Houdini 20.5 Nodes Geometry nodes

HeightField Noise geometry node

Adds vertical noise to a height field, creating peaks and valleys.

Since 16.0

See also Height Field Distort, which adds moves/swirls terrain features across the grid.

Parameters

Noise Layer

The name of the volume the noise will be applied to, usually height.

Mask Layer

If a mask volume is wired into this node’s second input, this specifies which volume in the second input to use to mask this node’s effect, usually mask. Click the “Add mask paint” button to paint the mask directly in the viewport (this automatically adds a paint node to the second input).

Combine with Existing

How to combine this mask with any existing mask in the input.

Replace

Clear the existing mask and replace it with the new mask.

Add

Add the values in this mask to any existing mask.

Subtract

Subtract the values in this mask from any existing mask.

Difference

Set the mask values to the difference between the old mask and this mask.

Multiply

Multiply the values of the old mask by the values in this mask. This might be useful to “scale” existing values while leaving empty areas alone.

Maximum

Set the mask values to the maximum of the old mask and this mask.

Minimum

Set the mask values to the minimum of the old mask and this mask.

Blend

Blend the old mask and this mask by a certain amount.

Blend

The amount to blend the old mask with what you draw, when Combine with existing is “blend”. A value of 0 leaves the existing mask, a value of 1 replaces with the new mask, a value of 0.5 blends equally between the old and new mask.

Center Noise

Offsets the noise so it centers around 0. This is useful for adding noise to terrain. If you are using a Worley (cellular) noise type, you should turn this off.

Amplitude

Scales the amount of vertical displacement.

Element Size

Scales the noise pattern outward across the grid.

Scale

Scales the displacement in X, Y, and Z. This may be useful to stretch the noise pattern in one direction across the terrain.

Offset

Moves the noise pattern across the grid.

Noise settings

Noise Type

The type of noise to generate, Different algorithms generate patterns with different characteristics.

Fractal

Whether to do multiple iterations of smaller noise on top of bigger noise.

None

Does not add any additional noise on top of the basic noise.

Standard

Adds pseudo-random noise on top of the basic output.

Terrain

Adds noise like “standard” but dampens the noise in the valleys, which generates more realistic-looking terrain.

Hybrid Terrain

Like terrain, but with more sharpness in the valleys.

Max Octaves

Limits the fractal noise to a certain number of iterations.

Lacunarity

The frequency increment between iterations of fractal noise added to the basic output. Note you can use negative values.

Roughness

Fractal roughness. The roughness parameter determines the coarseness of the noise.

Flow Rotation

The rotation of the “swirl”, from 0 to 1, when Noise Type is “Flow”.

Because this parameter is fractional and wraps around, if you try to use $F to animate it, it will always look the same. Use something like the time or the frame number divided by the total number of frames instead.

Post Processing

Fold

Only allow absolute values in the noise output.

Complement

Turns the noise upside-down (outputs 1 - x for the noise values).

Gain

Turn on the checkbox to access the parameter value. Lightens or darkens the highlights and dark areas from the of the noise function’s color values. Gain amplifies dark areas when it is less than 0.5, and favors light areas when greater than 0.5. The parameter ranges between 0 and 1.

Bias

Turn on the checkbox to adjust the mid-tones of the noise function’s color values. The default is 0.5 and represents the original color. Values greater than 0.5 lighten the color, and values less than 0.5 make the mid-tones darker. The parameter ranges between 0 and 1.

Clipping Minimum

Clamps any noise value below this. Has the effect of cutting off all elevation changes at a certain minimum height.

Clipping Maximum

Clamps any noise value above this. Has the effect of cutting off all elevation changes at a certain maximum height.

Distortion

Enable Lattice Warp

Adds “stringiness” or “wiriness” to standard noise.

Accumulate Lattice Warp

When lattice warp is on, this accumulates the warp for each iteration (octave) of added fractal noise.

Lattice Warp

How much “stringiness” to add to the noise.

Freq

The frequency of the “stringiness”.

Enable Gradient Warp

Widens the peaks and valleys of the noise.

Accumulate Gradient Warp

When Gradient warp is on, this accumulates the warp for each iteration (octave) of added fractal noise.

Gradient Warp

How much to widen the peaks and valleys of the noise.

See also

Geometry nodes