Select between multiple instance geometries

The selector_instance node selects between multiple shapes so that, for example, you can create a forest based on several different trees. You can also daisy-chain selector_instance nodes, for example, to select between pine and leafy trees based on one criterion, and then select between different examples of each based on other criteria. The output of selector_instance can be connected into either a set_instance_geometry node or a set_instance_shape node.

1. Add a selector_instance node to the graph.

2. Connect one or more geometric objects like meshes to the instance_geometries port. In addition to geometries, you can also connect instance shapes, such as the output of:

   • geo_instance, if you want to use different preview geometries for different instance master shapes.
   • render_archive_instance, to instantiate render archive files on disk.
   • selector_instance, for more complex switching between master geometries.

3. Specify the name of a custom long property as the instance_id_property input. This assumes that you have used a node like set_geo_property upstream to assign a property targeting the point_component of the points object. The property should specify which geometry to instantiate, where 0 is the first geometry connected to instance_geometries, 1 is the second, and so on.

4. If desired, connect a simple geometry to the preview_geometry port. This geometry acts as a stand-in for previewing in the viewport. Note that it will be used for all instances, even if they already have preview geometries defined, for example, if you connected geo_instance nodes to the instance_geometries port instead of connecting geometries directly.

5. Connect the selector_instance to either a set_instance_geometry node or a set_instance_shape node.