Standard Filters - Standard filters allow the restriction of clones with traditional functions like polygon selections, vertex maps, material color, but also with modifier objects and minimum distance between the clones.

If you are using a SPREADscape object you can´t make selection sets or vertex maps unless you make the object editable.

One filter that you will find really handy is the Minimum Distance Filter. Once enabled you can define a minimum distance between clones. This prevents clones from intersecting or from overcrowding. This is something I wish MoGraph had. When you use a Random Effector in MoGraph there is no way to prevent clones intersecting.

Geo Filters - Geo filters change the distribution of clones according to rules taken from the real world, such as the surface topology of the linked geometry object. Here you can constrain the clones to certain altitudes or slope levels, or apply a natural fractal distribution.

The Slope Filter controls how clones are distributed based on surface slope. Rocks for example wouldn´t be present on steep slopes since they would have all rolled down the hill. Similarly the Altitude Filter can be used to control distribution of clones based upon vertical height. So on a landscape with mountains there could be no trees growing in the areas with snow. There is a minimum and maximum option. With both the Slope and Altitude Filter there is an edge option. This adjustable option controls the blending when using these 2 filters so that there is no hard transitions. On Page 6 of the review, in the image of the river gorge I used the slope and altitude options to stop trees and ground cover objects from being distributed on sloping surfaces and from being distributed below a specified height.

Performance Filters - Performance filters don´t add to the look of the scene, but improve the memory usage, editor performance and preparation time for rendering. Here you can filter out clones that are outside the camera´s field of view, behind mountains or very far away from the camera. All filters from all groups can be combined.

The performance filters carry on from the performance options previously described. Again these are enhancements that I wish MAXON would build into MoGraph.

Normal - Clones are orientated in the direction of the surface normal of the object being cloned on to. Clones are orientated along their Z axis so it´s important to get your axis set up correctly to begin with. In this mode there are number of options like using an Up Vector for further control of your clones plus a mix option to blend between the surface normal and the direction set up with the options in this mode.

Target - This make clones aim along their Z axis at a target´s object. You can use this option for some simple Motion Graphics type animations by animating the target object.

Static - Allows you to manually orientate the clones in the 3 rotation axes. An example of where this could be used would be to make trees lean over because a of prevailing wind.

None (Position Only) - This is the default alignment. Clones have no alignment and are orientated the same as the original object.