Geometry Nodes: Instance on Points

Question

I'm trying to figure out how Instance Index on Instance on Points works. I have an example here:

Currently, instance index is fed by a Random Value node, which gives me random selections from a collection of cube, star, and torus objects, on the tips of 3 cones. What I would like is to feed instance index with a sequence, so that one each of the Toppers collection is chosen per cone.

Whatever choice I make to feed instance index, besides random value, gives the same item on each cone. I could fix this by using multiple instance on points nodes, but my hope is to use this setup without a limit on the Toppers collection. Also, I want to know why random value is the only node (so far) that can produce differing instances on the cones.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if I understood completely what you are trying to accomplish, so I don’t know if this setup will satisfy your necessity.

The limitation that I found is that you need the same number of point to instance and objects in the collection, otherwise you will start to have duplicates.

Answer 2

did you try this?

This gives you all parts...again and again.

I think what is a bit confusing here, that although there is no value plugged into "instance index", internally they plug in 0,1,2,0,1,2... and so on if you have 3 instances. But Blender does this pretty often. E.g. in texture nodes.