Hex Topo Contour
Concentric stepped rings emanating from each hex cell center. Combines the hexagonal grid layout with topographic contour quantization — each cell becomes a miniature terraced mountain with discrete elevation bands radiating outward from its center.
Parameters
Amplitude- Overall step height in mm (0–20). Controls the total displacement range of the terraced rings.
Freq U- Hex cell frequency around the circumference (1–20). More cells create a denser hex grid.
Freq V- Hex cell frequency along the height (0.5–20). Controls the vertical density of the hex grid.
Cell Radius- Active radius of each cell (0.1–1.5). Controls how far the contour rings extend from each cell center. Values above 1 cause rings from adjacent cells to overlap.
Steps- Number of concentric contour rings per cell (1–16). More steps create finer terracing within each hex cell.
Edge Smooth- Blends between step levels to soften ring edges (0–1). At 0, each step has sharp cliffs. At 1, steps blend into smooth gradients.
Step Height- Multiplier for the height of each individual step (0.1–5). Controls the vertical distance between adjacent contour rings.
How It Works
The effect maps each vertex to the nearest hex cell center, computes the distance from that center, then quantizes the distance into discrete step levels. Each step produces a flat ring at a fixed height, with vertical transitions between rings. The result within each cell looks like a tiny terraced hill viewed from above — rings of flat terraces radiating outward.
The Steps parameter controls the number of terraces. Edge Smooth blends between the sharp staircase and a smooth falloff, allowing a spectrum from hard-edged topographic steps to soft, barely visible contour hints. Step Height scales the vertical distance between adjacent rings independently of the overall amplitude.