Clone To Image
Generates Clones from an input image.
Clone To Image
Method #
The Clone to Image node is used to clone 3D objects using pixels from an input image or video, where the colours are used to scale, offset or colour the clones.
The clones are first placed in a regular 2D grid, and automatically scaled so that a unit cube would fill one cell exactly. The cell locations are then used to sample pixels of the input image or video, where the brightness and colour values can then be used to modify the clones.
Nodes that are to be cloned should be connected to the output of this node. Any geometry node including 3D Objects, 3D Primitives, and Image Planes may be connected, as well as other Cloner systems.
Parameters
These properties control the 3D transforms of the node. Transforms will generally be inherited by child nodes, although they can be ignored through the Inherit Transform Channels attributes.
Parameter Details Position X Move along the local x-axis.
Position Y Move along the local y-axis.
Position Z Move along the local z-axis.
Rotation Heading Rotate around the local y-axis.
Rotation Pitch Rotate around the local x-axis.
Rotation Bank Rotate around the local z-axis.
Scale X Scale along the local x-axis.
Scale Y Scale along the local y-axis.
Scale Z Scale along the local z-axis.
Control the inheritance of the transforms from the parent.
Parameter Details Position Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent.
Rotation Toggle inheritance of the Rotation from the parent.
Scale Toggle inheritance of the Scale from the parent.
World Position Only Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties.
Inherit Time Toggle inheritance of time from the parent.
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
Parameter Details Image Select a source Image for the clones to be spawned from. Can be overwritten by adding an image input.
Node Spawn Mode Change the order in which the cloned objects are assigned to clone instances.
- All : All of the connected objects are generate at every clone position.
- Iterate : The objects are generated sequentially per clone position, based on their heriarchy. For example, the first clone renders the first object, the second clone renders the second object and so on.
- Random : The objects are randomly selected to generate at clone positions.
Num Clones X Number of clones created along the X axis.
Num Clones Y Number of clones created along the Y axis.
First Clone X Offset the first clone spawned along the X axis.
First Clone Y Offset the first clone spawned along the Y axis.
Image Scale X Scale the image along the X axis.
Image Scale Y Scale the image along the Y axis.
Scale Image By Aspect Scale the image based on its aspect ratio.
Scale Image By Pixel Size Scale the image based on the relative size of a pixel in the cloned image.
Brightness Channel Mode Change how the brightness threshold property is used to limit where the clones can be spawned.
- Luminance : Use the luminance values of the image.
- Alpha : Use the alpha values of the image.
- Luminance * Alpha : Use the luminance values multiplied by the alpha values.
Brightness Threshold Control which areas of the image will be used to spawn clones, based on the Brightness Channel Mode property.
Clone Scale Brightness Scale the individual clones based on the luminance of the image.
Clone Scale By Brightness Affects X Toggle whether the clone scaling affects the X axis.
Clone Scale By Brightness Affects Y Toggle whether the clone scaling affects the Y axis.
Clone Scale By Brightness Affects Z Toggle whether the clone scaling affects the Z axis.
Clone Offset By Brightness Offset the individual clones based on the luminance of the image.
Clone Scale Scale the size of all the clones uniformally.
Filter Image Applies a Bilinear filter to the image, smoothing out some of the values where the image is scaled.
Colour Clones Toggle whether the clones are coloured based on the image, or retain their material values.
Output Shape Select what kind of shape to create the clones in.
- Plane : Generates clones on a flat square plane.
- 360 Spherical : Generates clones on to a 360 degree sphere about its center.
These properties apply iterative offsets to the UV Offset, UV Scale, and Crop parameters of the materials for each rendered clone. Typically used with a tile sheet so that each clone picks up a different texture.
Parameter Details UV Mode Change how the cloned objects UV chanel and material inputs are affected by the cloner.
- Linear (Using Clone Index) : Each clone keeps unique UV’s.
- Use Texture Page (Using Clone Index) : Speads the UV’s over a number of clones defined by the Texture Num Frames Attribute, and repeats it along the clone index.
- Use Texture Page (Using Random Index) : Randomises the UV’s over the range of clones in the Texture Num Frames Property, and repeats it.
- Use Texture Page (Using Luminance) : Spits up the UVs, and uses different sections depending on the brightness of the Image driving the cloner.
- Clone UV : Cumulatively changes the clone scale and position using the offset and scale delta properties.
Texture Num Frames X How many columns to split the UV by.
Texture Num Frames Y How many rows to split the UV by.
UV Scale X Delta Relative change to the uv scale along the x of the clone’s material, per clone.
UV Scale Y Delta Relative change to the uv scale along the y of the clone’s material, per clone.
UV Offset X Delta Relative change to the uv offset along the x axis of the clone’s material, per clone.
