Distributors
Distributors rollout
Distributors list group
Allows to manage the list of distributors.
Create distributor
Creates a new distributor.
Delete distributor
Deletes selected distributor.
Copy distributor
Makes a copy of the selected distributor into the copy buffer.
Paste distributor
Pastes the distributor from the copy buffer.
Paste as instance
Pastes an instance from the copy buffer.
Make unique
Makes the distributor unique.
Also, you can move distributor items up and down by using the drag and drop feature.To the left of each distributor, you can see the bulb icons that allows to enable or disable distributor.
Name
This field allows to specify the distributor name.
Count Rate %
Specifies how many paths in percent to calculate using the selected distributor.
Seed offset
Specifies a randomization value for selected distributor.
Clicking button opens the following menu for choosing the type of distributor:
Types of the distributors
Distributor - distribution out of itself;
Point distributor - distribution from the specified point;
Path distributor - distribution from the other path;
Path position distributor - distribution from the other path in the specified position;
Surface distributor - distribution from the surface of the other object;
Distributor
The Distributor generates a new directions from the GrowFX icon and can be used for generating a single plants.
Pick Object
Click this, and then select an object in the viewport to be used as target object to calculate the distance from this object to the GrowFX icon.
[None]
Displays the name of the picked object.
Parameter: Distance 
button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes the distance between GrowFX icon and target object to the Affect pipeline.
The distributor like all distributors have the following optional rollout:
Distributor in point rollout
The set of these parameters controls the starting paths from the specified position or point.Count
Sets the number of starting paths.
Chaos Count %
Specifies the percentage of quantity randomness. Example: Count = 200, Chaos Count % = 50, in different points the quantity of starting paths will vary from 100 to 200.
Type Distributor
Specifies the type of even distribution. It has two values: Circular and Angular.
Angle divergence
Sets the angle divergence of even distribution.
Chaos angle
Specifies the chaos deviation of angle divergence.
Parameter: angle div button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes the angle divergence for every starting path to the Affect pipeline. The original value range from 0.0 to (Angle divergence + Chaos angle) value.
Angle bend
Sets the angle of vector bend.
Chaos angle
Specifies the chaos deviation of angle bend.
Parameter: angle bend button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes the angle bend for every starting path to the Affect pipeline. The original value range from (Angle bend - Chaos angle) value to Angle bend value.
Offset
Specifies a crosscut offset of the start position.
Chaos offset
Chaos of crosscut offset.
Parameter: offset button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes the offset for every starting path to the Affect pipeline. The original value range from Offset value to (Offset + Chaos offset) value.
Start vector group
All these starting vectors are directed relative to the main starting vector, which is directed relative to the main starting object. Consequently, the following parameters can modify the main starting vector.Angle axis
Specifies the angle of axial rotation of the main vector.
Chaos angle
Specifies the angle of axial rotation.
Angle bend
Specifies the angle bend of the main vector.
Random angle group
Min angle
Specifies the minimum angle bend of the starting vector going in random direction.
Max angle
Specifies the maximum angle bend of the starting vector going in random direction.
How the distribution mechanism works at the Distributor in point point:
1. It detects the initial vector (1), depending on the distributor.2. Then the starting vector (2) is created in the following way:
2.1. Vector (1) turns around its axis at the angle (a).
2.2. The resulting vector bends at the angle (b).
2.3. Then the vector bends at the angle (c) to the random direction.
3. Relative to the vector (2), the required count (d) of vectors is created.
4. The vectors are evenly distributed in a circle at the angle (e).
5. Then the vectors bend, each in its direction at the angle (f).
6. And go apart at the distance (g).
When Vector direction is used, the Local vector is the vector (1).
When distribution occurs from the point (Point distributor), the initial vector is equal to Z-vector of the point node.
When distribution occurs from other paths (Path distributor and Path position distributor), the initial vector always directed along the path.
When distribution occurs from the surface of the other object (Surface distributor), the initial vector directed by the normals direction of the surface.
Circular type of equal distributor:
Angular type of equal distributor:
Point distributor
Pick
Adds an object to the starting points list. Click this button, then in the viewport move the cursor over an object to add to the collection, and any object (node) can be used as a starting point.
Create Points
Turns on Create Points mode. Manually place starting points by clicking in any viewport. In this mode the Exlevel Point Helper will be created.
Points (Nodes)
The list of starting points.Remove
Removes the point from the list.
Select
Allows to choose points in the scene.
Distance to object group
Pick Object
Click this, and then select an object in the viewport to be used as target object to calculate the distance from this object to the starting points.
[None]
Displays the name of the picked object.
Parameter: Distance button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes the distance between starting points and target object to the Affect pipeline.
