field nodes

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Image-Driven Fields

Field-aware nodes

Which node inputs accept a value field, so an image can drive them per item.

A value field is a number that varies across space (see The halftone pipeline). Certain node inputs accept a field in place of a single number - when they do, the node samples the field once per item, so every shape in a list gets its own value based on its position.

One image, six outcomes - the same field wired into a different node in each panel. Every shape samples the field at its own position, so the effect swells toward the bright center and fades at the dark edges.

Inputs that read a field

• Scale: factor per item (about each item's centroid). The canonical halftone driver.
• Offset: offset distance per item.
• Circle: radius per item.
• Rotate: angle (in degrees) per item.
• Rectangle: directed width per item.
• Place: the rotation and scale applied to each stamp, sampled at each target point.
• Style: the stroke width per object, sampled at each object's center - so line weight can follow an image's tone across a tiling (see Style).

How to tell

If a numeric input accepts a field, wiring a field into it "just works" - the value becomes per-item instead of uniform. Wire a plain number instead and the input behaves normally (the same value everywhere).

Caution

The list grows More inputs become field-aware over time (fillet/chamfer radius, array spacing, and others have been discussed). Confirm the current set against the build when finalizing this page.

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