UV Offset Y Delta Relative change to the uv offset along the y axis of the clone’s material, per clone.
Crop Left Relative change to the crop on the left of the clone’s uvs, per clone.
Crop Right Delta Relative change to the crop on the right of the clone’s uvs, per clone.
Crop Top Delta Relative change to the crop on the top of the clone’s uvs, per clone.
Crop Bottom Delta Relative change to the crop on the bottom of the clone’s uvs, per clone.
Inputs
These properties control the 3D transforms of the node. Transforms will generally be inherited by child nodes, although they can be ignored through the Inherit Transform Channels attributes.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position X | Move along the local x-axis. |
| Position Y | Move along the local y-axis. |
| Position Z | Move along the local z-axis. |
| Rotation Heading | Rotate around the local y-axis. |
| Rotation Pitch | Rotate around the local x-axis. |
| Rotation Bank | Rotate around the local z-axis. |
| Scale X | Scale along the local x-axis. |
| Scale Y | Scale along the local y-axis. |
| Scale Z | Scale along the local z-axis. |
Control the inheritance of the transforms from the parent.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent. |
| Rotation | Toggle inheritance of the Rotation from the parent. |
| Scale | Toggle inheritance of the Scale from the parent. |
| World Position Only | Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties. |
| Inherit Time | Toggle inheritance of time from the parent. |
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Image | Select a source Image for the clones to be spawned from. Can be overwritten by adding an image input. |
| Node Spawn Mode | Change the order in which the cloned objects are assigned to clone instances.
|
| Num Clones X | Number of clones created along the X axis. |
| Num Clones Y | Number of clones created along the Y axis. |
| First Clone X | Offset the first clone spawned along the X axis. |
| First Clone Y | Offset the first clone spawned along the Y axis. |
| Image Scale X | Scale the image along the X axis. |
| Image Scale Y | Scale the image along the Y axis. |
| Scale Image By Aspect | Scale the image based on its aspect ratio. |
| Scale Image By Pixel Size | Scale the image based on the relative size of a pixel in the cloned image. |
| Brightness Channel Mode | Change how the brightness threshold property is used to limit where the clones can be spawned.
|
| Brightness Threshold | Control which areas of the image will be used to spawn clones, based on the Brightness Channel Mode property. |
| Clone Scale Brightness | Scale the individual clones based on the luminance of the image. |
| Clone Scale By Brightness Affects X | Toggle whether the clone scaling affects the X axis. |
| Clone Scale By Brightness Affects Y | Toggle whether the clone scaling affects the Y axis. |
| Clone Scale By Brightness Affects Z | Toggle whether the clone scaling affects the Z axis. |
| Clone Offset By Brightness | Offset the individual clones based on the luminance of the image. |
| Clone Scale | Scale the size of all the clones uniformally. |
| Filter Image | Applies a Bilinear filter to the image, smoothing out some of the values where the image is scaled. |
| Colour Clones | Toggle whether the clones are coloured based on the image, or retain their material values. |
| Output Shape | Select what kind of shape to create the clones in.
|
These properties apply iterative offsets to the UV Offset, UV Scale, and Crop parameters of the materials for each rendered clone. Typically used with a tile sheet so that each clone picks up a different texture.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| UV Mode | Change how the cloned objects UV chanel and material inputs are affected by the cloner.
|
| Texture Num Frames X | How many columns to split the UV by. |
| Texture Num Frames Y | How many rows to split the UV by. |
| UV Scale X Delta | Relative change to the uv scale along the x of the clone’s material, per clone. |
| UV Scale Y Delta | Relative change to the uv scale along the y of the clone’s material, per clone. |
| UV Offset X Delta | Relative change to the uv offset along the x axis of the clone’s material, per clone. |
| UV Offset Y Delta | Relative change to the uv offset along the y axis of the clone’s material, per clone. |
| Crop Left | Relative change to the crop on the left of the clone’s uvs, per clone. |
| Crop Right Delta | Relative change to the crop on the right of the clone’s uvs, per clone. |
| Crop Top Delta | Relative change to the crop on the top of the clone’s uvs, per clone. |
| Crop Bottom Delta | Relative change to the crop on the bottom of the clone’s uvs, per clone. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Image Node | Source image to generate clones from. A mesh must be connected for the cloner to generate clones. | Loader |
| Effectors | Control how the clones behave once spawned. See Effectors. | Plain Effector |
| Depth Image Node | Overwrite the image brightness with a different image to control Clone Offset By Brightness and Clone Scale Brightness. | Loader |
| Transform Modifiers | Apply the transforms of another node to this node. | Null |
| Target Node | Modifiy the rotations of the node to always direct the z axis towards the input. | Null |
| Local Transform Override | Apply the transforms of another node to this node, relative to its parent. | Null |
