ScatterFlow — User Guide

Installation

1. 1
   Download ScatterFlow.zip.
2. 2
   In Blender 4.4, open Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ Extensions and click Install from Disk.

Add ScatterFlow assets to the Asset Library

1. 1
   Go to Edit ▸ Preferences ▸ File Paths ▸ Asset Libraries.
2. 2
   Click + to add a new library.
3. 3
   Select the folder with ScatterFlow Assets.blend.
4. 4
   Click Save Preferences.

Quick Start

Drop objects

1. 1
   Go to Tools ▸ Simulation Tools.
2. 2
   Select the floor (or any collision surface) and click Set Passive.
3. 3
   Select your objects and click Add Physics.
4. 4
   Press Space to play the simulation.

Spawning objects

1. 1
   Click Add Tool to add the spawning sphere.
2. 2
   Select a Source Collection.
3. 3
   Go to Spawning ▸ Quick Spawn.
4. 4
   Click Spawn Instances.
5. 5
   Make sure a passive floor/collider exists.

Array Spawning

1. 1
   Add Tool → Swap Tool to the Array tool.
2. 2
   Select a Source Collection.
3. 3
   Go to Spawning ▸ Array Spawning.
4. 4
   Click Spawn Instances.
5. 5
   Ensure a passive floor/collider exists.

Manipulate Objects

1. 1
   Add Tool → Swap Tool to Manipulation Tool.
2. 2
   Go to Tools ▸ Manipulation Tool.
3. 3
   Press Pickup or U to pick up / drop objects.
4. 4
   To move/throw: press G to move the tool, then Left-click quickly followed by U.
5. 5
   Note: due to a Blender limitation, you can’t move and throw simultaneously. Stop moving with Left-click first.

Features

Spawning

Quick Spawn

• Count — objects per click.
• Scale Min/Max — size range.
• ∞ Spawn — continuous spawn during playback; Rate — objects/sec.
• Random Rotation — randomize orientation (off uses applied rotation).
• Randomize Selected — delete spawned set and generate from selection only.
• Randomize All — delete spawned set and generate a new set.

Surface Scatter

• Target Mesh — surface(s) to spawn on.
• Count — number of objects scattered.
• Random Rot — randomized orientation.
• Skip Rigid Bodies — spawn without physics.
• Randomize Selected — re-roll using selection only.
• Randomize All — re-roll full set.

Array Spawn

• Count X/Y/Z — rows/columns/layers.
• Gap X/Y/Z — spacing between objects.
• Scale Min/Max — size variation.

Tools

Manipulation Tool (Force-Field)

• Dynamic Pickup — toggles field strength for grabbing/releasing.
• Drag — quick set to -500 for dragging.
• Strength — attraction force.
• Tip: press U to switch pickup/drop.

Simulation Tools

• Add Physics — add physics to selected objects.
• Set Passive — make selected objects static colliders.
• Duplicate — duplicate the selection.
• Move — enable moving (pause first).
• Freeze — convert active bodies to passive to “lock” them.
• Remove Physics — remove physics from selected objects.

Quick Array Grid

• Count X/Y/Z — rows/columns/layers.
• Gap X/Y/Z — spacing between objects.
• Note: Quick-array objects don’t include physics. Select and press “Add Physics”.

Cloth Tools

• Add Cloth — add cloth simulation to selected objects.
• Add Collisions — create cloth colliders.
• Remove Collisions — remove cloth colliders.
• Apply Cloth — apply the cloth simulation.

Advanced

Advanced Settings

• Split Impulse — reduces physics velocity applied to objects (Off = more explosive; On = less).
• Friction/Bounce — adjust friction and restitution.
• Collision Shape — Convex Hull (faster, less accurate) vs Mesh (slower, more accurate).
• Set as Default — save current parameters for new spawns.
• Origin Tools — set origin to center or base.

Common Issues

• Objects fall through mesh — set floor to Passive and choose an appropriate Collision Shape (BOX for simple, MESH for complex). Thin/small objects may still pass at high speeds.
• Exploding objects — if Split Impulse is enabled, try toggling it. Avoid intersections; increase spacing.
• Viewport performance — optimize meshes, reduce polycount, scatter in batches, then Freeze.
• Cloth clips through mesh — on the collider, enable “Single-Sided.”
• Won’t fall into container — for hollow objects, set Collision Shape to Mesh.
• Cloth self-clipping — enable “Self Collisions.”
• Scattered objects keep resetting — changes after frame 1 reset the sim; make changes before playback or Freeze first.

Quick Start

Placement & Materials

To add a decal, select the object and click Add Decal in the Decals panel. Move the cursor to place it, then adjust rotation and scale. Note: decals are applied per material. The decal is added to the object’s active material slot. On multi-material meshes, choose the correct slot in Material Properties before adding the decal.

Adding Damage

To add damage effects, select the object (or the decal’s Empty), then adjust the Damage controls in the Decal properties.

Common Issues

Decal appears on the back side of the object

Decal projection depends on its Empty. If a decal shows up on the back side, reduce the Empty’s projection depth.

Decals don’t copy with the object

To duplicate an object along with its decals, click the Copy button in the add-on panel.

Decal doesn’t appear on my object

Verify the decal was applied to the correct material on the object. Check the active material slot in Material Properties before adding the decal.

Adding custom textures

To add your own textures, open the Shader Editor, locate the ScatterFlow Decal node group, and plug your images into the Image Texture nodes.