--- title: "Chaos Scatter Details" canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/ARENA/125079759/Chaos%20Scatter%20Details" format: markdown --- This page provides information about Chaos Scatter in Chaos Vantage. Overview Chaos Scatter is a powerful instancing and distribution tool that enables you to populate scenes with selected objects easily. This is especially useful for outdoor scenes that require filling with greenery, rocks, grass, and other natural elements. Chaos Scatter parameters are grouped into Common settings, Spline scattering, Surface scattering, Slope and altitude limits, Volume scattering, Translation, Rotation, Look at, Scale, and Areas tabs. – Common settings tab. – Spline scattering tab. – Surface scattering tab. – Slope and altitude limits tab.  – Volume scattering tab. – Translate settings tab. – Rotation settings tab. – Look at tab – Scale settings tab. – Areas settings tab. UI Path || Top toolbar || > Create new Chaos Scatter object || Right side panel || > Objects tab > Create new Chaos Scatter object Common settings Scattering mode – Specifies the scattering mode: 1D – Scattering mode where objects are scattered along splines. Open or closed splines can be used for this. Note that this mode is supported only for imported vrscenes. 2D – Scattering mode where objects are scattered on surfaces. It doesn't matter whether the surface is horizontal, vertical, or part of a complex 3D object. 3D – Scattering mode, where objects are scattered inside the object's bounding box. Keep in mind that bounding boxes are cube-shaped; therefore, using this mode on a round object scatters instances in a cube around it. This mode is useful for scattering dust particles inside a room, fish in an aquarium, books on a bookshelf, and similar objects . Max. instances – Limits the maximum number of instances. Note that this option does not determine the number of instances created. Instead, it serves as a measure to avoid scattering too many instances and causing a crash. Random seed – Determines the random distribution used. Changing this value causes random permutations of the scattered object(s). Avoid collisions – When enabled, instances that would collide with each other get discarded. This results in no overlaps between instances. Note that enabling this option might lower the number of instances. Spacing [%] – Controls the size of the bounding boxes used to detect collisions. Smaller values result in denser instances with some collision, and higher values result in larger distances between instances. Values above 100% mean that the distance between objects is larger than their bounding boxes. Distribute-on target objects – Specifies the object(s) on which the instances will be scattered. Instanced model objects – Specifies the objects that will be scattered on the distributed on-target object(s). Include models' children – When enabled, Vantage scatters not only the parent-instanced model but also its child geometry . Spline scattering The following parameters are available when the Scattering mode is set to 1D . Note that these parameters are supported only for imported vrscenes that were exported with a spline scattering. Spacing – Determines the spacing between instances in world units. Jitter – Randomly jitters instances along the spline. Spacing is applied to both sides of each instance, except the instances at the end of the spline. The Jitter value is divided between those two Spacings. In order to allow instances to jitter in all their Spacing distance, the Jitter needs to be set to 200%. Offset – Determines what percentage of the Spacing the instances are offset in one direction of the spline. When set to 100%, all instances replace the one after them, as the offset is equal to the whole value of the Spacing . Follow amount – Determines how scattered instances are oriented along the spline. Assigning a value of 100% makes instances follow the spline and are oriented along the local tangent direction. Surface scattering The following parameters are available when the Scattering mode is 2D . Distribution mode – Specifies the scattering method: Random – Scatters instances randomly on all mesh distribution objects. It is enabled by default. UV – Uses UVW mapping to scatter instances in regular patterns. Instance count – Determines the exact number of instances to scatter. If the Use area density option is enabled, the scattering is defined by the density. Use area density – When enabled, the Instance count amount is multiplied by the specified Square area . Square area – Specifies a multiplier for the Instance count when Use area density is enabled. Volume scattering The following parameters are available when the Scattering mode is 3D. Instance count – Determines the exact number of instances to scatter. If the Use volume density option is enabled, the scattering is defined by the density (Cube volume). Use volume density – When enabled, the scattering is defined by the density (Cube vol.) Cube vol. – Multiplies the Instance count value when Use volume density is enabled. Slope and altitude limits The Slope and altitude limits tab is available only for the 2D Scattering mode. Slope limitation – Limits scattering only to 'slopes' at certain angles. It can be used to create a realistic spread of trees on curved surfaces, for instance. The lower the Min and Max slope angles are, the smaller the angle at which scattering stops. Distr. normal alignment – Specifies between the Local up or the World up vector and the surface normal at which the scattered objects are distributed. Local – When enabled, the slope limitation is measured according to the up vector of each individual