A demonstration of the new shortest path node with custom edge cost in Blender, Geometry Nodes.

The file has 3 versions of the setup with increasing complexity for easier readability. It utilizes the new "Shortest Path" node in Blender 3.4 and adds custom edge cost to create the growth effect by proximity to a custom effector object.

The most important control nodes are highlighted in red, so you can experiment with the settings values. (They are not exposed as Group Input to the Modifier controls in the Modifier side tab, for easier readability of the node tree.)

There are 3 versions of the setup available with varying level and degree of customization and functionality - All with explanations.