Population Tool Context
CREATION
- Golaem Shelf:
- Golaem Menu: Population Tool
- MEL command: glmPopulationToolCmd;
Tool SETTINGS
Population Settings
This panel defines the shape of the new created Population Tool Locator.

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The center point shape creates particles in a grid centered on a point clicked inside the viewport. This shape allows modifying rows and columns, you can use it for designing squads in a battle scene for example |
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The quad shape creates particles in a quad by clicking and dragging inside the viewport |
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The polygon shape creates particles in a polygon, drawn by clicking inside the viewport. This shape needs three points at least. You can remove the last point by pressing the backspace key or combining mouse left click and Ctrl key. The relative Population Tool Locator will be created by pressing the enter key or mouse middle click |
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The circle shape creates particles in a circle by clicking a center point and dragging the radius inside the viewport |
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The triangle shape creates particles in an isosceles triangle by clicking and dragging inside the viewport |
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The sphere shape creates particles in a sphere by clicking a center point and dragging the radius inside the viewport. You can use this shape for placing flocking birds, for example |
Populate in Selection

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This tool creates a center point shape placed on each selected objects or components (edges, vertices, faces, particles in component mode...). In this mode, the Population Tool slots will orient in the same direction than the objects or component. If populated on particles on component mode, it will read the orientation from a vector PPAttribute named glmSrcDirection which represents the forward direction of the slot (1,0,0 for X facing). You can use this solution for placing characters on every seat of a stadium, for example. ![]() ![]() Populate selection in vertex mode (left) and face mode (right) |
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This tool creates a polygon shape according to the selected non-volumetric mesh borders. The new Population Tool Locator is automatically connected to the relative mesh, and matches the mesh geometry even after modifying it. This mode only works with surface polygon meshes without holes. ![]() Polygon shape matches the bent mesh geometry |
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This tool creates slots around the selected curves, the row count can be configured as well as slot distance and noise. If the curve is part of a Traffic Locator, the information from the traffic will be used : right / left lane count and separation. The population tool will also avoid to populate on crossings.It makes it easy to populate scenes once the traffic is setup.
Polygon shape matching a standard curve, and population of a traffic scene via populate on curve tool |
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This tool scatters slots around a random position on the mesh. The base position can be picked randomly every x samples (see Scatter Attributes). The slots are spanned randomly via a poisson disc law, applied in 3D. Works best with Orient On Ground Normal enabled. ![]() Slots scattered on a sphere, with "orient normal on ground" option ON ![]() Scatter population works on any geometry, here a Nefertiti head model |
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This tool uses particles / nParticles emitted from Maya emitters and adds Golaem population to them.
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Entity Types


Entity Types layout without and with Entity Types