Procedural Hanging Lantern Array & Wind Simulator

Overview

This product is a Geometry Nodes system for creating customizable hanging lantern strings and curve-based lantern installations in Blender 5.2. It includes two lantern styles, multiple tassel modes, animated wind, emitter placement, material and UV controls, support-opening contact limits, and top-to-bottom wind weighting.

No add-on is required.

Requirements

• Blender 5.2.0 LTS
• Basic familiarity with Blender's Object Mode, Modifiers tab, timeline, and Shader Editor

Compatibility with older Blender versions has not been established. The supplied demo scene is configured for Eevee.

Main Project Objects

Quick Start

1. Open the supplied .blend file in Blender 5.2.
2. Select Lantern_Array_Adjustable_Count_and_Wind.
3. Open Properties > Modifiers.
4. Expand the Geometry Nodes modifier.
5. Set Lantern Style to Style A or Style B.
6. Set Lantern Count.
7. For a static preview, disable Enable Wind Simulation.
8. For animation, enable wind, return to frame 1, and play the timeline consecutively.

Using the Product in Another Blender File

The safest workflow is to keep the supplied project as a master file and save a copy for each production scene.

To transfer the setup:

1. In the destination file, choose File > Append.
2. Open the supplied product .blend.
3. Append the object Lantern_Array_Adjustable_Count_and_Wind.
4. Also append Bezier_Curve and Custom Tassel if you plan to use those examples.
5. Append Lantern Collider Collection if you plan to use custom collision proxies.
6. Select the generator and check the Geometry Nodes modifier.
7. Reassign the curve, custom tassel, emitter, or collider collection if an object picker is empty.
8. Return to frame 1 before starting simulation playback.

Appending the generator object should bring its node-group and material dependencies with it. Do not append only the top-level Lantern node group unless you are prepared to rebuild all object, material, curve, and collection references manually.

Simulation Workflow

Geometry Nodes simulation depends on the previous frame. Use this workflow whenever you change a parameter that affects layout or motion:

1. Stop playback.
2. Clear an existing simulation bake, if applicable.
3. Return to frame 1.
4. Play forward without skipping frames.

The supplied scene uses 24 fps and a frame range of 1-500.

Disable Enable Wind Simulation when you need a responsive static layout for modeling, look development, or still images.

Modifier Reference

Root Input: Lantern Collider Collection

Use this collection for separate low-poly lantern-shell collision proxies. Do not place the generator's own evaluated output in the collection, because that can create a dependency cycle. Keep proxies simple for better simulation performance.

00 CustomCurveWind

In curve mode, Columns controls the number of hanging strings and Lantern Count controls the number of lanterns in each string.

To reshape the layout, select Bezier_Curve, enter Edit Mode, and move its control points. Return to frame 1 after editing the path.

02 Base Array

Very wide lanterns can still intersect. Net Clearance is not full-body self-collision.

03 Suspension and Pin Reference

Pin Mode changes the static layout reference. It does not move the physical simulation pin away from the top.

Tassels and emitters are excluded from alignment bounds. To align to the world origin, also account for the generator object's own transform.

04 Wind

Wind fades in from the start of playback. Different strings may use different phases, while lanterns within the same string remain synchronized.

05 Emitter

The source object's world position is ignored. Its rotation and scale are retained.

Lights use their origins because they have no mesh bounds. Mesh emitters retain their own materials and are not automatically made emissive. Configure light power and color in the source light data, or configure emission in the source mesh material.

The source object is not hidden automatically. Hide it or move it to a non-rendering source collection when necessary.

06 Appearance Randomization

Random width does not change height, which preserves vertical connection spacing.

07 Advanced Shaping

Frame Subpanel

High frame densities and high resample counts increase geometry and evaluation cost.

08 HeadFoot

Tassel Subpanel

Custom Tassel Subpanel

See Custom Tassel Workflow below for the required source-mesh setup.

