Houdini HDA · Mask preparation · Environment tools
The challenge
Ad hoc mask networks can become difficult to maintain, especially when placement density and object size need different treatment. I wanted a consistent preparation stage for my reusable scatter tools.
The approach
I built an HDA that prepares separate density and scale modifiers. Each branch can be blurred and remapped independently before the attributes are assembled on the output geometry. Preview modes let me inspect density, the density modifier or the scale modifier directly.
The value
Separating these signals makes art direction easier to reason about: changing the size of scattered objects does not have to redefine where they appear. The tool supplies a stable interface between mask creation and scattering, keeping repeated production setups more organised.
