Houdini 22.0 Nodes Copernicus nodes

Knit Copernicus node

Generates a grid of knitted fabric stitches.

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Since 22.0

This node creates a procedural knitted fabric texture made of a grid of individual stitches. It outputs a height map for the stitch relief together with matching color, per-stitch id, and UV layers, so you can light, shade, and texture the knit downstream.

For example, use it to build a sweater or scarf material: generate the stitch height, convert it to a normal map with the Height to Normal COP, and use the id output to randomize the color of each stitch.

The node lays out Rows by Columns of stitches and shapes each one as either a knit or a purl stitch. With the Purl shape, the per-stitch transform controls and their optional inputs let you drive jitter, direction, angle, scale, stretch, color, and flip from layers, each blended in by its own layer-mask parameter. These transforms are best left at their defaults for the Knit shape, where moving individual stitches breaks the interlocking fibers and introduces discontinuities in the output pattern.

Parameters

Preset

Loads a predefined collection of settings for a particular style of knit. Choosing a preset overwrites the parameters below.

Seed

The initial seed for all of the node’s randomization, including Jitter and the Variance and Min/Max modes of Scale, Stretch, and Angle. Changing it produces a new random arrangement.

Transform

Point Generation

Rows

The number of rows of stitches in the grid.

Columns

The number of columns of stitches in the grid.

Row Offset

Staggers each successive row sideways by this amount, in image space. Use a small offset to break up the regular grid.

Column Offset

Staggers each successive column by this amount, in image space.

Jitter

Jitter Layer Mask

Scales how much the jitter input layer affects the result. Disabled when nothing is connected to the jitter input.

Jitter

The amount of random positional offset added to each stitch, in image space. Higher values scatter the stitches off their grid positions.

Jitter Type

Toggles per-component jitter controls.

Per-Component Controls

Reveals Jitter Scale so you can scale the jitter independently along each axis instead of uniformly.

Jitter Scale

Per-axis multipliers for the Jitter amount, biasing the random offset more along X or Y. Visible when Jitter Type has per-component controls enabled.

Scale

Scale Layer Mask

Controls how much the scale input layer affects each stitch’s size. Disabled when nothing is connected to the scale input.

Scale

The base size of each stitch, in image space. Lower values leave gaps between stitches; higher values pack them closer together.

Scale Mode

How each stitch’s scale is chosen.

Uniform

Every stitch uses the same Scale.

Variance

Randomly varies each stitch’s scale around Scale by up to Scale Variance.

Min/Max

Randomly picks each stitch’s scale between Min Value and Max Value.

Scale Variance

The maximum random deviation from Scale when Scale Mode is Variance.

Min Value

The smallest random scale when Scale Mode is Min/Max.

Max Value

The largest random scale when Scale Mode is Min/Max.

Stretch

Stretch Layer Mask

Scales how much the stretch input layer affects the per-stitch stretch. Disabled when nothing is connected to the stretch input.

Stretch Mode

How each stitch’s stretch is chosen.

Uniform

Every stitch uses the same Stretch X and Stretch Y.

Variance

Randomly varies each stitch’s stretch around Stretch X/Stretch Y by up to Stretch Variance.

Min/Max

Randomly picks each stitch’s stretch between Min Value and Max Value.

Stretch X

The horizontal stretch factor for each stitch. Values above 1 widen stitches; below 1 narrow them.

Stretch Y

The vertical stretch factor for each stitch. Values above 1 lengthen stitches; below 1 shorten them.

Stretch Variance

The maximum random X and Y deviation from Stretch X/Stretch Y when Stretch Mode is Variance.

Min Value

The smallest random X and Y stretch when Stretch Mode is Min/Max.

Max Value

The largest random X and Y stretch when Stretch Mode is Min/Max.

Angle

Angle Layer Mask

Scales how much the angle input layer rotates each stitch. Disabled when nothing is connected to the angle input.

Direction Layer Mask

Scales how much the direction input layer orients each stitch. Disabled when nothing is connected to the direction input.

Angle

The base rotation applied to every stitch, in degrees.

Angle Mode

How each stitch’s rotation is chosen.

Uniform

Every stitch uses the same Angle.

Variance

Randomly varies each stitch’s angle around Angle by up to Angle Variance.

Min/Max

Randomly picks each stitch’s angle between Min Value and Max Value.

Angle Variance

The maximum random deviation, in degrees, from Angle when Angle Mode is Variance.

Min Value

The smallest random angle, in degrees, when Angle Mode is Min/Max.

Max Value

The largest random angle, in degrees, when Angle Mode is Min/Max.

Round to Multiples

When the toggle is on, snaps each stitch’s final angle to the nearest multiple of this value, in degrees. Applied as a post-process.

Knit Shape

Knit Shape Type

The style of stitch the node generates.

Purl

A bumpy purl stitch, shaped by the bulge and wrinkle controls below.

Knit

A V-shaped knit stitch built from interlocking fibers, shaped by the weave and fiber controls below.

Width

The width of each purl stitch. Larger values round out the shape, while smaller values make it more compact and pinched at the ends.

Bulge Scale

How far the purl stitch bulges outward in height.

Softness

Softens the edges of the stitch, blurring the transition between the stitch and the gaps around it.

Wrinkles

The strength of the fine wrinkles added across the stitch surface.

Wrinkle Size

The size of the wrinkle detail. Smaller values produce finer wrinkles.

Edge Bend

How much the stitch bends along its edges. Negative values bend it the opposite way.

Edge Bend Bias

Shifts the balance of the Edge Bend across the stitch, weighting the bend more toward one end than the other. At 0 the bend stays concentrated on one side; higher values push it toward the opposite side, distributing the curvature more evenly.

Bulge Ramp

Remaps the cross-sectional bulge profile of the stitch, controlling how its height falls off from the center toward the edges.

Height Ramp

Remaps the height profile of the stitch along its length.

Double Knit

Generates a second interlocking strand for each stitch, producing a denser double-knit weave.

Invert Knit

Flips the over/under direction of the knit stitch.

Weave Width

The width of each knit stitch.

Weave Height

The height of each knit stitch. This is the in-plane vertical extent of the stitch shape, not its out-of-plane depth.

Weave Radius

The thickness of the yarn that forms each knit stitch.

Fiber Strength

The strength of the fine fiber detail added along each strand.

Fiber Cycles

The number of fiber twist cycles along each strand.

Fiber Twist

The direction and amount of twist in the fiber detail. Negative values twist the opposite way.

Inputs

size_ref

A representative layer that determines the size of the output image and controls the metadata.

jitter

An optional layer that drives per-stitch positional jitter, scaled by the Jitter Layer Mask parameter.

direction

An optional layer that orients each stitch, scaled by the Direction Layer Mask parameter.

angle

An optional layer that rotates each stitch, scaled by the Angle Layer Mask parameter.

scale

An optional layer that resizes each stitch, weighted by the Scale Layer Mask parameter.

stretch

An optional layer that stretches each stitch, scaled by the Stretch Layer Mask parameter.

color

An optional RGB layer that tints each stitch, passed through to the color output.

alpha

An optional mask layer controlling the per-stitch opacity.

flip

An optional layer that flips stitches between knit and purl.

Outputs

height

A mono layer with the height, or relief, of the knit, suitable for displacement or for feeding the Height to Normal COP.

color

An RGB layer with the per-stitch color, derived from the color input when connected.

id

An ID layer giving each stitch a unique value, useful for randomizing color or masking individual stitches downstream.

uv

A UV layer giving per-stitch texture coordinates for mapping detail onto each stitch.

See also

Copernicus nodes