Perturbation and Displacement Effects #

Overview #

Perturbation and displacement effects change the pattern after the basic layout is generated. They are useful for making a panel feel more organic, dynamic, or directional.

Use these tools carefully. They can create beautiful patterns, but they can also reduce bridge width or make export geometry more complex.

Perturbation #

Perturbation adds controlled randomness to the pattern.

It can vary:

• Position.
• Size.
• Angle.
• Seed.

Use perturbation when a perfectly regular grid feels too mechanical.

Create a Perturbed Pattern #

• Start with a clean layout such as Grid, Hex, or Staggered.
• Open Perturbation.
• Turn on Enable Perturbation.
• Increase Position slightly to move holes away from the perfect grid.
• Increase Size if you want hole sizes to vary.
• Increase Angle for rotated shapes such as rectangles or slots.
• Set a Seed to make the random result repeatable.

Use small values first. Strong perturbation can cause holes to overlap or move too close to the boundary.

Perturbation Seed #

The seed controls the random result. If the seed stays the same, the pattern stays repeatable.

Use Reseed when you want a new version of the same idea.

Keep the seed if the design has already been reviewed or shared.

Displacement #

Displacement moves the whole pattern according to a larger effect field.

HoleSnap supports:

• Wave.
• Swirl.
• Twist.

These effects are different from random perturbation. They create directional or radial movement across the whole design.

Wave Displacement #

Wave displacement moves points in a wave pattern.

Controls include:

• Amplitude: how far the wave moves the points.
• Frequency: how many waves appear across the panel.
• Angle: wave direction.
• Phase: shifts the wave position.

Use wave displacement for flowing decorative panels, acoustic surfaces, or visual rhythm.

Swirl Displacement #

Swirl displacement rotates points around a center.

Controls include:

• Strength: how strong the swirl is.
• Radius: how far the swirl influence reaches.
• X / Y center: where the swirl center sits on the panel.

Use swirl displacement for circular motion, fan-inspired patterns, or focal decorative effects.

Twist Displacement #

Twist displacement rotates points around a center with a twist field.

Controls include:

• Strength: twist angle.
• X / Y center: center of the twist.

Use twist when you want a stronger radial motion than a normal rotation gradient.

Recommended Workflow #

• Build the base layout first.
• Add gradient controls if needed.
• Enable perturbation or displacement last.
• Keep values small at first.
• Check bridge width and boundaries before export.

Effects should be the final design layer, not the first step.

Fabrication Checks #

After applying perturbation or displacement, inspect:

• Overlapping holes.
• Minimum bridge width.
• Holes near trimmed edges.
• Very small holes from size variation.
• DXF complexity.
• Whether the design still matches the intended panel area.

If the pattern becomes too dense, reduce the effect strength, increase spacing, or lower the hole size.