Geological forms and surface tools¶
These tools extend the heightfield workflow described in Terrain nodes. Connect a generator to a processing node's height input, then connect the resulting height to Terrain Output. Scalar masks and region outputs can be viewed through Terrain Output or used to control another node.
Heights and feature widths are evaluated before Terrain Size and Height Scale. Changing those display settings does not change the generated pattern. All Seed controls default to 1.
Geological Forms¶
| Node | Controls and result |
|---|---|
| Ridge Network | Curved primary ridges connect to a shared spine, with varying summit heights and tapered ends. Main Ridges sets the number of primary arms. Branching adds smaller side spurs without removing the parent ridges; at 0, only the main structure remains. Relief scales elevation. The outer terrain border falls to zero. Add Hydraulic Erosion to develop runoff detail from this structure. |
| Plateau Massif | Broad elevated ground with an irregular boundary. Extent expands its footprint; Escarpment sharpens the outer face. Relief scales elevation. The top retains shallow surface variation. |
| Fault Terrain | Uneven, gently tilted blocks separated by warped fault boundaries. Smaller Fault Spacing produces more blocks. Displacement scales their elevation differences and tilt; Softening rounds boundaries, including junctions where several blocks meet. This is a constructed landform, not a tectonic simulation. |
| Impact Field | Freely distributed impact sites on a base elevation of 0.5. Impact Count supports 1 to 256 sites. Impact Size sets the maximum radius as a fraction of terrain width; Size Spread increases the range from small pits to larger craters. Excavation scales bowls, rims and ejecta. Weathering breaks up their outlines and surfaces. Overlapping impacts have a fixed formation order, so later craters locally replace earlier rims. Deep impacts can extend below zero. Excavation 0 produces a flat field at 0.5. |
| Range Terrain | Three overlapping mountain systems cover the terrain area, including its borders. Scale changes their horizontal extent, Definition changes ridge distortion, Bulk fills the slopes between summits, and Relief scales height. Unlike Mountain, it has no surrounding flat ground or radial envelope. Add Hydraulic Erosion for worn drainage forms, or Bedrock Layers for stratification. Relief 0 produces a flat zero field. |
| Rock Terrain | Structure selects Blocks, Corrugated, Fractured, Layered or Folded. Each constructs a different arrangement of rock relief using overlapping feature systems, displacement and geological layers. Scale changes feature size; Relief sets the resulting elevation span from zero. These are constructed geological surfaces, not simulations of tectonics or physical time. Relief 0 produces a flat zero field. |
Layered and Fractured structures can take longer to calculate. Begin at 1K while choosing a structure, then increase the resolution to inspect fine detail. Exports calculate the terrain at the selected resolution.
Construction Fields¶
| Node | Controls and result |
|---|---|
| Uniform Field | Assigns Elevation to every sample, including negative elevations. Use it as a flat base, blend target, or constant mask. |
| Directional Bands | A repeating 0 to 1 field. Spacing sets the distance between bands; Direction rotates them. Irregularity introduces coherent meanders. |
| Spatial Gradient | Profile chooses Radial or Linear. Radial falls from the center toward the border. Linear rises along Direction, with 0 degrees pointing along positive X. Reach controls the transition distance; Amplitude scales its elevation and can be negative. |
Relief and Domain¶
All four tools accept an optional mask. At 0 the source sample is preserved; at 1 the full result is used.
