Instancer

The Instancer creates and distributes copies of POP Geometry across Point Clouds, Meshes, or Curves, allowing flexible spatial arrangements and structured distributions. Objects generated by the Instancer are always POPX Geometry – the packed geometry structure used across the POPX system, where each instance is represented by a single point containing its transform attributes.

The Instancer supports two instancing methods: Copy to Points generates POPX Geometry as realized geometry copies, where each instance exists as an independent, modifiable element in the scene. This method is ideal when subsequent modifiers need to deform, transform, or alter the geometry directly. Instancing uses TouchDesigner's built-in GPU instancing, which references the source geometry efficiently without duplicating it in memory. This method is better suited for high-performance workflows where per-instance deformation is not required.

Each instanced object can define its own transform parameters and an optional probability value for random selection. Geometry sources can be added via the Instance Objects sequence or by dragging POPs directly onto the parameter. When instancing onto template geometry, attributes can be copied from the template points, and the Distribution Method parameter controls how instances are placed across the source geometry.