Node catalog

A shader graph is made of 92 node types (and 137 entries in the Shader view’s sidebar, since many nodes come in several flavors: Add, Multiply and Step are all the Math node). This catalog describes each one: what it is for in plain words, its ports and settings, and an example in Python.

15Inputs, parameters and constants→The nodes every shader starts from: where the pixel is, the time, the mouse, your own variables and fixed values.7Math→Arithmetic, one-value functions (sin, fract, abs...), mix, clamp, smoothstep and remap: the glue of every shader graph.19Vectors and UV→Build and split vectors, measure distances and angles, and move, tile, rotate, twist or bend the coordinates.12Noise and patterns→Organic randomness (Perlin, simplex, fractal, Voronoi) and regular patterns (checker, stripes, grid, dots, gradients, waves).10Shapes→Circles, boxes, rings, lines, polygons and stars as signed distances, combined and drawn with fill, stroke and glow.19Color, effects and textures→Gradients, palettes, hue, saturation, blend modes and layers, screen effects (vignette, scanlines, grain) and images.10Logic, variables and utility→Comparisons and if/else, named values, reroutes, your own WGSL, other shaders as functions, comments and the Output node.

How to read a node

flowchart LR
    in1["inputs (left)"] --> node["Node<br/>settings inside"] --> out1["outputs (right)"]

• Inputs are on the left of a node and outputs on the right. A wire goes from an output to an input.
• An input that is not wired uses its default: a number, a vector, a color, or a context value such as UV (the pixel’s position) or Time. You can type another value right on the node.
• Settings are not ports: an operation, a noise kind, a blend mode, the stops of a gradient. Change them in the Properties panel (or as keyword arguments in Python).

Types

Type	What it holds	Example
float	One number	0.5, a brightness, a time
int	A whole number	5 octaves
bool	True or false	is the mouse over the shader?
vec2	Two numbers	a position (x, y), a size
vec3	Three numbers	a color (r, g, b) from 0 to 1
vec4	Four numbers	a color with alpha (r, g, b, a)
texture	An image	a texture variable
T	Any of the number types	Math nodes: the widest type wired to them

Values convert on the way: a float fills every component of a vector (0.5 becomes (0.5, 0.5, 0.5)), and a vec3 becomes a color with alpha 1. A wire that can never work, such as a texture into a number, is refused.

Numbers from 0 to 1

In shaders, colors and most masks go from 0 to 1, not 0 to 255: (1, 0.5, 0) is orange, 0 is black and 1 is white. Many nodes return 0..1 so you can multiply them together, like stacking stencils.

Every node

Input	UV, Pixel, Size, Time, Mouse, Centered UV
Parameters	Parameter
Constants	Float, Int, Bool, Vector2, Vector3, Vector4, Color, Math constants
Math	Math, Function, Mix, Clamp, Smoothstep, Remap, Multiply add
Vector	Compose, Decompose, Swizzle, Dot, Cross, Length, Distance, Normalize, Reflect, Polar
UV	Tiling and offset, Scroll, Rotate, Twirl, Pixelate, Barrel, Kaleidoscope, Flip, Repeat
Noise	Noise, Fractal noise, Voronoi, White noise, Random
Patterns	Checker, Stripes, Grid, Dots, Linear gradient, Radial gradient, Wave
Shapes	Circle, Box, Ring, Segment, Polygon, Star, Combine shapes, Fill, Stroke, Glow
Color	HSV to RGB, RGB to HSV, Hue shift, Saturation, Brightness and contrast, Luminance, Grayscale, Invert, Gamma, Posterize, Blend, Palette, Gradient, RGBA, Layer
Effects	Vignette, Scanlines, Film grain
Texture	Sample texture
Logic	Compare, Select, Logic
Variables	Set value, Get value
Utility	Reroute, Expression, Shader function, Comment
Output	Output

Try a node

Each node is shown as it looks in the Shader view, with the preview of its default settings. To play with one, add it from the Shading sidebar and wire it to the Output, or paste its example into a Python file and run it.