Create Objects Procedurally With Geometry Nodes In Blender

In this video we will show you the home of the geometry nodes system, where we will be spending the majority of the course.

In this video we will add our first node tree highlighting the core group input and group output nodes. We will also introduce our first node, the transform node, and use it to explain how the geometry node system works.

In this video, we will be introducing the concept of data types that are used by blender to transfer data from one node to another.

In this video, we will be dividing up our free factor channels into individual float values by using the combine XYZ node. This will be used to get more control over changing our individual channels.

In this video, we will demonstrate what our geometry node tree really is, and that is a modifier. We will learn how to expose specific parameters into our group input node so that we can manipulate them in the modifiers tab of the properties panel.

In this video, we're going to be using the same node to transform node more than once in the same tree. This will highlight in better detail how the data flow of our node tree works.

In this video, we are going to be looking at changing the data for our inputs. By changing the data type for our group inputs, we can change the way that our data is displayed in our modifier.

In this video, we're going to begin controlling the parameters that we have available by using math nodes to recalculate the behaviour of these parameters.

In this video, we're going to be learning how to create fake users so that we can keep our unused geometry node setups even if they are not being applied to any objects.

In this video, we're going to be demonstrating how you can use the know trees that you have created for one object and then apply them to any other objects in your scene whilst maintaining the same behaviour.

In this video, we are going to be replacing the geometry of the main model with a mesh primitive node which will give us more control over the base of the object.

In this video, we're going to be taking our data flow to the next level by creating multiple instances of a single object and then joining them together using the join geometry node.

In this video, we're going to begin formatting our no trees so that they can become more readable, starting with the ability to label our individual nodes.

Another way that we can better format our no trees is to divide up the purpose of our nodes by colouring them in different shades. For example, if we have different data flows, then we can assign a different colour to the nodes in each data flow.

In this video, we're going to be introducing a re route socket which can be used to better organise the noodles that connect our nodes together.

In this video, we're going to introduce our first big challenge of the course where we're going to be creating a cube that acts as if it is made of a series of smaller cubes. By using the nodes that we have introduced so far.

In this video, we're going to be taking the building block object that we created in our challenge and we are going to be making a change so that when we increase the height, it will only increase the height in the upwards direction. This will allow us to manipulate the objects height as it would for a real building.

In this video we will be focusing on the position of individual nodes and how changing a nodes position can affect the flow of data.

In this video we will be using the concepts of data flow to construct an abstract geometry with the help of the extrude mesh node.

In this video we will learn how to separate our geometry into smaller components by using a filed for our selection values.

In this video we will be learning how to improve the control of our field functions by using math nodes to recalculate the data flow.

In this bonus video we will be demonstrating how to use a parameter as a part of an animation.

In this video we will be dividing our node set up into smaller frames that will allow us to analyse more clearer what is taking place at each point of the process.

A preview of what we will be creating in this section of the course.

In this video, we will be looking at creating the template for our asset pack.

In this video, we will be generating our own assets based off of the template that we created in the previous lecture.

In this video, we will be creating the grid base for our first wall, ensuring that we meet the one by one metre ratio for each individual square of our grid.

In this video, we will be taking all of the notes that we have created so far used to generate the base grid and stored him inside of a frame to help with the organisation of our set up.

In this video, we will be adding our first collection, which will be the window collection and include it onto all of the points of our grid.

In this video, we're going to be adding a random value note to randomise the seed value of our instance collection.

In this video, we will be using the separate geometry node to prepare blender for the use of our second collection, which will be the corner objects.

In this video, we are going to define which points on our grid are going to be using our window collection and which points will be using our corner collection.

In this video, we are going to be taking the process used to create our corner instances and modifying it slightly so that we can create the ground floor of our building.

In this video, we are going to modify the process once again of creating a new instance collection using another separate geometry node to help create the roof tiles on top of our wall.

In this video, we are going to be reviewing what we have done so far to generate the first wall of our procedural building using the various collections of instances.

In this video, we are going to be duplicating the majority of our setup so that we can generate a second wall for our procedural building and then edit it based on its transform values.

In this video, we are going to be finishing the creation of our walls by adding in the 3rd and 4th wall and then repositioning them so that we can create a closed loop of walls for our procedural building.

In this video, we are going to be adding the length parameter so that we can scale the 3rd and 4th walls based on the Y axis instead of the X axis which is used for the width.

In this video, we are going to be looking at how we can maintain the connexion between the walls when adjusting the width or length we need to ensure that the opposite pair of walls are going to move as we adjust those values.

In this video, we challenge you to finish what we started and maintain the connexion between the other free walls as we manipulate the width and length values.

In this video, we are going to be completing the wall D connection so that we can manipulate the location of wall D

based on the width value.

In this video, we are going to be ensuring that the 3rd wall, which in this case is going to be wall a, is connected to the other walls.

In this video, we are going to complete the process of maintaining our building structure while manipulating the width and length by completing the connection for the 4th wall.

In this video, we are going to be improving our modifier by creating additional parameters for randomising the walls and ground floor assets on each of our four walls.

In this video, we are going to be adding a roof object to our procedural building and we are going to make sure that it's size, scale and positioning or follow the width, length and height parameters.

In this video, we're going to be repeating the process of adding the roof object, only this time we're going to be doing so by creating a ground floor.

In this video, we're going to reposition the geometry of our object, so that's the object origin will always appear at the corner of our mesh, giving us full control over our parameters.

