Houdini 22.0 Nodes Copernicus nodes

Mask Combine Copernicus node

Combines several mask layers from an input cable into a single mask.

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Since 22.0

This node builds a single mask by blending together any number of mono or color layers carried in its input cable. Each entry in the Mask Layers list picks a named wire, converts it to a mono layer, remaps it into the 0-1 range, then blends it onto a running result. A final Post Processing stage lets you remap the combined mask.

This is useful for assembling one mask from several sources, such as combining baked maps from Bake Geometry Textures; to this end, you can plug that node’s all outputs cable into a copy of Mask Combine.

Parameters

Starting Value

The starting mask value that the first layer blends onto. The layers in Mask Layers are combined onto this value in order.

Mask Layers

Each entry in this list combines one wire from the input cable onto the running mask. The layers are processed from top to bottom.

Wire Name

Turns the layer on or off. When off, the layer is skipped and doesn’t contribute to the combined mask.

Wire Name

The name of the wire in the input cable to combine. A valid layer must be either Mono, UV, RGB, or RGBA type.

Blend Mode

How this layer is combined with the running result. See the Blend COP for full descriptions of each mode (the running mask and the current layer are the background and foreground blend inputs, respectively).

Blend

Replaces the running result with this layer.

Add

Adds this layer to the running result.

Subtract

Subtracts this layer from the running result.

Multiply

Multiplies the running result by this layer.

Divide

Divides the running result by this layer.

Screen

Acts as a saturating add, much like adding photographs.

Hypot

Takes the length of the vector formed by this layer and the running result.

Difference

Takes the absolute difference between this layer and the running result.

Exclusion

A lower contrast version of Difference.

Sharpen

Increases the contrast of the running result using this layer as the mid-point contrast value.

Maximum

Takes the maximum of this layer and the running result.

Minimum

Takes the minimum of this layer and the running result.

Overlay

Switches between Multiply and Screen based on the value of the running result. Areas below 0.5 multiply and areas above 0.5 screen.

SoftLight

Applies a smooth contrast to the running result according to the value of this layer.

HardLight

Switches between Multiply and Screen based on the value of this layer. Areas below 0.5 multiply and areas above 0.5 screen.

Dodge

Lightens the running result according to this layer’s value.

Burn

Darkens the running result according to this layer’s value.

Mask

The amount of this layer to mix into the running result. Higher values mix in more of the layer. A value of 1 applies the blend fully.

Conversion

How a multi-channel wire (such as UV, RGB, or RGBA) is reduced to a mono value before blending.

Channel Extract

Uses a single channel of the wire as the mask.

Channel Mix

Combines the channels using a weighted sum.

Light Direction

Treats the wire as a normal map and computes the mask from how much each normal faces a given light direction.

Channel to Extract

The channel to use as the mask when Conversion is Channel Extract.

X Weight

The weight of the Red (x) channel when Conversion is Channel Mix.

Y Weight

The weight of the Green (y) channel when Conversion is Channel Mix.

Z Weight

The weight of the Blue (z) channel when Conversion is Channel Mix.

W Weight

The weight of the Alpha (w) channel when Conversion is Channel Mix.

Normalize Weights

Divides the channel mix by the sum of the weights so the result keeps the same overall range. Turn this off to use the weights as raw multipliers.

Normal Type

How the normal values are encoded when Conversion is Light Direction.

Signed (-1 to 1)

The channels store normal components directly in the -1 to 1 range.

Offset (0 to 1)

The channels store normal components remapped into the 0 to 1 range, as is common for normal maps.

Light Direction

The direction the light comes from when Conversion is Light Direction. Normals facing this direction produce higher mask values.

Terminator

Shifts the boundary between the lit and unlit sides of the surface when Conversion is Light Direction.

Blur

Blurs the layer before it’s blended in, softening its edges.

Layer Remap

Remaps this layer’s values through a ramp before blending, letting you reshape its contrast or invert it.

Post Processing

Note

The node applies the post-processing operations in the order they're listed.

Combined Mask Remap

Remaps the combined mask through a ramp, letting you reshape the final result after all layers are blended.

Range

Amplitude

The amount by which to multiply the combined mask, which the node applies before the Center adjustment.

Center

The center of the output range, which offsets the combined mask values.

Mask Contrast

The amount of contrast to apply to the combined mask before the Amplitude and Center adjustments.

Note

The node applies the post-processing operations in the order they're listed.

Fold

Sets the noise values to the absolute value. For example, a pixel value of -2 becomes 2.

Note

This parameter doesn’t impact the output when there’s only positive values.

Complement

Sets the pixel value x to 1 - x.

Note

This method works for values in the 0 to 1 range. For images outside of this range, using Complement results in negative or out of range values.

Bias

The amount to pull the medium grey values (around 0.5) towards zero (if Bias is less than 1) or one (if Bias is greater than 1). A bias value of 0.5 doesn’t affect the values.

Gain

The amount to pull the medium grey values (around 0.5) together, while values around 0 and 1 are pulled apart. A gain value of 0.5 doesn’t affect the noise values.

Gamma

The overall gamma of the generated noise. Values greater than 1 increase the range of values in originally bright areas, which darkens the noise. Values less than 1 stretch out the range of values for originally dark areas, which increases the overall brightness of the noise.

Contrast

The amount to expand or shrink the overall range of tonal values. Each noise value is pushed towards (if Contrast is less than 1) or away from (if Contrast is greater than 1) medium grey values (around 0.5).

Note

This is not the same as Noise Contrast, which appears in some noise nodes and applies contrast during the noise function.

Clamp Minimum

Clamps values below the specified threshold.

Clamp Maximum

Clamps values exceeding the specified threshold.

Inputs

layers

The cable carrying the layers to combine. The Mask Layers list picks named wires from this cable.

Outputs

mask

The combined output mask.

See also

Copernicus nodes