Copy to Points | AnimGraphLab Docs

Nodes ›Copy to Points

The Copy to Points node is a powerful tool for instancing. It takes one or more shapes and creates a copy of them at the location of each point from a target geometry.

For example, you can arrange copies in a circular shape by copying them onto the points of an ellipse, or scatter points across a surface and copy shapes onto those points.

Inputs

Shape to Copy

The shape or group of shapes that will be copied.

Target Points

The points output from from a Scatter node that will be used as the target locations for the copies.

Parameters

Parameter	Description
`Label`	The display name for the node.
`Mode`	Determines which shape to copy to each point.
`Seed`	A random seed for weighted selection.
`Use Point Attributes`	Rotates and scales copies based on target point attributes (tangent, pscale, rotation).
`Output Mode`	Controls how copies are output. "Individual" creates separate shapes. "Combined" creates one merged path. "Instanced" uses high-performance <use> tags but has limitations.

How It Works

The node follows a simple three-step process to generate its output:

Component	Description	Visual
1. Shape to Copy	The geometry connected to the primary (purple) input. This shape will be duplicated.
2. Target Points	The geometry connected to the secondary (green) input. The node extracts the points from this shape to use as locations.
3. Result	A copy of the source shape is placed at each point of the target geometry.

Output Modes

The Output Mode parameter provides three different methods for generating the copies, each with its own performance characteristics and limitations. Choosing the right mode is key to building efficient graphs.

Mode	Pros	Cons
Individual Shapes	Maximum flexibility Per-instance overrides Each copy is a distinct shape	Slowest performance Creates many DOM elements
Combined Shape	Excellent performance Fast for downstream nodes Editable as multi-contour path	All copies share one style
Instanced Shapes	Fastest rendering Very low memory usage	Incompatible with geometry nodes No per-instance shape changes Limited style overrides

Using Point Attributes

The Use Point Attributes toggle allows for powerful variation between copies. When enabled, the node looks for specific attributes on the target points to customize each copy:

position: (Vector) The location where the copy will be placed. This is always used.
tangent: (Vector) A direction vector used to orient the copy. The copy will be rotated to align with this direction. This is generated by nodes like Scatter (in outline mode) and Resample.
pscale: (Number) A uniform scale multiplier applied to the copy. A value of 1 is the original size, 0.5 is half size, and 2 is double size.
rotation: (Number) An additional rotation in degrees that is added to the orientation from the tangent.
color: (String) A hex color code (e.g., #ff0000) that can override the fill color of an instance when using the “Instanced Shapes” output mode.