In this video, we're going to be reviewing the entire setup from start to finish. Just so we understand the role of each individual node and each individual frame used to create our procedural building.

A note on the change from Blender version 3.12 version 2.9 with our legacy content.

If you have never used nodes before this, then we will need to learn how to apply nodes to our selected object. Activating a geometry node system is almost identical to the shader node system used for creating materials, with the key difference being the two nodes that tie it all together.

In this video we will be introducing our 1st ever node to our geometry node system. The transform node is a great place to start because it mirrors the functionality of the most basic tools in Blender, which are the transform tools.

In this video we are going to be creating our 1st basic shape, which is going to be a simple chair. We will do this by creating multiple instances using join geometry nodes, and manipulating their transforms using the transform node.

Each time we finish creating a new object, it is important that we understand just how we got there. In this video we overview the roles of each of the individual nodes that we created, so that we can become confidant of repeating the process again.

Geometry node trees are stored as modifiers, which are themselves non destructive until they are applied or deleted. So the question is, what happens if we decide to apply out geometry nodes modifier? What will happen to our model when we do?

Mesh nodes are used primarily to adjust the geometry itself and behave like simplified versions of the modifiers that they represent. We will in this video be looking at using the subdivision surface node in particular.

In this video we will be introducing two new nodes to the geometry node system, the Boolean node allows us to use another object to cut or add to our main object. The object info node allows us to define which object is used for the Boolean. We will use these nodes to create our second basic shape.

In this video we use the geometry nodes on a different base object, the cyclinder, to create a drinking glass using transform and boolean nodes

In this section of the course we will be going from creating basic shapes to making something that is truly procedural, a table! that might sound that interesting but it is the perfect starting point to learning about procedural workflows. In this video we introduce the final result and all the things that we will be able to do with our table used the nodes have been created.

In this video we will be introducing vector nodes to control the individual axis of our transforms and manipulate them with mathematical functions.

A simple yet extremely effective node, combine xyz separates a vector into the three separate axis of x, y, and z., when working in reverse that is. What is does is very simple, but the consequences are game changing when you want to expose or control specific values.

Before we continue we node to make our node setup a little bit more user friendly. There are many tools that you can use to make your node tree more easy to read, from repositioning nodes, to labelling them based on their purpose, to even giving them their own colors.

One leg done and three to go. But its not as easy as it sounds. To make our object procedural we need to be careful on how we create the legs. In this video, we will demonstrate why scaling can be a better solution than rotating when creating new instances of an object.

Its important not to forget what a geometry node setup really is, its a modifier. Its a modifier that you create from the ground up using a specific object as the base. In this case, the cube. In this video we will start taking some of the values from our nodes and exposing them to the group input, giving us parameters to work with in our modifier.

We now have the parameters for the table as a whole, so the next step to making our object truly procedural is to give our legs some parameters of their own. The two parameters we want to create are for the leg size (Z axis), and the leg thickness (X and Y).

If you have never used math nodes before, then this is a great place to start learning about how they can be used. As you create more complex node trees, the likelihood that you will require math nodes will increase.

One specific type of node has successfully made the transition from the shader node editor over to the geometry node editor is the math node. Math nodes are used to perform mathematical functions on existing values to allow us more control of those values and even change the behaviour of the nodes outright.

The one parameter that we have created that is not functioning high we want it to is the leg size. But we can correct this with a simple trick that involves moving the legs down on the Z axis as they are scaled.

To finish off our table we are going to add two more parameters. These parameters will allow us to move the leg positioning on both the X and Y axis from the modifiers tab.

We have finally created an object that can be procedurally edited in any number of ways, but before moving on it is important to once again review our work and assess the roles of each node that we have created.

In this video we return to one of our original objects, and look at how we can both adjust and expose some of the parameters to make the glass truly procedural

The goal of this section is to learn about a new workflow that allows us to create an entire scene using geometry nodes instead of the traditional particle system. In this video we introduce what we plan to create as part of our section exercise, a low poly forest.

What happens when we don't use a point distribute node? does the setup even work without it? the short answer is yes, and we will find out how and why you would use this in your set up.

Instancing with a single object has many use cases, but if you want to just randomly distribute multiple objects around an area, then you will want to use entire collections instead. This we can do by changing one setting in out point instance node.

When instancing an objects across a scene multiple times, one issue that you will come across is that all of the objects you create will be of the same size. With the attribute randomize node we will be able to alter the size of each create instance of our objects to create a more natural scene.

We can do more than just alter scale using our attribute randomize node. we can also control many other attributes. In this video we will learn how to use the node to randomly rotate instances on the z axis.

To bring all of the nodes that we have learnt together, we have an exercise for you where we are going to be creating a forest using geometry nodes, bringing together point nodes, attribute nodes and math nodes to scatter trees on a plane. But first we need to create the objects needed.

Now that the tree objects have been created and the stage has been set, its time to apply the tree collection to the plane and use geometry nodes to scatter the trees for our procedural forest using the point and attribute nodes.

As the scene still looks a bit on the bland side lets add some color to the final result. Materials and lighting often attain a higher level of importance to the final result of a render than modelling does. So we need to set up our materials, lighting and camera settings accordingly to get the result we want.

Congratulations on completing the class on using nodes to procedurally create objects in Blender. To finish we have an end of class challenge that will put to the test all of the skills that you have developed in this course.