NODEE: Ice&Snow 1.0.6

1. How to install

You can install NODEE: Ice&Snow as an standart Blender addon, or use it in asset browser. If you want to use an addon download the zip file with the addon and go to Blender preferences. Under the Add-on panel click install, locate the zip file and double click it. Wait a moment to install and click the check box on the left to enable the addon.

IMPORTANT

For Blender 3.6.x use:

IceAndSnowAssetsBrowser.blend

ice_and_snow_1.0.6.zip

For Blender 4.x.x use:

IceAndSnowAssetsBrowser_Blender_4_0.blend

ice_and_snow_1.0.7.zip

If you want to use the asset browser version of NODEE you can download a blend file named IceAndSnowAssetsBrowser.blend and place it in your asset browser folder.

1. How to use it

1. Addon

This addon can be used either by creating a custom shortcut, or under the N panel. The shortcut can be changed in addon preferences by clicking the current shortcut and pressing the new one with the keyboard.

To apply the effect, select an object that you want to add the effect to. After pressing the shortcut in the 3d viewport area the Pie menu will show up. Now choose one of 4 effects and wait a moment for generation. If you don't want to use the shortcut, you can use buttons under the N panel.

1. Asset Browser

With asset browser you can just drag and drop the effect to the object.

1. Ice&Snow

Ice and snow will generate snow layers on objects and extra icicles. It comes with a material named Snow.

Parameters:

Debug mode - generate simplified geometry for better performance

Snow Thickness - the thickness of snow Layer Can produce errors when it’s too small on big objects, check common problems

Snow Failing Spread - the amount of snow that can get under covered area, in degrees.

0 - on first, 9 - on second, 40 - on third

Delete Small Snow Groups - delete snow parts that face area are smaller than threshold value

Snow Normal Offset - offset snow layer in normal direction

Melt Steep Snow - allow for random melting of snow on steep areas

Melt Top Snow - allow for random melting of snow on flat/top areas

Icicles Radius - the radius of icicles, for better control, use Exterior Band Width too.

Icicles Length - the length of icicles

Icicles Density - the density of icicles

Snowdrift Size - the size of snowdrift, set to 0 if you don't want any snowdrift (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Resolution - resolution of geometry

Delete Covered snowdrift - delete snowdrift at the area of ground that is covered by master geometry (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Create More Snowdrift - create even more snow drifts then usual (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Seed - random seed

Smooth Iterations - increase the value to create more smooth geometry, might change the shape of geometry if it’s set to high values

Angle of Melting - do not create snow at the areas of the mesh that have higher slope value

Point Distribution Number - number of original points distributed on an object. Increasing it might help get the right results on bigger objects.

Exterior Band Width - additional thickness added to icicles and snow to create a better blend effect.

Delete Object Intersecting Icicles - delete parts of icicles that are intersecting with original geometry

Delete Covered Icicles - delete parts of icicles that are intersecting with snow geometry

Ground Object - ground object used for creation of snowdrifts

Material - material

1. Snow

 Snow will generate snow layers on objects. It comes with a material named Snow.

Debug mode - generate simplified geometry for better performance

Snow Thickness - the thickness of snow Layer Can produce errors when it’s too small on big objects, check common problems

Snow Failing Spread - the amount of snow that can get under covered area, in degrees.

0 - on first, 9 - on second, 40 - on third

Delete Small Snow Group - delete snow parts that have face area smaller than threshold value

Snow Normal Offset - offset snow layer in normal direction

Melt Steep Snow - allow for random melting of snow on steep areas

Melt Top Snow - allow for random melting of snow on flat/top areas

Snowdrift Size - the size of snowdrift, set to 0 if you don't want any snowdrift (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Resolution - resolution of geometry

Seed - random seed

Ground Object - ground object used for creation of snowdrifts

Material - material

Delete Covered snowdrift - delete snowdrift at the area of ground that is covered by master geometry (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Create More Snowdrift - create even more snow drifts then usual (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Smooth Iterations - increase the value to create more smooth geometry, might change the shape of geometry if is set to high values

Point Distribution Number - number of original points distributed on an object. Increasing it might help get the right results on bigger objects.

Angle of Melting - do not create snow at the areas of the mesh that have slope higher then

1. Icicles

Icicles will generate Ice layers on objects and extra icicles. It comes with a set of materials for ice and inclusions.

