Extend Natsura

Natsura is built to be extended. The core nodes, mapping, effectors and decorations are all open to build on, and the shipped nodes are made from the same pieces. This section is for technical artists and pipeline developers who want Natsura to do something it doesn't do out of the box.

It assumes you are comfortable with Houdini and VEX, and with how Natsura defers and compiles its graphs. If you are still learning the basics, start with Simulation and come back when the shipped nodes stop being enough.

There are four places to extend Natsura, from lightest to heaviest:

• Mapping, to drive parameters from attributes without writing code, or Map Wrangle to write a map in VEX.
• Wrangle, for per-branch logic in VEX inside the growth graph.
• Effector (experimental), for your own directional influences in VEX.
• Core Decoration, when the meshing itself needs to change. It is hidden from the Tab menu in 0.7.3; Build Your Own Decorations says how to place it.

If a mapping can do it, use a mapping. Reach for a wrangle or an effector when the logic needs code, and for a decoration when the geometry needs to change.