Blender for Scientists - Advanced Geometry Nodes Part 2 - Storing and Using Data (Read Top Comment)

CG Figures
CG Figures
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Published 2022-10-03
This video is a walkthrough/tutorial of how I made the periodic table in Blender using geometry nodes and shader nodes. It focuses on how to store and using numerical data in geonodes to show trends, animate scenes, and create complex selections. The series of worked examples highlight specific animations, data handling, import, and design considerations. I also briefly allude to some advanced concepts for future consideration.

The periodic table asset shown in this video is available for free on the cgfigures gumroad page and is linked below.

0:00 Intro and Outline
1:14 Storing Data in the Periodic Table
2:21 Storing Internal Data (Atomic Number)
3:00 Storing External Data by Index Matching
6:25 Easily Adding New Data to the Table
7:50 Data in the table as of release
8:54 How the Table is Built
9:40 Changing Fonts with the Elements Node
12:10 Making Simple Changes with the Modifier Panel
13:34 Using Instances to Place the Elements
14:55 Future Possibilities - Caching to Improve Performance and Data Import
16:43 An Advanced Concept - Single Object Storage
18:04 Using the Periodic Table Asset - User Facing Controls
20:51 Data in the Asset and Variable Names
21:16 Using the Asset Browser to Import the Table
22:06 Modifying the Table - Example 1 - Data Based Selections and Customization
28:45 Modifying the Table - Example 2 - Animation and Order of Operations. Working with Scale
33:48 Modifying the Table - Example 3 - Changing the Position of the Elements and Switching Between Positions
35:32 Modifying the Table - Customizing the Frames
37:09 Adding New Objects on the Table - Showing the Atomic Radius over Each Element
40:56 Using Data in Shaders - Selecting by Element Classification or Electron Shell Block
42:14 Interacting with Other Objects - The Cursor Object and Using Data from the 118 points versus from the Generated Table
47:02 Checking and Changing Data Values
50:14 A Brief Overview of 'Creating the Atoms' for each Element
59:33 Conclusion and Credits

Periodic Table Asset:
cgfigures.gumroad.com/l/ThePeriodicTable

Looping Elements Animation:
   • CGFigures - Element Looping Animation  

Getting Started with Geometry Nodes:
   • Blender for Scientists - Getting Star...  

Advanced Geometry Nodes Episode 1
   • Blender for Scientists - Advanced Geo...  

Brady's Molecular Nodes:
   • Molecular Nodes | Getting Started | B...  

Erindale's Video on Attribute Transfer:
   • Transfer Your Attributes - Geometry N...  

Community Discord:
discord.gg/p62E9qzHbT

The CGFigures Asset Library:
A compilation of most of what I've released/will release in one CC0 package:
Free at: www.cgfigures.ca/assetlibrary
Launch video:    • Blender for Scientists - The CGFigure...  

On Gumroad (if you'd like to pay to support it. More of this will go to me directly though I do donate to the blender dev fund every month as a gold level supporter): cgfigures.gumroad.com/l/TheCGFiguresAssetLibrary

On Blendermarket (if you'd like to pay to support it and directly contribute to the blender development fund, 25% of the cost): blendermarket.com/products/the-cgfigures-asset-lib…

For more CGFigures content checkout the links below:
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Website: www.cgfigures.ca/
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Gumroad: gumroad.com/cgfigures
All Comments (7)
  • @CGFigures
    I'm going to use the top comment as a place to keep corrections and edits. At 5:30 I connect a separate XYZ to the location of the object node. This won't work! You need to add a position node and connect to that instead. For an example check the other variables. Thanks to Angelo for catching this.
  • @BradyJohnston
    Really great to see a walk through of this! It's a great idea to store the data just on the Z axis so you can keep the points matched with their position on the table, and that you can have 1 object per piece of data, which is much more user-friendly for manually creating the data yourself, I like it!
  • @cyanos3
    I'm utterly amazed. This is phenomenal work on so many levels!! I'm curious about getting CSV (or other external data) into your Blender file. You mentioned at 1:13 that we could read in external data in a "future system". Do you know for a fact whether something is coming? So I take it there is no "CSV input geometry node" (yet)? Do you have plans to make any, or know of anyone working on that? Additionally, I just wanted to confirm that for the node flow [[z-axis property -> transfer attribute -> store named attribute]], ALL of the attributes (atomic number, year discovered, etc.) would have to be entered in manually. Is that correct? Thank you so much for sharing all of this. As a newcomer to your channel, you're completely opening my mind to the possibilities of Blender, and I love it.
  • @hrslayz3385
    how is it so far .. i've just started and im really overwheld