| Node | Controls and result |
|---|---|
| Relief Remap | Maps the source's complete height range to Low Elevation and High Elevation. Reversing these values inverts the result. Contrast at 1 gives a linear remap; higher values separate high and low ground, and 0 gives the range midpoint. A constant source also maps to the midpoint. The source range includes protected samples. |
| Profile Sculpt | Smoothly blends Low Shift, Middle Shift, and High Shift across the source height range. Blend mixes the changed profile with the source. Zero shifts or Blend 0 preserve the source. |
| Domain Transform | Moves, rotates, and scales features around the terrain center. Offset X and Offset Y are fractions of terrain width. Rotation rotates the features; Scale above 1 enlarges them. Samples outside the domain use mirrored borders. |
| Guided Distortion | Requires a separate guide field. Values around 0.5 cause little displacement; higher and lower values shift features in opposing directions. Direction controls the main axis. Variation steers displacement toward the guide's gradient, fading this contribution smoothly near its peaks, troughs and flat areas. At Variation 0, displacement follows Direction only. Strength controls distance. Borders are mirrored. |
Surface Structure¶
These tools modify height and accept an optional mask. They create heightfield relief, not separate mesh objects.
| Node | Controls and result |
|---|---|
| Bedrock Layers | Cuts repeated bedding lines into slopes. Layer Spacing sets their separation; Tilt inclines the bedding planes along X. Fracture breaks their continuity. Blend scales the cuts, with 0 preserving the source. |
| Fracture Network | Pattern selects Irregular Blocks or oriented Joint Sets. Direction rotates the main planes, and Secondary Joints adds a finer crossing set. Exposure restricts fractures to slopes, with 1 suppressing cuts on flat ground. Density controls their number; Opening is cut width relative to terrain width. Depth controls incision. Density or Depth 0 preserves the source. |
| Boulder Patches | Adds clustered stone-shaped relief. Density controls placement; Stone Scale controls size and height. Clustering concentrates placement into coherent patches. Use a slope or deposition mask to restrict placement to suitable ground. Density 0 preserves the source. |
| Talus Deposits | Adds externally supplied loose scree on faces above Slope Threshold, then moves it downhill into angle-of-repose deposits. Slope Threshold is a fraction of a right angle: 0.5 means 45 degrees. Volume controls supply and defaults to 0.15; Spread controls travel distances, and Steps controls settling progress. Seed varies supply. Grain Angularity varies material stability during transport, rather than adding decorative relief. Volume 0 leaves the height unchanged and clears deposit. |
| Sand Ripples | Adds small repeating wind-aligned relief. Wavelength controls spacing; Wind Direction controls orientation. Coherence at 1 gives uninterrupted parallel ripples, while lower values introduce meanders. Amplitude at 0 preserves the source. |
Features finer than the selected resolution can lose detail or be filtered out. Inspect narrow fractures, thin layers, small stones, and short ripples again after increasing Preview Resolution.
Landscape Processes¶
Channel Carving¶
Channel Carving constructs major channel shapes from accumulated drainage. Higher Catchment restricts channels to larger drainage paths; higher Branching includes more tributaries. Incision controls depth, and Bank Softness broadens and rounds channel cross-sections. channels shows the selected footprint, including its banks. The optional mask scales both incision and this footprint.
This node constructs channels in one operation. It does not transport sediment or simulate water depth. Use Hydraulic Erosion when downcutting and sediment deposition must interact. Incision at 0 preserves height and clears channels. Cuts stop at elevation zero and retain an already negative source.
Sediment Fan¶
Supply introduces sediment on sloping ground selected by runoff. Outlet Focus concentrates supply where drainage loses slope; at 0, supply follows the broader sloping runoff selection. Grain Angularity varies stability during transport. Connect an existing 0 to 1 flow field, such as Hydraulic Erosion's flow, to control the source areas. Without a flow input, drainage is calculated from the source height. Runout controls travel and settling, Spread widens branching and lowers the stable deposit slope, and Steps controls transport progress. Seed varies supply and automatic drainage. Supply 0 leaves the height unchanged and clears deposit. Runout 0 keeps supplied material at its source.
Talus Deposits and Sediment Fan add material; they do not erode the source bed to obtain it. Their deposit output is added thickness, including material still in transit when the selected Steps finish. Resulting height equals source height plus deposit. Transport conserves the supplied amount inside the heightfield. Closed depressions retain material. An optional mask limits supply and transport; fully protected strips cannot be crossed, including strips narrower than the travel distance. These outputs measure thickness, not normalized 0 to 1 masks.
