My objects aren’t modifying according to their following nodes

This frequent issue inside the Simulation Zone almost always points to one of two simple, but critical, oversights in the node tree’s logic. It could be one of the following:

• A data type mismatch between what one node outputs and what the next expects
• Viewing the wrong stage of the calculation

You’re already familiar with the distinction between instances and real geometry, so the key here is actively diagnosing what data type is flowing through the simulation loop at any given point. A node such as Instance on Points outputs lightweight instances. If the very next node in your chain is Geometry Proximity or Set Position, it will fail because those nodes need to analyze actual vertex positions, not just placeholder instance information.

The troubleshooting process is a direct question: What does the node that isn’t working expect as an input? Let’s answer...