Offset Normal Instances

We have added another way to control instance placement and movement. It comes from a user request to be able to control instances that are not in the camera's field of view, to reduce the workload of having to calculate instances that would not be seen. We have added three new Vector outputs to the Instance Input node - Base X, Base Y, and Base Z. They can be used to dictate how instances will be placed based on a surface normal.

The ways these inputs work depend on the type of Instancer used, as follows:

Item (Pivot) - XYZ axis of the parent object
Point - XYZ of the surface point, Y is the surface normal
Polygon - XYZ of the surface point, Y is the surface normal
Particles - XYZ axis of the particle
Surface - XYZ of the surface point, Y is the surface normal
Rectangular Array - XYZ axis of the parent object
Radial Array - XYZ axis of the parent object
Motion Path - XYZ axis of the point on the path, Z points along the spline
Spline - XYZ axis of the point on the path, Z points along the spline

Example - Kooky Cube Eyeballs

12 August 2024