on, the Pattern will be generated over the Background defined in the Background Color or the background attached to the Background Node port


  • Background Color

The Background Color for the Pattern if Fill Background is ticked on. The Background Color is ignores if something is attached to the Background Node port


  • Tint

Tint the result of the Pattern Generation with the specified color. Mutliplies the specified color against the result of the computation.


  • Value Offset

Adds or subtracts the specified value from each layer of the pattern computation, lightening or darkening the output.


  • Opacity

Set the Opacity for each cell



  • Random Hue Multiplier

Affects how much the Hue is randomized in between cells


  • Random Hue Min/Max

Sets the Min and Max Range for Random Hue changes in between cells


  • Random Saturation Multiplier

Affects how much the Saturation is randomized in between cells


  • Random Saturation Min/Max

Sets the Min and Max Range for Random Saturation changes in between cells


  • Random Luminance Multiplier

Affects how much the Luminance is randomized in between cells


  • Random Luminance Min/Max

Sets the Min and Max Range for Random Luminance changes in between cells


  • Random Opacity Multiplier

Affects how much the Opacity is randomized in between cells


  • Random Opacity Min/Max

Sets the Min and Max Range for Random Opacity changes in between cells



The Settings found in the Output Alphas Group determine how transparency of cell content is treated in the additional Output Ports of the Node 


(Pattern UVs, Pattern Center, Pattern Index, Pattern Manifold and Pattern Scale)


  • UVs premultiply

Premultiplies the transparency of cell content returned on the Pattern UVs output Port


  • Center premultiply

Premultiplies the transparency of cell content returned on the Pattern Center output Port


  • Index/Manifold premultiply

Premultiplies the transparency of cell content returned on the Pattern Index and Pattern Manifold output Ports


  • Scale premultiply

Premultiplies the transparency of cell content returned on the Pattern Scale output Port


  • Random premultiply

Premultiplies the transparency of cell content returned on the Pattern Random output Port



Tip


If you are seeing seams in your pattern try raising the Layer Cutoff in the Layering Group.



Higher Layer Cutoff Values reduces performance !

Keep this value as low as possible without seeing seams