Random Loop Extrude
Random Loop Extrude creates random panel details that can be overlayed on top of each other using up to 5 objects. These random panel mesh stacks can randomize from the source object or from the last loop object created.
Most random operators work in the same way. Select faces then use the operator which can work both in edit or object mode. Presets will start with 0 subdivision or cuts so you won't immediately see results, carefully increase this to see patterns or random faces.
The redo UI has a 2 page format to accommodate all the parameters that make the operator work. Do not be intimidated by all the exposed settings as some are only there for special use case scenarios.
The page 1 and page 2 are considered buttons so pressing them will activate the operator.
If the menu disappears and you're new to Blender, read this: Redo Panel
Since the operator generates multiple meshes, you can see the redo UI or redo panel reflect that. From the solver tab to subdivision, the settings are arranged in columns or in 5 columns that controls each of the individual "loop" object.
Solver
Solver
This lets you select a solver for a loop object using a number. 1. Walk 2. Radial 3. Square 4. Maze. Each solver will generate its own unique pattern.
Path
This only works for the Walk solver. Shortest will follow the shortest edge in the face and Longest will follow the longest edge in the face. This has to do with how the randomizer walks faces randomly to create the face islands or groups.
Loop Objects, Ratio and Size
Loops | Ratio | Seed
Loops
Indicated by numbers 1 to 5, this lets you generate the mesh stacks. You can click to add a single object or press shift then click to activate multiple meshes. The same action is used to deactivate them. You can also press shift, click then slide to quickly activate all of them.
Ratio
This works in percentage and determines how many faces can be randomized in a loop object based on the number of faces selected and subdivision used in the subdivision tab.
Invert
Determines how faces are removed using the Ratio setting. By default, smaller face islands gets removed first when you bring down the ratio value. Inverting this will get rid of the bigger face island first. Useful for generating small details using a low ratio value.
Ratio Seed
Seed value to randomize the face islands generated per loop object.
Ratio Global Seed
Global seed value to randomize all face islands using a single setting.
Loops Panel Size
Max Size
The maximum number of faces in percentage that can be used to randomize a face island in a loop object.
Min Size
The minimum number of faces in percentage that can be used to randomize a face island in a loop object. If the min and max values are reversed, the lowest value of the two will be considered as the minimum size and vice versa.
Randomizations in the add-on relies in the topology and increasing the subdivision setting in the redo panel will increase the number of faces they can work with but can impact the speed of the operator.
Extrude
Loops Inset Depth Max | Min
Max Depth
Maximum depth or height of the face islands.
Min Depth
Minimum depth or height of the face islands.
Depth Seed
Seed value to randomize the depth of the face islands per loop object.
Depth Global Seed
Global seed value to randomize the depth of the face islands per loop objects using a single setting.
The add-on generally uses the inset operation to extrude the faces of the face or panel islands. This is why you will see the settings depth and thickness a lot. These are parameters related to the inset operation which is kind of like extrude but you can set the margin and scale of the extruded face.
Loops Inset Thickness
Inset Thickness
Determines the scale of the insetted faces of a face or panel island.
Subdivision
Subdivision/Cuts
Subdivides the selected faces to increase the number of faces for the randomization.
Smoothing Factor
Smooths the loop objects using this value.
Smoothing Repeat
Repeats the smoothing action.
Loops Subdivision
Subdivision per loop object. This is added on top of the Subdivision/Cuts parameter so be careful.
Global Settings
Size Mode
Sets the size of the face islands to use integer or percentage.
Join Tris
Turns tris from the selection into quads before using them for randomization.
Even Offset
Increasing depth will extrude the faces evenly if enabled. Turn off to get rid of geometric spiking but will result in uneven offset/height.
Cut Method
Sets the cut method to Wrap or Split. Wrap will let the face islands wrap around sharp edges and Split will split them in these areas.
Cut Angle
Determines the angle by which the cut method wraps around or splits the edges.
Clear Faces
Clears or removes the inset faces. Inner will remove the top inset faces leaving only the border faces. Outer will remove the border faces leaving only the top inset faces.
Terminologies like face islands, panel islands or face groups are the same.
Auxiliary
Split Crease
Splits the edges with creasing values higher than 0. This allows you to manually split edges apart from the randomization.
Triangulate
Randomly triangulates the selected faces. This changes from percentage to integer based on the Size Mode used.
Material Index
Determines the material that will be inherited from the source mesh to the randomized meshes. -1 will use the active material with 0 as the first material in the stack and 1 as the second and so forth.
Use Mirror
Use the mirror modifier for symmetry or not (if source mesh has it). Disabling means you are dealing with a full mesh and can impact processing speed.
Individual Height
Face islands from loop objects will have randomized height or depth.
Loop From Source
Randomize faces from the source mesh. If disabled, each proceeding loop object will randomize from the last one.
Use Vertex Groups
Assigns the top faces of the face islands to a vertex group for easy selection after the operation. To use this, pick a vert from the top faces and use Shift G to select similar and use the vertex group option.
Clip Center
Clips the symmetry line in the X, Y and Z axis when using the mirror modifier to get rid of panel cuts in these areas.
Distance
Distance to clip the vertices in the symmetry line.
Limited Dissolve
Limits dissolve the loop objects resulting in ngon faces but a lighter mesh. This is not ideal for the stacking workflow but you can quadify areas selectively using Quad Slice if you want to use them again for randomizations.
Max Angle
Max angle used by limited dissolve.
The Random Loop Extrude operator is purely nondestructive and is mostly aimed for concept art sketches but if you can manage to build a bake to mesh around them then you can definitely use it for games and what not. If you are trying for that, make sure the depth values are mostly surface level and not that strong so the bake to mesh you're going to build will not deal with too much complicated geometry.
How To Use
You need to have faces selected in order for the operator to work. This can work in edit or object mode and the output is a new mesh object or mesh objects depending on the number of loop objects you have activated.
A great way to learn about the random operators is to practice with just a primitive cube or plane first rather than frustrate yourself by starting on a complicated mesh.
Activating the loop objects can be done by a single click of the mouse which can enable only one loop object. Pressing shift while clicking will let you activate multiple loop objects. You can also press shift then click and hold press on one loop object button then slide to activate several at once.
Pressing the same shift click hotkey on an enabled loop object will disable them. If you have activated numbers that are not in order e.g. 1, 3 and 5 - the operator will still treat them as successive or 1, 2 and 3 in that regard.
Most redo parameter in the add-on that have this mechanic is usually shown with the (shift+click to add multiple or remove) information.
The main purpose of the Random Loop Extrude operator is greeble or detail noise - to simulate complex shapes using stacked randomized meshes. Each loop object can be modified to have its own unique pattern so the patterns you can get this way is endless.
The above image shows three loop objects with different solvers and subdivision. You can random seed each individual loop object or use the global seed parameter to randomize them all at once.
You can spam the operator to get massive amounts of details but you can also apply it tactically like the image above - where the operator was used to create a sort of inner mechanism look in the middle of the model. Since the randomizations work on selected faces, you can definitely control how detailed and relaxed areas are distributed in your design.
For the presets, I commonly use the "3 loops square 80" and mostly just modify the subdivision, depth, thickness, subdivision parameters and random seed.
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