Path distributor
Starting path group
Allows making a list of starting paths that new paths grow from. Add path
Adds the path to the list. The system automatically determines availability of starting paths to prevent the user from the wrong choice.
Remove path
Removes path from the list.
Levels
This parameter sets the number of nesting levels of the starting paths. For example, if you set the value to 3, a three-level twig structure will appear.
Parameter: levels button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes its own level for every starting path to the Affect pipeline. The original value range from 1 to Levels value. For example, you can add an affect to the branch radius of the Mesh builder. And the branches on the first level will have a bigger radius, than the branches on the last level.
Parameter: Path position button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes its own position on the parent path for every starting path to the Affect pipeline. The original value range from 0 to 100%. For example, it can help to create long branches at the beginning of the trunk and short branches at the end of the trunk.
Density
Specifies the number of the appeared paths at the distance Unit Calc in the Preference Parameters rollout. The button 
opens the Density Graph dialog.
Note: To create a smooth animation of growth with the Density Graph, we recommend to use a new algorithm. To do this, make sure that the Use old algorithm option in the Preference Parameters is off.
Chaos dens.%
Example: Density = 10, Chaos dens.% = 50, so the density varies from 5 to 10.
Turn axis
The main starting vector for the start of paths is directed along the parental path. This parameter shows at what angle the vector will turn for the next vector.
Range parameters group
Allows the user to set the start and end positions for distribution of branches on the trunk or on the parental branches.Start %
Start position in percent where branches start to distribute on the parent path.
Start absolute
Distance to the point where branches start to distribute on the path in the current 3ds Max® units.
Start instantly
When on, branches start to distribute instantly at the starting position.
End %
End position in percent where branches stop to distribute on the parent path.
End absolute
Distance to the end point of distribution of branches on the path in the current 3ds Max® units.
Use Last Level
When on, only the last level of the parent path will be used. See the Levels parameter in Path distributor and Path position distributor.
How Range parameters works:
Path position distributor
Starting path,
Levels,
Parameter: levels button,
Parameter: Path position button,
Use Last Level
The same usage as in the Path distributor.
Positions group
Allows to add and delete positions.Add position
Adds position to the list.
Remove
Removes position from the list.
Position %
Start position on the path in percent.
Absolute Pos
Distance to the start position in the current 3ds Max® units.
Chaos pos %
Adds random variation to the position. For each position, you can specify different values.
Angle Axis
Specifies the axial deflection angle of the starting vector. For each position, you can specify different values.
Angle Bend
Specifies the angle bend of the starting vector. For each position, you can specify different values.
Length %
Specifies the percentage of the path length. For each position, you can specify different values.
Surface distributor
Pick Object
Click this, and then select an object in the viewport to be used for starting paths.
[None]
Displays the name of the picked object.
Path Formation group
Allows to specify the distribution principle on the object surface.Evenly on Surface
The start occurs evenly among faces. Within the same face, the choice of the start position occurs randomly.
Random on Surface
The choice of the starting point occurs randomly on all the surface of the object.
Along Visible Edges
The distribution occurs randomly from the visible edges of the object.
At All Vertices
The distribution occurs from the vertices of the object.
Use Selected SubObjects
When on, the distribution will occur from the selected sub-objects only.
The type of path formation you specify determines the type of sub-object geometry used, as follows:
- Evenly on Surface - Faces
- Random on Surface - Faces
- Along Visible Edges - Edges
- At All Vertices - Vertices
Parameter: Surface button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters.
In this case, as influencing parameter will be used the texture assigned in the Factor map in the Affects parameters. White areas of the texture will give the Factor value of 1.0, the dark - will give a value of 0.0.
Density
Specifies the number of starting paths on the area, which is equal to Unit Calc * Unit Calc in the Preference Parameters rollout.
Use Vertex Color
Allows to use the vertex colors as part of the distribution density. Where white color is used, the density will reach a value of Density, where black color is used, the density will be zero. Accordingly, it is possible to use the standard VertexPaint modifier to draw on the surface, specifying the place where paths appear.
Color Channel
Specifies the channel number.
Color Mask R/G/B
Allows to use Red/Green/Blue sub-channels of the Vertex Color.
None
This button allows to use texture as density. Note that the density will be equal to Density parameter in areas with white texture.Density Map ID
Specifies the channel to be used in the density map.
Distance to object group
Pick Object
Click this, and then select an object in the viewport to be used as target object to calculate the distance from this object to the starting points.
[None]
Displays the name of the picked object.
Parameter: Distance button
Opens the Affects parameters, where you can add one or more influences to other parameters. This parameter passes the distance between starting points and target object to the Affect pipeline.
Evenly on Surface is on:
Random on Surface is on:
Along Visible Edges is on:
At All Vertices is on:
Use Selected SubObjects (example):
Texture Density (example):
Use Vertex Color (example):