Glacial Valleys¶
Valley hollows accumulate ice, which flows under its surface gradient and abrades the bed beneath it. Valley Span controls the accumulation neighborhood and transport extent. Carving controls excavation; Smoothing increases abrasion of bed protrusions under the ice. Smoothing does not blur the entire source. Steps refines ice transport and abrasion. The optional mask protects the bed and blocks ice transport across fully protected regions. wear records removed thickness; resulting height equals source height minus wear.
Carving 0 leaves height unchanged and clears wear. A flat field has no valley ice and remains unchanged. This is a heightfield landform simulation with normalized geological time. It does not model climate, physical years, overhangs, or sediment deposited by melting glaciers. Ice can remain in closed valleys; only the excavated bed is output. More Steps or a finer resolution can change the ice paths and excavation pattern.
Snow Cover¶
Snowline sets the elevation where coverage begins, with a soft, irregular transition. Accumulation adds depth wherever snow is retained and defaults to 0.1. Slope Loss reduces retention on steep landforms; the evaluated neighborhood grows with snow depth so small surface irregularities do not become sharp accumulation spikes. Seed varies the transition. The optional mask protects areas from accumulation. coverage is a 0 to 1 field, and the added height equals Accumulation multiplied by coverage.
Accumulation at 0 preserves height and clears coverage. Snow Cover is local accumulation based on terrain elevation and slope; it does not simulate flowing ice or avalanches.
Shore Profile¶
Water Level sets the shoreline. Beach Extent expands the affected zone. Wave Cut removes material above the water level; Deposition raises sheltered shallow ground below it. shoreline shows the affected zone. An optional mask limits the operation.
Beach Extent at 0 preserves height and clears shoreline. This is a local coastal profile tool. It does not simulate waves, water, or sediment conservation.
Rock Facets¶
Rock Facets embeds independent rock patterns, distorts their alignment, and intersects several irregular layer profiles with the terrain. Scale sets formation size, Depth controls embedded relief, and Shape changes the displacement direction and layer profile. Strength blends the result with the source. An optional mask preserves samples where its value is zero.
The reshaped field is mapped to the original elevation range before blending. A constant input receives a small 0.1-unit working range for the new rock relief. Depth 0 or Strength 0 preserves the source exactly. This tool sculpts height; it does not conserve rock or sediment volume.
Surface Pits¶
Surface Pits adds scattered depressions at three feature sizes. Size sets the largest possible pit radius as a fraction of terrain width. Density controls spatial coverage. Depth sets the thickness removed by a largest pit; overlapping pits can remove more. Irregularity distorts and elongates the outlines. Raised reverses the effect into bumps. Seed changes placement and shape. The optional mask multiplies the modification.
Depth 0 or Density 0 preserves the source exactly. Unresolved detail is filtered at the selected resolution. The node provides surface relief rather than an impact or erosion simulation.
Terrain Analysis¶
Runoff Mask, Exposure Mask, Deposition Mask and Summit Mask output scalar masks from 0 to 1. Surface Analysis additionally supplies an encoded normal color field.
| Node | Controls and result |
|---|---|
| Runoff Mask | Selects accumulated drainage without modifying terrain. Higher Scale allows longer runoff paths. Threshold selects more concentrated flow; Spread expands the selection around those paths. Spread 0 keeps the unexpanded selection. Closed depressions remain drainage sinks. |
| Exposure Mask | Aspect selects slope-facing direction, with 0 degrees pointing along positive X. Slope Weight and Convex Weight balance directional exposure and convex ground. Both weights at 0 give an empty mask. Flat areas have neutral directional exposure. |
| Deposition Mask | Selects gentle, concave ground. Slope Limit controls eligible slopes; Concavity favors hollows. The optional flow input adds a runoff preference controlled by Flow Weight. A disconnected flow input has no influence. This mask predicts suitable areas; it does not measure deposited sediment. |
| Summit Mask | Selects elevation above the surrounding neighborhood. Reach controls neighborhood size. Prominence sets the required relief, and Falloff softens the selection. Sloping planes are not treated as summits, including at the border. |
Surface Regions, in the Materials and Color category, emits rock, soil, and snow masks together. Their values sum to 1 at each sample. Rock Slope favors exposed rock; Snowline favors snow at higher elevations, with reduced snow on steep slopes. Transition softens boundaries. These outputs do not create Blender materials.
