Link Search Menu Expand Document

Connect Points

PCGEx | Connect Points

Creates connections between points using various probes.

The Connect Points node creates connections between points in clusters based on user-defined probes, allowing control over how points generate and receive connections, with options for preventing overlap and projecting points for more accurate results.

Points
Points that will be connected togethers
Probes
Probes used to build connections
Generators
Filters used to determine which points are allowed to generate connections
Connectables
Filters used to determine which points are allowed to receive connections
Vtx
Endpoints of the output Edges
Edges
Edges associated with the output Vtxs

Table of content

The connect point node allows you to create connected clusters using different probes. Each point will go through each probe’ rules to find neighboring points to connect to.

details/connect-points/lead.png

Properties


Property Description
Coincidence Prevention Tolerance When enabled, the node will prevent multiple connections from happening in the same direction, within that tolerance.
This avoids the creation of overlapping edges when testing in near-collinear situations.
Project Points If enabled, points will be projected on a plane under-the-hood before looking for connections.
This is especially desirable when working with landscapes
Projection normal The normal of the plane to project points to, if enabled.
Unless you’re doing very custom stuff, the default value is usually fine as it project points as if “seen from top view”

Generators & Connectables

These two inputs accept any of filters available as part of the Filter Ecosystem.

  • Generators are points that will use the probes to find neighbors they can connect to.
  • Connectables are points that will be seen by the probes. All points

Available Probes

Probes are at the core of the Connect Points node.
You can connect as many probes as you’d like to the Probes input.

No matter how many probes you use, this node will NEVER generate duplicate edges; so feel free to experiment.


🝆 Closest

Connects to the closest point within a given radius

🝆 Direction

Connects to the closest point in a given direction

🝆 Index

Connects to a point at a given index

🝆 Anisotropic

Find connections in 16 directions

Available Filters

You can use the regular filters for Generators & Connectables :

🝖 Group (AND/OR)

The Group Filter allows setting up complex AND/OR branches.

🝖 Compare (Numeric)

The Numeric Comparison Filter compares the arithmetic value of two attributes

🝖 Compare (String)

The Compare String Filter compares two strings

🝖 Bool

The Bool Filter does a simple bool comparison

🝖 Dot Product

The Dot Product Filter compares the dot product of two direction vectors

🝖 Within Range

The Within Range Filter checks if a value is inside a given range

🝖 Modulo Comparison

The Modulo Comparison Filter compares the module value of two attributes against a third operand

🝖 Bounds

The Bounds Filter check if a point is inside or outside provided bounds

🝖 Bitmask

The Bitmask Filter compares a bitmask against another

🝖 Mean Value

The Mean Value Filter compares per-point values of an attribute against the mean statistical value of that same attribute.

🝖 Self Compare (Numeric)

The Numeric Comparison Filter compares the arithmetic value of two attributes

🝖 Self Compare (String)

The Compare String Filter compares two strings

🝖 Adjacency

Check if adjacent node meet specific conditions

🝖 Edge Direction

Check if adjacent node meet specific conditions

🝖 Neighbors Count

Check a node’ neighbors count

Cluster Output Settings

See Working with Clusters.

Property Description
Edge Position If enabled, edge point’ position will be the result of that value used as a lerp between its start and end Vtx point.
Pruning  
Min Vtx Count If enabled, only ouputs clusters that have more ( > ) Vtx than the specified number.
Max Vtx Count If enabled, only ouputs clusters that have less ( < ) Vtx than the specified number.
Min Edge Count If enabled, only ouputs clusters that have more ( > ) Edge than the specified number.
Max Edge Count If enabled, only ouputs clusters that have less ( < ) Edge than the specified number.
Misc  
Refresh Edge Seed If enabled, Edge points gets a fresh seed.
Build and Cache Cluster If enabled, pre-build and cache cluster along with the point data.
This has a slight memory cost associated to it, but can offer tremendous performance improvement.
If disabled, cluster processors that comes down the line have to rebuild clusters from point data, which is very costly as they are also tested for errors and possible disconnections in the process.
Expand Clusters If enabled, also build & cache another layer of cache data.
This can have a significant memory cost, as well as a minimal performance overhead, but can greatly improve certain specific operations down the line.