Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing the plugin and creating your first scatter. By the end, you will have instances placed across your terrain using the Procedural Placement Tool.

Prerequisites

• Unreal Engine 5.7
• A level with some terrain (landscape, static meshes, or BSP)
• At least one static mesh to scatter (e.g., a rock, tree, or grass clump)

Installation

1. After purchasing, download the plugin ZIP from your account dashboard.
2. Extract the ZIP into your project's Plugins/ folder so the structure is Plugins/ProceduralPlacement/ProceduralPlacement.uplugin.
3. Open your project in UE 5.7.
4. Go to Edit > Plugins, search for "Procedural Placement", and check Enabled.
5. Restart the editor.

Tutorial: Your First Scatter

Step 1: Place a Scatter Actor

1. In the Place Actors panel, search for ProceduralScatterActor
2. Drag it into your level viewport
3. Position it above your terrain

Step 2: Size the Bounds

1. Select the scatter actor
2. In the Details panel, find Components > BoundsComponent
3. Set the Box Extent to cover your target area (e.g., X=5000, Y=5000, Z=5000)
4. Or use the transform gizmo to scale the wireframe box in the viewport

Step 3: Add a Layer

1. In Details, find Placement > Rules > Inline Layers
2. Click the + button to add a new layer
3. Expand the layer and configure:
   • Layer Name: "My Rocks"
   • Meshes: Click + and assign a static mesh
   • Density: 0.5
   • Min Spacing: 100

Step 4: Generate

1. Scroll down to the bottom of the Details panel
2. Click the Generate button
3. Instances appear in the viewport

Step 5: Iterate

• Change Density and click Generate again
• Click Randomize Seed for a different arrangement
• Click Clear to remove all instances
• Add more layers for variety

Common Settings Cheat Sheet

Setting	Typical Range	Notes
Density	0.01 - 5.0	Instances per square meter. Trees around 0.05, grass around 2.0
Min Spacing	0 - 1000	Centimeters. Trees around 400, bushes around 150, grass around 20
Min Scale	0.5 - 1.0	Smallest instance scale
Max Scale	1.0 - 2.0	Largest instance scale
Min Slope	0	Degrees. 0 = flat
Max Slope	30 - 90	Degrees. 30 = gentle hills, 90 = vertical
Noise Scale	200 - 2000	Perlin noise frequency. Larger = broader patterns
Scatter Width	100 - 1000	Spline only. Band width in cm
Cluster Radius	50 - 300	Cluster spread distance in cm
Cluster Spacing	200 - 1000	Distance between cluster centers in cm

Troubleshooting

No instances appear

• Check that the Meshes array has at least one entry with a valid mesh
• Verify Density > 0 and bEnabled = true
• Make sure the bounds box overlaps terrain
• Check TraceHeight is high enough to cover your terrain elevation
• Look at Generation Statistics for filter breakdown

Too few instances

• Increase Density
• Reduce MinSpacing
• Widen slope/height ranges
• Check that biome volumes cover the area

Instances floating or underground

• Adjust HeightOffset (positive = up, negative = down)
• Ensure terrain has collision enabled for traces

Performance is slow

• Reduce Density or increase MinSpacing
• Use HISM (StaticMesh mode) instead of BlueprintActor for large counts
• Reduce the scatter bounds to cover less area
• Use fewer layers with simpler meshes

Instances clip into buildings

• Place ExclusionZoneVolume actors around buildings
• Enable Check Actor Collision with appropriate radius
• Use layer-specific exclusion to block only large objects

Next Steps

• Configuration -- All layer settings in detail
• Density Modes -- Choose how instances are distributed
• Biome Zones -- Define distinct vegetation regions
• Spline Scatter -- Scatter along paths
• Presets -- Start with built-in presets
• Examples -- Practical recipes for common scenarios