Surface Analysis¶
Surface Analysis provides cavity, relief, slope and normal_color without changing terrain height. Analysis Scale sets the largest cavity and local-relief neighborhood as a fraction of terrain width. Cavity Strength controls the contrast of recessed areas. Height Ratio is Height Scale divided by Terrain Size and controls slope and normals. Normals encode terrain X, Y and up in RGB, mapped from negative one through one into zero through one, with alpha 1.
Use cavity to darken sheltered joints, relief to separate broader forms and normal_color for a data texture export. These are geometric selections, not simulated lighting or a replacement for the preview's environment lighting.
Material Distribution¶
Material Distribution creates a scalar map for a palette and separate rock, soil and wet selections. Landform Scale selects broad slopes and relative elevation. Rock Slope, Soil Bias, Wetness and Transition control placement. Patch Scale, Patch Strength and Seed add coherent breakup in active terrain, while flat empty terrain remains quiet.
Optional soil, flow and deposit inputs add measured surface signals. Soil and flow use normalized zero to one values. Deposit Gain scales deposited thickness into selection strength. A mask limits all outputs. Without masking, rock, soil and wet sum to 1. The map selects palette positions; it is not a fixed set of material colors.
Connect height to both Material Distribution and Terrain ColorMap, set the ColorMap's Color Source to Map Input, and connect map to map. Alternatively, use the region selections to blend independent palettes.
Bedding Field¶
Bedding Field outputs hardness from terrain height and tilted layers. Layer Spacing, Tilt, Direction and Folding set their structure. Soft Resistance and Hard Resistance set the range, with soft no greater than hard. Seed varies folding. Connect this field to Hydraulic Erosion or Rock Collapse hardness to preserve competent layers while weak layers recede.
Surface filters¶
Surface Filter offers Median for isolated spikes and Edge Preserving for noise within similar heights. Height Threshold controls retained discontinuities in Edge Preserving mode. Iterations repeats the filtering, and Strength blends each pass with its input. An optional mask limits modification; Strength 0 preserves the source.
Directional Resample shifts forms by signed Distance along Direction. An optional guide supplies a gradient, mixed with the chosen direction through Follow Guide. A mask limits modification. Distance 0 preserves height exactly. This is a form deformation and does not conserve terrain volume.
Tiling¶
Edge Tile blends opposite terrain borders toward matching elevations and compatible slopes. Border sets the affected fraction of terrain width; Softness controls the transition toward the unchanged interior. Opposing endpoint samples match exactly. The transition combines the surface detail from both border regions, with a narrow flattening of the slope directly at the seam. Blending can soften or repeat local features in this region. Processing after Edge Tile can break those seams, so apply it near the end of the graph and inspect a repeated tile.
Resolution and memory¶
These tools calculate at the selected heightfield resolution. At 4K, Runoff, Talus Deposits and Glacial Valleys can each need roughly 400 to 550 MiB of additional GPU memory. Connected color fields need roughly 128 MiB each. Sources, masks and the preview add further memory use. Reduce preview resolution while arranging a complex graph, then increase it to inspect the result.
Multi-output nodes keep their output fields available while connected downstream. Increase resolution only after checking the graph at 1K.
Additional landscape processes¶
See Drainage, water and material transport for Drainage Conditioning, Rock Collapse, Surface Wash, Sediment Blanket, River Network and Water Basin. Fracture Network also provides a fractures output for directing Rock Collapse or other masked terrain operations. This mask depends on Density, Opening and Seed, and remains available when Depth is 0.