GradientNorm Node
The gradient norm of a heightmap refers to the magnitude or intensity of the rate of change of elevation at each point on the map. It represents the steepness or slope of the terrain surface, irrespective of its direction.
Category
Math/Gradient
Inputs
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| input | VirtualArray | Input heightmap. |
Outputs
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| output | VirtualArray | Gradient norm. |
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gain | Float | Mid-centered gain transformation applied to the elevation values. This is a non-linear recurve operator centered around the mid elevation (typically 0.5). Increasing the gain pushes values toward the minimum and maximum elevations, creating flatter low/high regions with a steeper transition around the midpoint. |
| Gamma | Float | Standard gamma correction applied to the elevation values. This is a monotonic power-law remapping that shifts emphasis toward low or high elevations, making the overall shape sharper or bulkier without changing its ordering. |
| Invert Output | Bool | Inverts the output values after processing, flipping low and high values across the midrange. |
| Mix Factor | Float | Mixing factor for blending input and output values. A value of 0 uses only the input, 1 uses only the output, and intermediate values perform a linear interpolation. |
| Mix Method | Enumeration | Method used to combine input and output values. Options include linear interpolation (default), min, max, smooth min, smooth max, add, and subtract. |
| Remap Range | Value range | Linearly remaps the output values to a specified target range (default is [0, 1]). |
| Saturation Range | Value range | Modifies the amplitude of elevations by first clamping them to a given interval and then scaling them so that the restricted interval matches the original input range. This enhances contrast in elevation variations while maintaining overall structure. |
| Smoothing Radius | Float | Defines the radius for post-processing smoothing, determining the size of the neighborhood used to average local values and reduce high-frequency detail. A radius of 0 disables smoothing. |
Example
Corresponding Hesiod file: GradientNorm.hsd. Use [Ctrl+I] in the node editor to import a hsd file within your current project.
Note
Example files are kept up-to-date with the latest version of Hesiod. If you find an error, please open an issue.