Braid Patterns
Braid patterns are clump shapes designed to be used with the Clump Operator to create procedural braids. Instead of a clump pulling hairs into a simple tuft, a braid pattern defines a repeating, interwoven shape that the clump follows, so you can build braids without modeling them by hand.
How braid patterns work
A braid pattern is applied through the Clump operator: the clump uses the pattern to determine how its hairs are arranged, producing the characteristic over-and-under weave of a braid along the clump's length. Because it is procedural, the braid updates as the underlying hair and clumps change.
Choosing a pattern
A clump's pattern is set per knot in the Clump Editor tool. Turn on Pattern Mode (T) with clumps selected: the tool panel shows the Patterns section in place of the Clumps and Knots sections. The Pattern gallery pictures each pattern; pick one to give it to the selected clumps at the edit position:
- Custom - a pattern of your own, see below.
- Rope - stems twisted around each other.
- French and Dutch - three-strand plaits, the Dutch one with the stems crossing under instead of over.
- Side - a looser two-sided weave.
- Ornatrix - a four-strand weave.
- None - no pattern, the clump keeps its own shape.
Pattern Properties (Frequency, Phase, Thickness, Rotation, Blending) adjust the pattern at the edit position.
Custom patterns
Picking Custom starts from the pattern that was there before. Its text, as the Ornatrix Braid Designer writes it, can be edited in the Custom Pattern group, and "Open in the Braid Designer..." opens it on the web to design further; copy the result back into the text box.
A Custom pattern can also be fitted to a picture of a braid. Describe a braid in the From Picture box, then press Enter to search the web for pictures or Shift+Enter (the AI button) to generate them, or browse to a picture of your own. Picking a picture traces the braid in it and gives the selected clumps a pattern with the matching strand count, crossings and proportions. It works best with a single braid against a plain background. Press Escape in the box to clear it and its results.
Related
- Clump Operator - braid patterns are applied through clumping.
- Curl Operator - add waviness to braided or unbraided hair.