RealScatter: Quick Start Tutorial

RealScatter distributes objects across one or more mesh surfaces. You can generate a full surface scatter, control it with masks, or paint points manually.

## 1. Create a scatter system

1. Select the mesh that will receive the scatter.

2. Open **RealUI > Scatter**.

3. Click **+** beside **Scatter Systems**.

4. Choose **Distribute on Faces**.

5. Set **Particle Count**, **Seed**, **Minimum Spacing**, and **Jitter**.

Turn on **Live** while adjusting settings to update the scatter automatically.

## 2. Add objects to scatter

1. Select one or more mesh objects that you want to use as instances.

2. Return to the scatter system and open **Instances**.

3. Enable instances and click **+** beside the instance list.

4. Click an instance name to display its settings.

Each source has:

- **Percentage:** How often that object appears. Source percentages always total 100%.

- **Scale:** An additional scale multiplier for that source only.

- **Select icon:** Selects the source object in the Blender scene.

Use the system Scale Min and Scale Max values for random scale variation across every source.

## 3. Control placement with masks

Open **Masks**, click **+**, and choose a mask type:

- **Vertex Group:** Uses weights painted on the target mesh.

- **Texture:** Uses Noise, Waves, Voronoi, or an image.

- **Geometry:** Uses normals, height, edge angle, or cavity information.

- **Brush:** Lets you add and erase scatter points manually.

For each mask:

- Enable **Distribution** to control where points may appear.

- Enable **Scale** to use the mask to control instance size.

- Use **Threshold** to set the placement cutoff.

- Use **Invert** to reverse the mask.

Use **Toggle Mask** to preview supported masks directly on the target mesh.

## 4. Use an image mask

1. Add a **Texture** mask and change its type to **Image**.

2. Choose an existing Blender image or click the folder icon to browse for one.

3. Select the target mesh **UV Map** used for the image coordinates.

4. Choose an extension mode:

   - **Repeat** tiles the image outside the UV area.

   - **Extend** continues the edge pixels.

   - **Clip** makes areas outside the image black.

   - **Mirror** mirrors each repeated tile.

5. Adjust **Threshold** or enable **Invert** as needed.

The target mesh must have a UV map. Image, UV-map, extension, threshold, and invert changes update live when **Live** is enabled.

## 5. Paint scatter points manually

Create a new system and choose **Draw**, or add a **Brush** mask to an existing system.

- **Add Points:** Paint new scatter points.

- **Erase Points:** Remove points under the brush, including floating points.

- **Self Collision:** Prevent newly painted instances from overlapping during the stroke.

- **Edit Points:** Enter edit mode for direct point adjustment.

Draw can work across multiple selected mesh targets. Point Radius and Radius Random affect newly painted points without resizing older points.

## 6. Manage systems

The buttons beside **Scatter Systems** let you:

- Add a system.

- Duplicate the active system, including masks, sources, percentages, instance settings, and painted points.

- Select the generated scatter output.

- Delete the active system.

Use the eye and render icons on each row to control viewport and render visibility.

## Common issues

**No instances appear**

- Confirm instances are enabled and at least one valid mesh source is in the list.

- Check that source percentages are not all zero.

- Lower the mask threshold or disable the mask temporarily.

**Image mask appears in the wrong place**

- Confirm the correct UV map is selected.

- Check the target mesh UV layout in the UV Editor.

- Try Repeat, Extend, or Clip depending on the UV range.

**Changes do not update**

- Enable **Live**.

- Confirm the correct scatter system and instance source are active.

- Increase Particle Count if the result is too sparse to judge.

**Instances overlap**

- Increase Minimum Spacing for face distribution.

- Use Self Collision when painting points.

- Reduce the source scale or the system scale range.