KIRI Engine has released Scatter, a free object scattering add on for Blender. The plugin provides three placement modes that cover manual layout, procedural distribution using Geometry Nodes, and physics based scattering driven by Blender’s rigid body system. The developer positions the release as a response to the cost barrier of existing advanced scattering tools. According to KIRI Engine, many established add ons come with significant price tags, so for Blender artists who either lack budget for commercial plugins or are early in their learning curve.
Three modes, three workflows
Scatter provides three distinct placement modes. Each addresses a specific production scenario rather than attempting to unify all behaviours into a single opaque system.
The Click mode is described as a point and shoot workflow. It enables manual placement of individual assets directly in the viewport. This mode targets hero assets and composition critical elements where precise positioning, orientation and visual balance matter more than procedural coverage. For layout artists and lookdev teams, this is effectively a structured alternative to duplicating and transforming objects by hand.
Simple Scatter applies a non destructive Geometry Nodes modifier to a target mesh or curve. The distribution is procedural and remains editable. This is intended for large scale coverage tasks such as scattering vegetation across terrain, debris across floors, or objects along splines. Because it relies on Geometry Nodes, the behaviour integrates with Blender’s native node based instancing system. Geometry Nodes in Blender provide procedural control over point distribution, instancing and attribute driven variation. Scatter builds on that system rather than replacing it.
Physics Scatter uses Blender’s Rigid Body physics engine to drop objects into a scene and allow gravity and collision to determine their resting state. This mode is aimed at natural stacking scenarios such as rock piles, filled containers, cluttered surfaces or loosely arranged props. Instead of manually tuning offsets and rotations, users simulate gravity driven interaction.
Interactive physics control
Within Physics Scatter, an Interactive Mode enables real time direction of falling objects during playback. Users can activate Wind and Vortex force fields and toggle gravity while the simulation runs.
In Blender, force fields such as Wind and Vortex influence rigid body objects during simulation. Wind applies directional force. Vortex applies rotational force around an axis. Gravity toggles affect global downward acceleration. Scatter exposes these controls to allow artists to shape the outcome of object drops during simulation rather than relying solely on preconfigured settings. This provides a degree of art direction over what would otherwise be purely physics driven motion. It remains dependent on Blender’s rigid body solver and its constraints.
Non destructive procedural coverage
The Simple Scatter mode applies a Geometry Nodes modifier to the target object. Geometry Nodes in Blender are non-destructive by design, meaning that the underlying mesh remains unchanged and the node tree can be edited at any time. Scatter leverages this behaviour for environmental coverage. Because the modifier is attached to meshes or curves, distribution can follow surfaces or paths. Typical use cases include grass over terrain, debris on architectural floors or repeated assets along splines.
Manual placement without friction
The Click mode targets precision tasks. It is intended for placing hero assets with full compositional control. This mode likely reduces repetitive transform operations by integrating placement into a structured toolset.
Asset ecosystem integration
At launch, KIRI Engine provides one free KIRI Asset Pack alongside the add on. Additional packs may be developed if there is sufficient user interest. Scatter includes a preview gallery and loader for KIRI Asset Packs. The add on is designed not only as a placement tool but also as an entry point into KIRI’s asset ecosystem. The company frames this as a way to manage asset packs more easily.
Free, but not feature vague
Scatter is explicitly described as free. There is no mention of subscription requirements, feature gating or trial limitations in the provided documentation. The stated motivation for releasing a free tool is to give Blender users access to scattering functionality without additional cost. This is presented as a response to the price of advanced third party tools.
Positioning against native tools
Blender already includes native instancing via Geometry Nodes and particle systems, as well as rigid body physics for dynamic interactions. Scatter does not replace these systems. Instead, it packages them into a dedicated add on with predefined workflows for common scattering tasks.
As always, new tools and innovations should be tested before use in production. At present, the facts are straightforward. Scatter is free. It relies on Blender’s Geometry Nodes and rigid body physics. It includes integration with a KIRI Asset Pack gallery. That clarity is refreshing. Teh rest is up to production testing.
// https://www.kiriengine.app/blender-addon/scatter-by-kiri-engine
