6: Controlling Geometry Placement with Proximity Nodes
Today, I wanted to control where objects appeared in relation to others, so I experimented with the Geometry Proximity node.
Process
I connected the Geometry Proximity node to the output of the Distribute Points on Faces node. This node calculates the distance between geometries, which I used to influence the placement of new objects.
By connecting the Distance output to another Distribute Points on Faces node (with the grid as the mesh), I could control where instances would appear based on their proximity to existing objects.
I used a Float Curve node to adjust the influence of the distance values. Inverting the curve made the points gather closer to the existing object instead of moving away, which was exactly what I needed.
Applying the same logic with faces instead of points worked as well. By adding a Realize Instances node before the Geometry Proximity node, I could use the geometry information effectively.
Nodes Used and Their Functions
-
Geometry Proximity: Calculates the distance from each point to the nearest point on another geometry.
- Distance: Outputs the calculated distance value.
- Float Curve: Remaps values using a curve for finer control.
- Realize Instances: Converts instances into real geometry for accurate calculations.