Docs 3D and Particles

LayerSep3D

Slices an image into depth layers by a channel threshold and instances them as a stack in 3D, with per layer threshold, softness, mix, position, scale and rotation driven by curves or CHOPs.

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What it is

LayerSep3D is a Geometry COMP that turns one image into a stack of planes. Each of the Layers slices the input by a threshold on the channel you pick, so the bright parts land on one plane and the dark parts on another, with a soft edge between. The planes are instanced along Z, and every per layer value (threshold, softness, mix, offset, scale, rotation) is a curve over the layer index with an offset, amplitude, power and phase, or a CHOP you wire in. Point a camera at it and a flat picture gets depth.

It is a member of the FNS operator family: pick it from the FNS tab of the OP Create dialog and it lands as one node.

Inputs and outputs

in_mask (TOP): the image that is sliced.
in_color (TOP): the colour drawn on the layers, when different from the mask.
in_threshold, in_softness, in_mix (CHOP): optional per layer curves that override the parameter curves.
out_layers (TOP): the layer stack as a 2D texture array or 3D texture, for your own instancing.

Layer edges

The edge between layers j-1 and j uses softness j-1. Per-layer Z, scale and rotation can also be overridden in the instancing.

Parameters

Custom

Control	Type / default	What it does
Layers`Layers`	number10	Number of layers the input is split into (the depth of the output texture and the number of instanced quads). The threshold range is divided into this many equal bands, one per layer. Minimum 2.
Reverse Layer Order`Reverse`	on / offoff	Flips the order of the layers in the output texture: layer 0 becomes the brightest band instead of the darkest.
Open Material`Open`	button	Opens the parameter dialog of the material the layers are rendered with.
Mode`Mode`	menuLuminance	Which value of the mask pixel is compared against the thresholds: luminance, a single channel, or an average, maximum or minimum of the channels. Options: `Luminance`, `Red`, `Green`, `Blue`, `Alpha`, `RGB Avg`, `RGBA Avg`, `RGB Max` and 3 more
Threshold Offset`Thoffs`	number0	Added to every layer threshold before the range mapping. Positive values push all band edges up.
Threshold Amplitude`Thamp`	number1	Scales the spread of the thresholds. 1 spreads the bands over the whole range, smaller values squeeze them toward the bottom, negative values reverse the ramp.
Threshold Range`Thrange`	number0	Mask values (min, max) the layers are spread across. The range is split into Layers equal bands: the first layer also takes everything below the range, the last layer everything above its lower edge.
Threshold Power`Threshpow`	number1	Exponent applied to the threshold ramp. 1 = equal bands, above 1 = thinner bands at the bottom, below 1 = thinner bands at the top.
Threshold Phase`Thphase`	number0	Rotates the threshold ramp across the layers (0 to 1), so the band order wraps around.
Threshold CHOP (override)`Threshold`	operatorNone	Optional CHOP with one sample per layer that replaces the generated thresholds. Leave empty to use the Threshold parameters above (a CHOP wired to the threshold input also overrides them).
Softness Offset`Softoffset`	number0	Softness added to every layer edge. Softness is the width of the blend between neighbouring layers, in mask units.
Softness Amplitude`Softamp`	number0	How much the softness ramps across the layers, from 0 at the first layer to this value at the last.
Softness Power`Softpow`	number1	Exponent applied to the softness ramp across the layers.
Softness Phase`Softphase`	number0	Rotates the softness ramp across the layers (0 to 1).
Softness CHOP (override)`Softness`	operatorNone	Optional CHOP with one sample per layer that replaces the generated softness values.
Mix Amplitude`Mixamp`	number0	How much of the content above each layer is left in it, ramped across the layers. 0 = each layer holds only its own band.
Mix Offset`Mixoffset`	number0	Mix added to every layer. 1 keeps everything from the layer upward in each slice.
Mix Power`Mixpow`	number1	Exponent applied to the mix ramp across the layers.
Mix Phase`Mixphase`	number0	Rotates the mix ramp across the layers (0 to 1).
Mix CHOP (override)`Mix`	operatorNone	Optional CHOP with one sample per layer that replaces the generated mix values.
Texture Index
Invert Texture Index`Invert2`	number0	Blends the texture index each quad samples from normal (0) to reversed (1), so the quad order and the layer order can run against each other.
Texture Index Phase`Phase`	number0	Shifts which layer each instanced quad samples, as a phase of the index ramp.
Texture Index Exponent`Expval`	number1	Exponent applied to the texture index ramp. 1 = one layer per quad in order; other values bunch the layers toward one end.
Texture Index Period`Period`	number1	Period of the texture index ramp across the quads. 1 = each layer once; smaller values repeat the layer sequence.
Randomize Seed`Randomize`	number0	When above 0, shuffles which layer each quad samples, using this value as the seed. 0 = no shuffle.
Single Layer`Single`	on / offoff	Every quad samples the same layer, chosen by Select.
Select Layer`Select`	number0	The layer every quad shows while Single Layer is on (0 = first layer).

Transform

Control	Type / default	What it does
These can be overridden in the instancing...
Z Offset`Tzoffset`	number0	Z position added to every quad.
Z Amplitude`Tzamplitude`	number1	Total Z spread of the quads, from the first layer to the last.
Z Power`Tzpow`	number1	Exponent applied to the Z spread, so the quads bunch toward the front or the back.
Z Phase`Tzphase`	number0	Rotates the Z ramp across the quads (0 to 1).
Scale Offset`Scaleoffset`	number1	Uniform scale of every quad (1 = original size).
Scale Amplitude`Scaleamplitude`	number0	How much the scale ramps across the quads, added on top of Scale Offset.
Scale Power`Scalepow`	number1	Exponent applied to the scale ramp across the quads.
Scale Phase`Scalephase`	number0	Rotates the scale ramp across the quads (0 to 1).
Rotation Offset`Rotoffset`	number0	Z rotation in degrees added to every quad.
Rotation Amplitude`Rotamplitude`	number0	How many degrees the rotation ramps across the quads.
Rotation Power`Rotpow`	number1	Exponent applied to the rotation ramp across the quads.
Rotation Invert`Rotinvert`	number0	Blends the rotation ramp from normal (0) to reversed (1).

Common

Control	Type / default	What it does
Output Type`Type`	menu2D Texture Array	2D Texture Array keeps each layer as its own slice (smooth mipmaps); 3D Texture lets the instance texture index interpolate between layers. Options: `2D Texture Array`, `3D Texture`
Filter`Instancetexfilter`	menuMipmap Linear	Texture filtering used when the quads sample the layer texture. Options: `Nearest`, `Linear`, `Mipmap Linear`
Author`Authorname`read-only	textFunction Store (@function.str)	Author of the component.
Author Link`Openauthor`	button	Opens the author page in the browser.

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