Modifiers Tab

The Modifiers tab is where you style and shape your hair. This is where basic strands become clumped curls, frizzy flyaways, tight coils, or any hairstyle you can imagine.

What Are Modifiers?

Modifiers are effects that transform your hair. Each modifier does one thing well:

  • Clumping groups strands together
  • Frizz adds randomness
  • Coil creates spirals
  • Cut trims length
  • And more...

You stack multiple modifiers to create complex hairstyles. The order matters!

The Modifier Stack

Modifiers are applied in order from top to bottom. Think of it like layers in Photoshop - each modifier builds on the previous one.

Example Stack:

1. Clumping (groups strands)
   ↓
2. Coil (adds curls to clumps)
   ↓
3. Frizz (adds randomness on top)
   ↓
Result: Curly, clumped hair with natural frizz

Order Matters! The same modifiers in different order produce different results.

The 9 Shipped Modifiers

FollicleFX includes 9 production-ready modifiers:

1. Clumping

Groups strands into natural clumps.

What it does: Pulls strands together into bundles, like wet hair or tight curls.

When to use:

  • Wet hair look
  • Natural hair grouping
  • Tight curls
  • Any realistic hair (most hair clumps naturally)

Visual effect: Strands group together with gaps between clumps. Essential for realistic hair.

2. Flow Direction

Controls hair flow using arrows or curves.

What it does: Overrides guide direction, making hair follow painted arrows or curves instead.

When to use:

  • Styled hair (pompadour, slicked back)
  • Specific flow patterns
  • Art-directed hair flow
  • Overriding guide direction

Visual effect: Hair flows in the direction you paint, ignoring guides.

3. Coil

Adds spiral and wave patterns.

What it does: Creates helical curls, waves, or corkscrew patterns along strands.

When to use:

  • Curly hair
  • Wavy hair
  • Spiral curls
  • Telephone cord curls

Visual effect: Strands wrap in spirals or waves. XGen-style controls.

4. Frizz

Adds random displacement and noise.

What it does: Randomly displaces strands to create natural randomness and flyaways.

When to use:

  • Natural hair variation
  • Flyaway hairs
  • Messy/damaged hair
  • Breaking up perfect uniformity

Visual effect: Hair looks windblown, natural, lived-in. Breaks up CG perfection.

5. Braid (Experimental)

Creates braided patterns.

What it does: Weaves strands into braided patterns.

When to use:

  • Braided hairstyles
  • Woven patterns
  • Experimental looks

Status: Experimental - still in development.

Visual effect: Strands weave together in braid patterns.

6. Cornrow

Creates cornrow braids.

What it does: Creates tight braids close to the scalp using anchor strands.

When to use:

  • Cornrow hairstyles
  • Tight braids
  • Protective styles

Visual effect: Tight braids following the scalp surface.

7. Loc/Dreadlock

Creates dreadlocks and matted hair.

What it does: Transforms strands into rope-like locs with 18 parameters for complete control.

When to use:

  • Dreadlocks
  • Locs
  • Matted hair
  • Rope-like hair structures

Visual effect: Hair forms into thick, rope-like strands with coiled structure.

8. Cut

Trims strand length.

What it does: Cuts strands to specific lengths with multiple modes and variation.

When to use:

  • Haircuts
  • Length variation
  • Trimming tips
  • UV-based cutting patterns

Visual effect: Strands are trimmed to specified lengths. Can create fades, layers, patterns.

9. Simulate (Experimental)

Physics simulation for hair.

What it does: Film-quality hair physics using DER (Discrete Elastic Rods) with twist and anisotropic bending.

When to use:

  • Animated hair
  • Dynamic hair movement
  • Physics-based styling
  • Hero character hair

Status: Experimental - performance intensive.

Visual effect: Hair moves and settles naturally with realistic physics.

Using the Modifier Stack

Adding Modifiers

  1. Click the "Add Modifier..." dropdown
  2. Select a modifier type
  3. Modifier appears at the top of the list
  4. Adjust parameters in the Properties panel below

Tip: Modifiers are added at the top (newest first). This is intentional - you build from bottom to top.

Removing Modifiers

  1. Select the modifier in the list
  2. Click the × (delete) button
  3. Modifier is removed

Reordering Modifiers

  1. Select a modifier
  2. Click ↑ (up) or ↓ (down) buttons
  3. Modifier moves in the stack

Remember: Order matters! Experiment with different orders to see the effect.

Enabling/Disabling Modifiers

Each modifier has a checkbox:

  • ✓ Checked = Enabled (modifier is applied)
  • ☐ Unchecked = Disabled (modifier is skipped)

Use case: Temporarily disable a modifier to see its effect without deleting it.

Renaming Modifiers

  1. Select a modifier
  2. Click ✎ (rename) button or double-click the modifier
  3. Enter new name
  4. Press Enter

Use case: Name modifiers descriptively ("Base Clumping", "Tip Frizz", etc.) for complex stacks.

Modifier Properties

When you select a modifier, its properties appear in the panel below the list.

Common Controls

Every modifier has these controls:

Enable Checkbox: Turn the modifier on/off

Mask Section: Control where the modifier has effect

  • Mask checkbox: Enable texture mask
  • 🖌️ Paint: Paint mask texture (white=full effect, black=no effect)
  • 💾 Save: Save mask and apply
  • 📁 Load: Load mask from file
  • Invert: Flip mask (black=full effect)

Parameter Sliders: Each modifier has unique parameters

Expression Buttons (ƒ): Many parameters support FollicleScript expressions

Texture Masks

Every modifier supports texture masks to control where it has effect.