Parameters:

Debug mode - generate simplified geometry for better performance

IceThickness - the thickness of the ice layer. Can produce errors when is too small on big objects, check common problems

Ice Failing Spread - the amount of ice that can get under covered area, in degrees.

0 - on first, 9 - on second, 40 - on third

Delete Small Ice Group - delete ice parts that face area are smaller than threshold value

Ice Normal Offset - offset ice layer in normal direction

Melt Steep Ice - allow for random melting of ice on steep areas

Melt Top Ice - allow for random melting of ice on flat/top areas

Icicles Radius - the radius of icicles, for better control, use Exterior Band Width too.

Icicles Length - the length of icicles

Icicles Density - the density of icicles

Snowdrift Size - the size of snowdrift, set to 0 if you don't want any snowdrift (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Delete Covered snowdrift - delete snowdrift at the area of ground that is covered by master geometry (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Create More Snowdrift - create even more snow drifts then usual (needs Ground Object to work correctly)

Resolution - resolution of geometry

Seed - random seed

Smooth Iterations - increase the value to create more smooth geometry, might change the shape of geometry if is set to high values

Ice Distortion - extra surface distortion of ice

Point Distribution Number - number of original points distributed on an object. Increasing it might help get the right results on bigger objects.

Shatter Ice Number - number of shattered ice, very long calculation time, for better visualization use Preview Shattered Geometry option. If set too high, may result in crashes

Scale Outer Shatter Ice - if shattered ice is pointing out of original ice geometry use this parameter to scale it down.

Angle of Melting - do not create snow at the areas of the mesh that have higher slope value

Preview Shattered Geometry - use this for better visualization of shattered geometry and inclusions

Inclusions Density - density of inclusion objects

Inclusions Scale - scale of inclusion objects

Delete Object Intersecting Icicles - delete parts of icicles that are interesting with original geometry

Exterior Band Width - additional thickness added to icicles and snow to create a better blend effect.

Shatter Ice - create shattered ice geometry

Ice Inclusions - Create inclusions inside ice

Ground Object - ground object used for creation of snowdrifts

Main Material - Main material of Ice layer

Ice Inclusion Material - material of inclusions inside ice

Ice Shatter Material - material of shatter geometry

1. Frost

Frost will generate frost layers on objects and extra ice. It comes with a material named Frost. To have better control of Frost use Empty object as Effector input.

Parameters:

//_…_// - only for readability  

//_Frost_Crystals_//

First Layer Density - Density of first layer of ice crystals

First Layer Scale - Scale of first layer of ice crystals

Second Layer Density - Density of second layer of ice crystals

Second Layer Scale - Scale of second layer of ice crystals

Third Layer Density - Density of third layer of ice crystals

Third Layer Scale - Scale of third layer of ice crystals

//_Ice_Layers_//

First Layer Thickness - thickness of first layer of ice

First Layer Smooth Iterations - thickness of first layer of ice

Second Layer Thickness - thickness of second layer of ice

Second Layer Smooth Iterations - thickness of second layer of ice

//_Leyer_Extends_//

First Layer Extent - First layer range

Second Layer Extent - Second layer range

Second Layer Gradient Min - control the change in thickness of first layer of ice, influenced by effector

Second Layer Gradient Max - control the change in thickness of first layer of ice, influenced by effector

Third Layer Extent - Third layer range

//_Other_Settings_//

Ice Normal Offset - offset ice layer in normal direction

Resolution - resolution of geometry

Seed - random seed

Material - material

Effector - effector, an empty object that allows control of the ranges of each layer of ice and ice crystals. Scale effector to better control frost and ice effect.

1. Common problems

1. Little to nothing snow/ice at bigger objects

To fix it you can change values of 3 parameters. Increase snow thickness, Increase Resolution, increase Point Distribution Number (this value can increase a lot, because it doesn't affect performance that much). You can play with this value however you like.

1. wrong direction of snow

To fix this issue you need to apply rotation by selecting object and pressing control A -> rotation

1. Missing ground object or effector

If snowdrifts are not generated , or frost effect is uniform, check if Ground Object/ Effector are provided to the geometry nodes modifier.

1. What to check with object

• check object rotation

• check object scale

• check normals of object