DocsNodesEmitters

Scatter Points

Sprinkles points over a surface, ready for something to be placed on each one.

scatter, sprinkle, random points, distribute, trees, rocks, spread
Category
Emitters
Outputs
mesh
Runs live in
no target yet

Points are spread over the surface by area, so a wide face gets more of them than a narrow one and the scatter looks even rather than bunching where the mesh happens to be dense.

Random is the plain draw and points can land close together. Dart Throwing refuses any point too near one already placed, which is what you want for trees or rocks that should not overlap. It will place fewer points than you asked for when the surface cannot hold that many at that spacing, and that is the honest answer rather than a failure.

Inputs

SocketTypeWiring
surfacegeometry

Parameters

NameTypeDefaultAvailable whenWhat it does
Countnumber50always
Seednumber1always
Caps Onlycheckboxonalways
Distributionrandom | dartThrowingrandomalways
Min Distancenumber0.5Distribution is dartThrowing

1 of these 5 parameters only apply in some settings. The Available when column says which.

Watch out

Asking for a count you do not get means the spacing will not fit. Lower the minimum distance or accept fewer.

Built with this node

  • Repeat thingsHow-to
  • Scatter Copies Over a Surfaceteaches this
  • Make Every Copy Differentuses it

1 more teaching graph uses it without being about it.

See also

  • instanceOnPointsThe other half of the job: putting something at each point.
  • relaxPointsTo push an existing set of points apart, rather than making a new well-spaced one.

Open the editor and try it