So I finally started to tackle shaders and shader nodes and I don’t even really know what the correct name is. I get it now. It’s programming. You have an input on one end, it goes through the shader node network and then spits out the end. Like going into photoshop and doing operation one by one, it just automates it. You set up the pipeline.
Geonodes is exactly the same except for generating and manipulating meshes or geometry. You have to add a GeoNode Modifier to a mesh but you can just ignore that and start from scratch, this is cool for developing generators and stuff I think. Just apply the nodes and voila.
The trees and rocks in the following image are generated programmatically through the node network. This started off as a flat plane. First it’s distorted to look for like a ground texture. Then points are randomly distributed on the surface. The points are then used as the origin for new geometry.
I haven’t figured out how to get the tree tops on top of the trunks just yet.
You can use generative textures like noise and gradients to map things onto your surfaces or objects, then apply effects based on the black/white maps. Here a gradient texture is broken up into section of color with the color ramp node.
