Houdini 21.0 Nodes Geometry nodes

Labs Biome Attributes Evolve (Beta) 1.1 geometry node

Evolve all the attributes on the terrain to create more realistic results.

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Since 20.5

Algorithms, noise, and Houdini’s Heightfield Mask by Feature tools evolve our attributes (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and soil) and generate micro-biomes. This attribute evolution allows the plant distribution to be coherent with the topography of the terrain. Parameters are exposed to control this process so artists can achieve the vision they have for their unique environment. This node follows the Biome Attributes to Terrain SOP and precedes the Biome Plant Scatter SOP.

Parameters

Visualize

Display

Input: The terrain mask input in the node.

Temperature: A remapped preview of the temperature attribute on the terrain.

Precipitation: A remapped preview of the precipitation attribute on the terrain.

Soil: A preview of the soil attribute on the terrain.

Biome Color: A preview of the biomecolor attribute on the terrain.

Auto Remap

Use Real-World Range: Show a remapped preview of the Display following real-world preset values.

Auto Normalize Range: Show a normalized preview of the Display following the minimum and maximum volume values.

Manual Range: Show a remapped preview of the Display following Min and Max values.

AUTOREMAP

Compute Range

Click to fill in the Min and Max parameters with the current minimum and maximum values in the input layer.

Min

The lowest value in the input to map from.

Max

The highest value in the input to map from.

Temperature: Elevation

Evolve with Elevation

Enables the evolution of 'temperature' depending on the elevation.

Lapse Rate

The rate of temperature decrease with height. Measured in °C/km. If the value is positive, temperature decreases as height increases. If the value is negative, temperature increases as height increases.

Temperature: Diffusion

Blur between Regions

Enables the blurring of temperature between different regions.

Blur Iterations

Higher values will result in a smoother gradient, but will take longer to calculate.

Precipitation: Topography

Remove by Convexity

Remove 'precipitation' in areas based on the terrain convexity. By default, more convex areas are assumed to have higher wind exposure, giving rise to increased evaporation and drier terrain.

Removal Amount over Convexity

Modify this ramp to use a custom remapping.

Enable Removal Amount by Height

Control Remove by Convexity removal amount by height. By default, this removes 'precipitation' from the convex high mountain peaks without removing 'precipitation' from the low flat plains. The mask by height is multiplied by the mask by convexity.

Removal Amount over Height

Modify this ramp to use a custom remapping.

Precipitation: Rain Shadow

Remove by Direction

Remove 'precipitation' based on the “horizontal” direction the terrain surface faces at a given point.

Rain XZ Direction

Start direction vector of Rain Shadow. This could be a vector derived from the location of the ocean that is causing the rain shadow.

Rotate Direction

Offset rotation of Rain XZ Direction.

Falloff Angle

Amount of falloff allowed around the rain shadow.

Removal Amount over Falloff Angle

Modify this ramp to use a custom remapping of Falloff Angle.

Soil: Cliffs

Remove by Slope

Remove 'soil' based on the slope of the terrain.

Min Slope Angle

Add areas with a slope greater than or equal to this value to the mask. If the Removal Amount over Slope Angle ramp is set to default, any slope less than this value will have a soil value of 1.

Max Slope Angle

Add areas with a slope less than or equal to this value to the mask. If the Removal Amount over Slope Angle ramp is set to default, any slope greater than this value will have a soil value of 0.

Removal Amount over Slope Angle

Controls the value of the mask over the range from the Min Slope Angle to the Max Slope Angle. This lets you control the feathering of the mask.

Remove by Height

Remove 'soil' based on the height level of the terrain. By default, when this is enabled, this will prevent plants from spawning at extremely high elevations, regardless of the slope. When both Remove by Height and Remove by Slope are enabled the masks are multiplied. The inverse of this product is the 'cliff' layer.

Removal Amount over Height

Controls the value of the mask over the range from the minimum height level to the maximum height level of the heightfield.

Soil: Soil Noise

Remove by Noise

Remove 'soil' based on a noise.

Constant Value

The base or minimum value of the soil mask.

Invert Noise

Reverse the noise mask values.

Intensity

#intensity The intensity of the noise. Lower values fade the noise away.

Amplitude

Scales the intensity of the noise mask.

Element Size

Scales the noise pattern outward across the grid.

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 is added to the basic output. Note you can use negative values.

Roughness

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

Soil: Soil Mask

Enable Mask

Use custom mask from the first input for soil.

Mask Layer

The name of the custom mask from the first input to use. Ensure that the mask is mapped with values from 0 to 1.

Combine with Noise

How to composite the mask with the Soil Noise mask. If Remove by Noise is disabled, this value is disabled.

Blend Mask

The amount to blend the custom mask with the soil mask, when Combine with Noise is “blend”. A value of 0 uses the soil mask, a value of 1 uses the custom mask, a value of 0.5 blends equally between the two masks. Visualize this change by setting Display to “Soil” and “Use Real-World Range”.

Input: HeightField Layers

Temperature

Name of temperature layer.

Precipitation

Name of precipitation layer.

Soil

Name of soil layer.

Biome ID

Name of biomeid layer.

Biome Color R

Name of the red channel of the biomecolor layer.

Biome Color G

Name of the green channel of the biomecolor layer.

Biome Color B

Name of the blue channel of the biomecolor layer.

Biome Average Height

Name of biomeaverageheight layer.

Input: Detail Attributes

Min Height

Name of 'minheight' detail attribute.

Max Height

Name of 'maxheight' detail attribute.

Output: HeightField Layers

Generate Cliff

Output 'cliff' layer. This is the layer generated by the settings in the Soil tab under Cliffs.

Cliff

Name of the output 'cliff' layer.

Locals

See also

Geometry nodes