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Distance Field

The Proximity Map. Calculates how far every cell is from the nearest "filled" cell in an input mask. This creates a gradient that radiates away from your shapes.

Ports​

PortTypeDescription
Input Bool MaskThe "source" shapes to measure distance from.
Output FloatA normalised gradient (0.0 at the source, increasing outwards).

Details​

This node uses a fast two-pass sweep algorithm to calculate distances across the entire map. The output is normalised (0 to 1) based on the maximum possible distance in the map.

Potential Use Cases​

  • Coastal Gradients: Generate a distance field from a "Land Mask" to create shallow water/sand gradients around islands.
  • Erosion & Dilation:
    • Expand: Distance Field -> Threshold (low value) -> New Mask.
    • Shrink: Invert Mask -> Distance Field -> Threshold (low value) -> Invert.
  • Safe Zones: Create a "Spawn Zone" mask by finding all areas within X distance of the starting point.

Technical Tip​

To get a "hard" distance in meters (Unity units), you may need to use a Remap node to scale the 0-1 normalised value back to your world size.