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Clutter System: GPU-Instanced Scattering for Grass, Rocks, and Debris

calendar_today May 20, 2026 schedule ~2 min read person PatrickJr verified 50

The s&box Clutter System scatters large amounts of small objects (grass, rocks, debris) with GPU-instanced rendering. It handles placement, streaming, and LOD automatically.

Clutter Definition (Asset)

Create via Asset Browser → Create → Clutter Definition. Configure:

Entries: List of models or prefabs to scatter, each with a Weight controlling selection probability. Use models for static props, prefabs when you need components. Scatterers:
ScattererDescription
SimpleRandom placement with density, scale range, ground alignment, height offset
SlopeFilters by surface angle — grass on flat, rocks on steep
Terrain MaterialPlaces based on terrain layer — flowers on dirt, moss on rock
Custom scatterers can be implemented for spline/volume/texture-driven placement. Streaming: Tile Size (256–4096 units) and Tile Radius (1–10 tiles around camera) control generation granularity and visible range.

ClutterComponent

Add to a GameObject and assign a Clutter Definition:

ModeDescription
InfiniteStreams tiles around camera automatically. Tiles create/destroy as camera moves. Auto-regenerates when terrain changes.
VolumeFixed bounding box. Click Generate to populate. Instances saved with scene.

Clutter Tool (Editor)

Paint and erase clutter by hand in the editor:

  • Paint: Left-click to scatter at brush location

  • Erase: Ctrl+click to remove within brush radius

  • Opacity: Controls how many candidates are placed (thinning for natural look)

Painted instances persist separately from generated ones and are saved with the scene.

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