Scatter Operator
The Scatter operator copies a set of strands from one object onto every strand of another. It lets you build a shape once - a feather, a blade of grass, a clump of leaves - and instance it across a whole groom. Combined with the Propagation Operator, which can build that reference shape out of strands, Scatter is a powerful way to create feathers, grass, and dense vegetation.
How it works
You provide a reference hair object (the thing to be copied) and a target hair object (the strands to copy it onto). For each target strand, a copy of the reference strands is placed and oriented to follow it. The data from the reference strands is carried into the result.
Controlling variation
To avoid an obviously repeated look, the scattered instances can be varied by randomization, by a map, or by a strand channel, so size and placement differ across the groom.
Width of scattered strands
By default the width of each scattered instance is taken from the target strand it sits on, so a single reference shape can be resized differently across the groom - for instance one generic feather rendered at many sizes. The settings let you change this behavior when you want the reference widths preserved instead.
Related
- Propagation Operator - grow strands out of strands, often used to build the reference shape that Scatter instances.
- Multiplier Operator - add density by multiplying strands at their roots.