Element Attach operator

The Element Attach operator allows you to combine neighboring particle meshes together.

After a successful attach operation between particles is completed, only the resulting particle (with the newly combined shape mesh) will remain – the rest will be deleted.


Particles

  • Max/element: controls the maximum number of neighbor particles that can be attached to a particle.

  • Variation %: the per-particle percentage of variation to apply.
  • Max dist: the maximum distance between two particles in order for them to be attach candidates.

  • Iterations: the number of overall attach iterations to perform. This will recursively attach groups of neighboring particles together.

  • Overlapping only: controls whether convex hulls of particles will be computed, in order to determine if particles physically overlap. Only overlapping particles will be attached to each other.

  • Scale overlap hulls: a scaling factor applied to convex hulls during “overlapping only” tests. Increase this value to increase the minimum distance between hulls in order to for them to be considered overlapping.

  • New only: when enabled, only particles that are new in the event will be attach candidates.

  • Matching MatID only: when enabled, only particles with matching material IDs will be attach candidates for each other.

  • Center pivots: moves each combine mesh’s particle offset to its center.

  • Weld edges: when enabled, the edge vertices of combined meshes will be welded.

  • Weld threshold: the maximum distance between edge vertices of combined meshes, in order for them to be welded together.

Simulation Groups

  • Simulation groups: controls which particle simulation groups will be candidates for attach.

Alignment

  • Alignment mode: controls whether particles must be aligned along an axis in order to be attached.

  • Alignment threshold: controls the maximum alignment threshold in order for particles to be considered aligned.

Particles are considered aligned if their distance along at least two opposing axes is below the distance threshold. For example, if alignment is set to “Z-axis”, then the distance between particle positions along the X-axis and Y-axis must be below the alignment threshold.

Clusters

  • Enable clustering: controls whether attach candidates will be determined by cluster values.

  • Channel: the particle data channel to get cluster values from.

  • Cluster if equal: attach candidates must have equal cluster values.

  • Cluster if equal: attach candidates must have unequal cluster values.

Display

  • Draw attachments: draws a viewport line between successfully attached particles.

Uniqueness

  • Seed: the seed value for all varied parameters.