Distribute-on target object . World – When enabled, the slope limitation is measured according to the world Z-axis up vector for all Distribute-on target objects in the scene. Min / Max slope angle – Defines a range of angles to which the scattering is limited. Instances outside of this range get filtered out. Altitude limitation – Еnables instance limitation in the given altitude range. Limit mode – Defines the range of altitude units in World or Position Independent mode. World – The altitude of the surface points on each individual distribute-on object is evaluated in world space (after all transforms). Position Independent – The altitude of the surface points on each individual distribute-on object is evaluated relative to the object center. In contrast, the object rotation and scale still affect the altitude. From – Minimum value of the altitude limitation.  To – Maximum value of the altitude limitation. Translate Min X /Max X – Moves the instances from the given minimum distance to the given maximum distance on the X axis. Min Y /Max Y  – Moves the instances from the given minimum distance to the given maximum distance on the Y axis. Min Z /Max Z – Moves the instances from the given minimum distance to the given maximum distance on the Z axis. Stepping distance – Determines a distinct distance between all instances in the enabled axes. If the values are left at zero, instances are translated continuously. Apply stepping distance for X / Y / Z – Enables X / Y / Z axes when a value for the Stepping distance is specified. Rotation Normal alignment – When a value different than zero is entered, the instances are aligned according to the world Z axis. This is useful when the Distribute-on target object is curved and the scattered objects need to remain vertical, rather than following the curve of the surface. Positive values indicate that the instances are aligned with the +Z axis (vertical up), and negative values indicate that the instances are aligned with the -Z axis (vertical down). Min X / Max X – Rotates the instances from the given minimum degrees up to the given maximum degrees continuously on the X axis. Min Y / Max Y – Rotates the instances from the given minimum degrees up to the given maximum degrees continuously on the Y axis. Min Z / Max Z – Rotates the instances from the given minimum degrees up to the given maximum degrees continuously on the Z axis. Stepping angle – Determines a fixed degree by which all instances rotate for the enabled axes. Apply stepping angle for X / Y / Z – Enables X / Y / Z axes when a value for the Stepping angle is specified. Preserved model rotation – When enabled, preserves the initial rotation of the selected instanced model. Look at Enabled – When on, instances in a range get turned towards a specified direction. Target object – Picks an object according to which the direction is calculated. When a geometry object is picked, each instance gets oriented towards the center of the object’s bounding box. When a camera object is picked, each instance gets oriented towards the camera. Orientation axis – Selects which of the model object's axes gets turned towards the direction. Reverse – When enabled, the reverse of the selected axis gets turned towards the direction. Horizontal – When enabled, the selected look-at axis gets turned only within the plane that is perpendicular to the normal. Falloff distance – Specifies the range in which instances get affected by the look-at specifications. When non-zero, only instances within the range get affected; otherwise, all instances are affected. There is no effect when a sun object is picked. Scale Uniform – When enabled, all instances in all axes are scaled according to the values of the X axis. Min X / Max X – Scales the instances from the given minimum value to the given maximum value continuously. Min Y / Max Y – Scales the instances from the given minimum value to the given maximum value continuously. When Uniform is enabled, the X-axis values are applied to the whole distribute-on target object. Min Z / Max Z – Scales the instances from the given minimum value to the given maximum value continuously. When Uniform is enabled, the X-axis values are applied to the entire distributed-on target object. Stepping – Determines a percentage of scaling to be applied to all instances. Otherwise, scaling is continuous. Apply stepping percentage for X / Y / Z – Enables X / Y / Z axes when a value for the Stepping is specified. Preserved model scale – When enabled, preserves the initial scale of the selected instanced model. Areas Include – Scatters the models only within the bounding boxes of the objects listed in this section . The objects cannot be the same as the distribute-on target objects. Exclude – Scatters the models across the distributed target objects, except in the areas where the objects from the list are located. The objects cannot be the same as the distribute-on target objects. This option is useful, for instance, for removing instances of grass/trees from areas where a house needs to be located. Near / Far – Determines the falloff distance from the selected object to the selected axis plane ( Projection ). If the selected object is from the Include list, instances within the falloff distance are included. If the selected object is from the Exclude list, instances within the falloff distance are excluded. Scale – The scale factor further affects the instances between the near and far falloff. Density – The density factor further affects the instances between the near and far falloff. Projection – Specifies the axis on which to project the included or excluded objects to the specified Distribute-on target objects .