Houdini 21.0 Nodes Geometry nodes

Labs Align and Distribute 2.0 geometry node

Aligns and arranges geometry pieces in linear or grid layouts.

Since 21.0

This tool splits input geometry into discrete pieces using either connectivity or a custom attribute, then sorts and arranges them in a configurable layout. It supports linear and grid layouts, offers various alignment and justification options, and includes mesh bounds visualization for previewing results. Useful for inspecting geometry, or simply to generate contact sheets showing variations of multiple objects.

Parameters

Split and Sort

Split By

Determines how the input geometry is split into separate pieces for alignment. Choose between connected components or a custom attribute.

Connectivity

Splits the input geometry into pieces based on disconnected mesh islands.

Piece Attribute

Splits the geometry using a specified attribute (e.g. name). All primitives sharing the same attribute value are treated as a single piece.

Attribute Name

Specifies the name of the attribute whose unique values will define how the geometry is split into pieces.

Sort By

Controls the sorting method used to order the pieces before alignment. This affects the layout direction and positioning. Options include polycount, area, or randomized order.

None

Keeps the original order of the pieces.

Area

Sorts the pieces from smallest to largest by surface area.

Polycount

Sorts the pieces by their total polygon count, from lowest to highest.

Random

Randomizes the order of the pieces.

Random Seed

Controls the seed value for the random sorting. Changing this will produce a different randomized order for otherwise identical inputs.

Spacing

Controls the amount of padding between pieces in the layout. Measured in world units.

Align and Distribute

Layout

Defines the overall arrangement style for the aligned pieces. Use Linear for sequential placement along a single axis, or Grid to position pieces in a 2D matrix.

Linear

Arranges pieces in a straight line along a specified axis.

Grid

Arranges pieces in a two-dimensional grid.

Axis

Defines the axis along which to align the pieces. Only visible when Layout is set to Linear.

Alignment

Adjusts how each piece is positioned relative to the layout direction. Choose to align pieces toward the positive end, negative end, or center of the layout axis.

Positive

Aligns pieces starting from the origin and distributes them toward the positive axis direction.

Center

Centers the layout so the combined bounding box of all pieces is centered at world origin.

Negative

Aligns pieces starting from the origin and distributes them toward the negative axis direction.

Justify X

How the individual pieces should be aligned on their local X axis.

Justify Y

How the individual pieces should be aligned on their local Y axis.

Justify Z

How the individual pieces should be aligned on their local Z axis.

Visualize

Visualize Mesh Bounds

When enabled, displays the bounding box of each piece to help debug alignment and spacing behavior.

Geometry nodes