Set Instance Geometry

This compound uses objects instead of particles for the geometry in a particle simulation. You can use any 3D geometric object, a light, a camera, or even other point clouds in place of particles to create many different effects. If the instanced objects are animated, you can create crowds or flocking scenes, such as with flying birds or butterflies.

 

If you’re using instanced geometry that is not animated, you may want to use the Instance Shape node instead of this compound to prevent problems while rendering large amounts of instances. See Creating Particle Instances for more information.

Plug this compound's Execute on Emit output into an Execute on Emit port of the Emit compound.

For more information on using instances, see ICE Particle Instances (Objects as Particle Shapes).

Tasks: Particles/Geometry Instancing

Output Ports: Execute_On_Emit

 

Geometry Instancing Parameters

Reference

The object or group of objects whose geometry you want to use instead of particles. You can use a single object, a hierarchy of objects, or a group of objects. Each object in a group is assigned randomly onto a particle and stays with that particle for its lifetime. This is because the instance is based on the unique ID of the particle.

Hierarchy Mode

You can use the object only as the instanced geometry or the object and its children, if the object is a parent in a hierarchy.

Group Object Index

The index value given to each object in a group. You can use this to control which object to pick from a group. The index picks the group items according to creation order that you can check in the explorer using the View > General Sort > None (Creation) filter in the explorer. For example, the first object created is 0 in the index, the second object is 1, and so on.

With the Creation filter on, you can then use the View > Reorder Tool in the explorer to change the objects’ order in the group.

Out-of-range Group Index

Considers the objects that are out of the range of what is in the group object index, such as when you add an object to the group. If this option is set to Clamp, the objects with index values outside the group object index are not considered; if you select Wraparound, the objects are automatically included.

Instance Animation Parameters

Select Initial Shape Instance Frame Value

The frame of the instance’s animation you want to use as the starting frame for each particle:

• Use Input Frame Value uses the value you enter below.

• Use Current Frame uses whatever frame you are at.

• Do Not Change Instance Animation Time uses the animation exactly as it is.

Input Frame Value

The frame number of the instance shape animation to use for its initial frame.


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