Stepping Stones
The Stepping Stone Wizard places individual stones along a drawn guide path. Steps: draw guide path → stone style → layout.
Stepping StonesThe Stepping Stone Wizard distributes individual stone objects along a guide path you draw, giving you full control over stone shape, size, surface material, spacing, orientation, and natural-looking variation. The wizard follows a three-step flow — Guide Path, Stone Style, and Layout — and produces a live parametric object you can re-open and adjust at any time. Use it to design informal garden paths, courtyard stepping routes, or decorative stone arrangements for presentation plans.
Step 3 — Layout
Spacing — choose Fixed Distance (stones placed at a set gap along the path) or Fixed Count (a specific total number of stones). Orientation — Fixed Angle (stones at a set rotation), Random (each stone randomly rotated), or Follow Path Tangent (stones aligned to the direction of the path). Lateral offset moves stones left or right of the path centre-line. Variation controls add randomness: position jitter, rotation jitter, scale jitter, and a seed value to regenerate the random arrangement.
Draw or confirm the guide path
Click to place points along the route where you want the stones to fall. The guide path can be straight, curved (bezier), or even closed to form a loop. Double-click or press Enter to finish drawing. A live preview of the stones appears on the canvas as soon as the path has at least two points.
Choose a stone shape
Click Next to move to the Stone Style step. Select a style category — Geometric (Circle, Oval, Rounded, Hexagon, Irregular) or Organic (Blob, River Rock, Flat Stone). Drag the Base Size slider to set the stone diameter or width, from 0.15 m up to 0.8 m. The canvas preview updates instantly with every change.
Pick a surface material
Below the shape selector, use the Stone Surface color picker to set the stone fill color. Choose from the preset swatches (warm grays, sandstone, slate, dark basalt) or click the custom color chip to enter an exact value. In photo mode the surface will render with a photoreal texture if a matching material is linked.
Set spacing and count
Click Next to open the Layout step. Under Spacing, choose Fixed Distance to place stones a set distance apart (center-to-center in meters), or Fixed Count to distribute an exact number of stones evenly along the full path length. Adjust Start Offset to shift where the first stone begins relative to the path start.
Choose orientation and offset
Set Orientation to Fixed Angle (all stones at the same rotation), Random (each stone independently rotated), or Follow Path Tangent (stones automatically align to the direction of travel). Use Lateral Offset to shift the entire run of stones left or right of the path centerline — useful when the path follows an existing edge.
Add natural variation
Enable Variation and adjust the three jitter sliders: Position Jitter (along and across the path), Rotation Jitter (degrees of random spin per stone), and Scale Jitter (min/max scale factor to vary stone size). Change the Seed value to regenerate a different random arrangement while keeping all other settings the same.
Apply and edit later
Click Apply to commit the stepping stone walkway. The guide path is removed and replaced by the final parametric object. To adjust any parameter later, select the walkway and click Parameters in the inspector — the wizard reopens with all previous settings intact.
For the most natural result, choose an Organic shape such as River Rock, set Orientation to Random, and enable Variation with a small amount of position, rotation, and scale jitter. Click the Seed field and press the up arrow key to step through different arrangements until the layout looks right — no other settings change.
If you draw a closed path (a loop), the wizard offers an additional closed-path fill mode that can populate the enclosed area with stones in a grid, radial, or random pattern — useful for plazas and circular seating areas.
The closed-path fill mode is automatically disabled if you switch back to an open path. Re-enable it manually in the Layout step after closing the path again.
Key Parameters
| Name | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Style | Circle (Geometric) | Selects the shape category. Geometric shapes include Circle, Oval, Rounded Rectangle, Hexagon, and Irregular Polygon. Organic shapes include Blob, River Rock, and Flat Stone. |
| Base Size | 0.4 m | Diameter or width of each stone before scale jitter is applied. Range: 0.15 m – 0.8 m. |
| Spacing Mode | Fixed Distance | Fixed Distance places stones at a set center-to-center gap. Fixed Count distributes an exact number of stones evenly along the path. |
| Orientation | Follow Path Tangent | Controls the rotation of each stone. Follow Path Tangent aligns the stone's long axis to the direction of travel. |
| Lateral Offset | 0 m | Shifts the entire stone run perpendicular to the guide path centerline. Positive values shift right, negative values shift left. |
| Variation Seed | 1 | Controls the random arrangement of position, rotation, and scale jitter. Changing the seed regenerates the layout without affecting any other setting. |
Frequently Asked Questions
My stones all look the same size and perfectly spaced. How do I make them look more natural?
Enable Variation in the Layout step and increase the Position Jitter (along and across), Rotation Jitter, and Scale Jitter sliders. Then choose an Organic shape such as River Rock or Flat Stone, and set Orientation to Random. Adjust the Seed value to cycle through different random arrangements.
How do I place exactly 12 stones along a path?
In the Layout step, set Spacing Mode to Fixed Count and enter 12. The wizard will distribute 12 stones evenly along the full path length regardless of how long the path is.
Can I reopen the wizard to change the stone size or spacing after I've applied it?
Yes. Select the stepping stone walkway in the 2D editor and click Parameters in the inspector panel. The wizard reopens with all your previous settings, including the original guide path shape. Make your changes and click Apply again.
How do I shift all the stones to the left or right of the path line?
Use the Lateral Offset control in the Layout step. Positive values move the stones to the right of the path direction, negative values to the left. This is useful when tracing along an existing bed edge or fence line.
Can I fill a circular or enclosed area with stones, like a small plaza?
Yes. Draw a closed path (bring the last point back to the first, or use the Close Path option), and the Layout step will offer a Closed Path Fill section. Choose a fill pattern — Grid, Radial, Random, or Perimeter — to populate the interior with stones rather than placing them only along the boundary.