Topo Contour
Slices a continuous scalar field into discrete elevation bands, like a topographic map with terraced steps. The same underlying field as Iso Surface Flow is computed, but instead of smooth displacement, the values are quantized into a staircase of flat terraces separated by sharp edges.
Parameters
Amplitude- Height of each contour step in mm (0–20). Controls the total displacement range of the terracing.
Freq U- Feature frequency around the circumference (0.25–20). Lower values create broader contour regions.
Freq V- Feature frequency along the height (0.25–20). Controls the vertical density of contour features.
Steps- Number of discrete contour levels (2–16). More steps create finer terracing, like a detailed elevation map. Fewer steps create bold, dramatic terraces.
Edge Smooth- Blends between step levels to soften terrace edges (0–1). At 0, edges are perfectly sharp. At 1, the steps blend smoothly back toward the original continuous field.
Phase U- Phase offset in the circumferential direction (0–2\u03C0).
Phase V- Phase offset in the height direction (0–2\u03C0).
How It Works
Topo Contour computes the same crossed-sine scalar field as Iso Surface Flow, then applies a floor/step function to quantize the continuous values into discrete levels. Each level creates a flat terrace on the surface, with vertical cliffs between adjacent terraces.
The Steps parameter controls how many discrete levels exist within the amplitude range. The Edge Smooth parameter interpolates between the quantized staircase and the original smooth field, allowing a spectrum from hard-edged topographic steps to soft, barely-visible contour hints.