🔮 How to do a proximity-based crystal growth setup built almost entirely with Geometry Nodes.

1️⃣ Start by distributing points on a surface and instancing simple crystal shapes onto them. Align each instance to the surface normal so the crystals naturally grow outward. Use Geometry Proximity to measure distance from a separate control object and drive instance scale based on that distance.

2️⃣ Refine the growth with Map Range to control falloff and timing. Add variation by randomly rotating and scaling each instance, and instance multiple crystal shapes from a collection for a more organic result. Store a named attribute to introduce subtle color variation per crystal, then use a layered glass material with gradients for depth and realism.

3️⃣ Finish the setup by animating the control object instead of the geometry itself. The result is fully procedural growth that stays flexible, reusable, and easy to adapt to other surfaces or environments.

And follow us for more Blender tips 🧡

#blender #tutorial #cgcookie #geometrynodes