How masks work:

  • White = full effect
  • Black = no effect
  • Gray = partial effect

Example: Apply frizz only to the top of the head:

  1. Add Frizz modifier
  2. Click 🖌️ (paint) next to Mask checkbox
  3. Paint white on top of head, black on bottom
  4. Enable Mask checkbox
  5. Click 💾 (save)
  6. Frizz only affects painted areas!

Use cases:

  • Frizz only on top
  • Clumping only on sides
  • Coils only on certain areas
  • Any localized effect

Modifier Order Guidelines

The order of modifiers dramatically affects the result. Here are proven patterns:

Good Order: Structure → Details

1. Clumping (structure)
2. Coil (shape)
3. Frizz (details)

Why: Build structure first, add details last. Frizz on top of clumps looks natural.

Bad Order: Details → Structure

1. Frizz (details)
2. Clumping (structure)

Why: Clumping tries to group already-randomized strands. Looks wrong.

General Rules

Structure First: Clumping, Flow Direction

  • These define the overall shape

Shape Second: Coil, Loc, Braid

  • These add characteristic patterns

Details Last: Frizz, Cut

  • These add final variation and refinement

Physics Last: Simulate

  • Always last - simulates the final styled hair

Presets

Save and load modifier stacks as presets for reuse.

Loading Presets

  1. Click "Presets" dropdown
  2. Select a preset
  3. Click "Load"
  4. Modifier stack is replaced with preset

Built-in presets: FollicleFX includes presets for common hairstyles.

Saving Presets

  1. Build your modifier stack
  2. Click "Save" button
  3. Enter preset name
  4. Preset is saved

Use case: Save your favorite modifier combinations for reuse across projects.

Deleting Presets

  1. Select preset from dropdown
  2. Click "Del" button
  3. Confirm deletion

Practical Examples

Example 1: Natural Straight Hair

Modifiers:
1. Frizz
   - Magnitude: 0.015
   - Frequency: 1.0

Result: Straight hair with subtle natural variation

Example 2: Wavy Hair

Modifiers:
1. Clumping
   - Tightness: 0.5
   - Blend: 1.0
2. Coil
   - Count: 2.0
   - Radius: 0.04
   - Mode: Wave
3. Frizz
   - Magnitude: 0.02

Result: Natural wavy hair with clumps

Example 3: Tight Curls

Modifiers:
1. Clumping
   - Tightness: 0.8
   - Blend: 1.0
2. Coil
   - Count: 5.0
   - Radius: 0.02
   - Mode: Helix
3. Frizz
   - Magnitude: 0.03
   - Flyaway Percent: 0.05

Result: Tight spiral curls with flyaways

Example 4: Wet Hair

Modifiers:
1. Clumping
   - Tightness: 0.95
   - Blend: 1.0
2. Frizz
   - Magnitude: 0.005

Result: Very tight clumps, minimal frizz (wet look)

Example 5: Messy/Damaged Hair

Modifiers:
1. Clumping
   - Tightness: 0.3
   - Blend: 0.7
2. Frizz
   - Magnitude: 0.05
   - Flyaway Percent: 0.1
3. Cut
   - Mode: Random
   - Amount: 0.2

Result: Loose clumps, high frizz, varied length (damaged look)

Tips and Best Practices

Start Simple: Add one modifier at a time. See its effect before adding more.

Order Matters: Always structure first (clumping), details last (frizz).

Use Masks: Masks give you precise control. Don't apply effects uniformly everywhere.

Name Your Modifiers: For complex stacks, rename modifiers descriptively.

Save Presets: Once you get a look you like, save it as a preset.

Disable, Don't Delete: Use the checkbox to temporarily disable modifiers instead of deleting them.

Experiment with Order: Try different orders! The same modifiers in different order = different results.

Less is More: Don't use all 9 modifiers at once. 2-4 modifiers is typical.

Use Expressions: Add variation with FollicleScript expressions instead of uniform values.

Common Mistakes

Too Many Modifiers: Using 6-9 modifiers at once. This is overkill and slow. Use 2-4 modifiers.

Wrong Order: Frizz before clumping. Always structure first, details last.

No Masks: Applying effects uniformly everywhere. Use masks for localized control.

Too Much Frizz: Setting frizz magnitude to 0.1+. Start with 0.01-0.03 and increase gradually.

Ignoring Presets: Building the same modifier stack repeatedly. Save presets!

Deleting Instead of Disabling: Deleting modifiers to test. Use the checkbox to disable temporarily.

Not Experimenting with Order: Assuming one order is "correct". Try different orders!

Modifier Details

Each modifier has its own detailed documentation:

  • Clumping Modifier - Complete clumping guide
  • Flow Direction Modifier - Arrow and curve flow control
  • Coil Modifier - Spiral and wave patterns
  • Frizz Modifier - Randomness and flyaways
  • Braid Modifier - Braiding patterns
  • Cornrow Modifier - Cornrow braids
  • Loc Modifier - Dreadlocks and locs
  • Cut Modifier - Trimming and length control
  • Simulate Modifier - Physics simulation

Next Steps

Now that you understand the modifier stack, dive into individual modifiers:

  • Clumping Modifier - Start here! Clumping is essential for realistic hair
  • Frizz Modifier - Add natural variation
  • Coil Modifier - Create curls and waves
  • FollicleScript Expressions - Add procedural variation to modifiers

Related Topics:

  • Texture Masks - Master mask painting workflow
  • Workflows and Tips - Complete hairstyle workflows

---

The modifier stack is where your hair comes to life. Experiment with different combinations and orders - that's where the magic happens!