09 Materials and UVs

The modifier provides the same eight controls for each of nine part families:

Available part families:

1. Style A Paper
2. Style B Paper
3. Frame
4. Upper Cap and Support
5. Lower Seat and Support
6. Hanging Rope
7. Tassel A Upper
8. Tassel A Lower
9. Tassel B

To use an image texture:

1. Open the relevant included material in the Shader Editor.
2. Load the image in its Image Texture node.
3. Set the matching modifier Texture Strength above 0.
4. Set Color to white if you want to preserve the image's original color.

The included materials use the UVMap UV layer.

Custom materials can use UVMap normally. To respond to the modifier's color and surface sliders, a custom material must read:

• lantern_color
• lantern_surface

The X, Y, and Z components of lantern_surface contain roughness, metallic, and texture strength.

10 Joint Collision

The actual allowed angle also depends on the support opening, insertion depth, and rope radius.

This is a contact-projection constraint at adjacent joints. It is not scene-wide mesh self-collision and does not detect every possible collision between nonadjacent lantern bodies.

11 Per-Lantern Wind: Weaker Top, Stronger Bottom

Each curve-following column is evaluated independently. A one-lantern string keeps full wind strength.

This setting scales external wind and gust forces. It does not change gravity, mass, pinning, joint contact, or the tassels' independent wind field.

Custom Tassel Workflow

Basic Mesh Requirements

1. Use a mesh object. Convert curves or other object types to a mesh first.
2. Place the object's origin at the suspension point.
3. Build the tassel downward along local -Z.
4. Apply the intended source rotation and scale before using it.
5. Use connected edges and enough subdivisions if the lower section must bend.

The object's world location does not shape the generated tassel. Source material slots are preserved.

Pinning

Create a vertex group on the source mesh:

1. Select the vertices that must remain attached.
2. Assign weight 1 to those vertices.
3. Leave free vertices at weight 0 or outside the group.
4. Enter the exact group name in Custom Tassel Top Pin Group.

A point-domain float attribute with the same name also works. If the named group or attribute is missing, the system automatically pins the highest local-Z points.

Disconnected strands must each have a pinned root. Vertex weights do not create physical connections between disconnected mesh islands.

Type A-Style Rigid Upper Section

To keep the upper knot or wrapped section intact while the lower strands deform:

1. Add a point-domain Boolean attribute or vertex group named A_Upper_Rigid.
2. Mark the vertices that belong to the rigid upper section.
3. Keep the lower strand roots included in the top-pin group as required by the topology.

When A_Upper_Rigid is present, the upper section uses the Type A swing assembly and the lower roots inherit its pose before entering the lower point simulation.

Without this marker, the custom mesh follows the regular cloth-style route.

Dependency Warning

Do not use the lantern generator itself, or an object that depends on the generator, as the custom tassel source. That creates a dependency cycle.

After changing the source, topology, markers, or weights, clear old simulation data and replay from frame 1.

Performance Guidance

• Disable wind while adjusting shape, materials, and layout.
• Start with a low Lantern Count and low Columns value.
• Increase frame density and curve resampling only when needed.
• Use simple low-poly collision proxies.
• Avoid skipping frames during simulation playback.
• Bake only after the final layout and wind settings are approved.

Troubleshooting

Known Limitations

• Verified only in Blender 5.2.0 LTS.
• The lantern motion is driven by a connected procedural skeleton, not a separate rigid body for every lantern.
• Joint collision limits penetration at adjacent support openings; it is not global triangle-mesh collision.
• Strong negative clearance is clamped to keep the connection pitch positive.
• Wide lantern bodies can intersect during large swings.
• Simulation must be recalculated from frame 1 after structural or motion changes.

Support Information

When requesting support, include:

• Blender version
• Product version
• Layout mode: ordinary or Follow Curve
• Current Lantern Count and Columns
• Tassel type
• Whether wind and joint collision are enabled
• The frame where the problem occurs
• A screenshot of the modifier settings
• A minimal .blend file when possible

Do not send only a rendered image when the issue concerns simulation or node settings.