NGVolumes: Volumetric Procedural Textures (Preset Window)

What is NGVolumes?

NGVolumes (Node Graph Volumes) is a preset window for working with volumetric (3D) materials and textures.
Standard textures (2D) wrap around the model like paper and depend on the quality of the UV mapping. If the UV map has seams, the texture will break.
In contrast, Volumes (Volumetric textures) exist in 3D space. The object is essentially “carved” out of this solid mathematical block, which guarantees the absolute absence of seams on any model.

How it works

Graphs in the NGVolumes window most often use nodes from the Pattern3D category (e.g., Voronoi3D, SoftNoise3D, HardNoise3D) instead of standard 2D patterns. To determine coordinates, they rely on inPosition (global or local object coordinates) rather than inUV.

Usage Examples

This category is ideal for creating materials that simulate a solid physical mass:

• Solid Wood: Where growth rings pass through the entire object, looking natural even on cross-sections.
• Marble / Stone: Marble veins that pierce the object through and through.
• Clouds or Spongy structures: For creating porous materials (e.g., cheese or pumice).

Creating your own NGVolume

1. Open the Node Editor and start creating a graph with the inPosition node (preferably GlobalSpace, so the volume does not distort when the model is deformed).
2. Connect these coordinates to a 3D noise generator (e.g., SoftNoise3D).
3. Add color correction nodes (Color) to colorize the grayscale noise.
4. Connect the result to outAlbedoColor.
5. Save the preset in the Volumes category (UserPrefs\NodeGraphs\NGVolumes). After that, you can apply a solid volumetric material to any geometry with a single click without worrying about UV seams!