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Image Folder

Image Folder
Inputs

Loads all images from a folder as a batch output for downstream batch processing.

Image Folder scans a directory on disk and loads every matching image into a single batch output. It reads the same formats as Image In (PNG, JPEG, WebP, TIFF, OpenEXR, SVG, TGA, BMP), including high-bit-depth sources, per frame - multi-layer, multi-part, and tiled EXR files load here too. A file pattern filter (e.g. .png;.jpg) controls which files are included, and an Include Subfolders toggle optionally recurses into child directories.

Sort results by Name, Date Modified, File Size, or Natural Name, with an optional Reverse Order toggle. Natural Name compares embedded numbers as numbers, so frame2 sorts before frame10 instead of after it; files pulled in from subfolders order by their relative path. A Limit parameter caps the number of loaded images when you only need a subset. The output is a BATCH pin that feeds directly into Sprite Sheet, Export Batch, Split, or any other batch-consuming node.

Like Image In, Image Folder has an Output Format control (Auto / RGBA / Grayscale) that sets each frame’s channel layout, plus a Grayscale From option (Luminance, Red, Green, Blue, or Alpha) for converting multi-channel sources. The setting applies per frame, so a mixed folder of grayscale and color files produces a mixed batch. It also carries the same Input Color Space control, applied to every frame the folder loads.

Parameters

Section titled “Parameters”

Pins

BatchBatch
Output

Folder

FolderText

Path to folder containing images

Filter & Sort

File PatternText
Default: *.png;*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.webp;*.tif;*.tiff;*.bmp;*.tga;*.exr;*.svg

Semicolon-separated file patterns (e.g. *.png;*.jpg)

Include SubfoldersToggle
Default: false

Walk subdirectories to find images

Sort ByChoice
Default: Name
  • NameSort alphabetically by filename.
  • Date ModifiedSort by file modification timestamp.
  • File SizeSort by file size on disk.
  • Natural NameSort by filename with embedded numbers compared as numbers, so frame2 comes before frame10. Files pulled in from subfolders order by their relative path.
Reverse OrderToggle
Default: false

Sort in descending order

LimitInteger
Default: 0 Range: 0–10000

0 = no limit. Load only the first N images

Output

Output FormatChoice
Default: Auto

Note: a grayscale frame becomes RGBA again at any color-only downstream node; the node body shows 'Gray' where it is still single-channel

  • AutoPer frame, keep a natively single-channel file as a single-channel image and promote everything else to RGBA, so a mixed folder yields a mixed batch. The default.
  • RGBALoad every frame as a full-color RGBA image, widening single-channel sources.
  • GrayscaleLoad every frame as a single-channel image, reducing color sources using the Grayscale From channel.
Grayscale FromChoice
Default: Luminance
When Output Format is Grayscale and source is multi-channel

Which channel or formula to use when converting a multi-channel source to grayscale.

Shown only when Output Format is Grayscale and the source is multi-channel.

  • LuminanceDerive the gray value from perceived brightness (weighted RGB). The most natural choice.
  • RedUse the red channel as the gray value.
  • GreenUse the green channel as the gray value.
  • BlueUse the blue channel as the gray value.
  • AlphaUse the alpha channel as the gray value.

Color Space

Input Color SpaceText

Color space of the source images (canonical OCIO name).

Leave it empty for Auto: an 8-bit file is treated as sRGB, a float or EXR file as the working space.

Choosing a specific space converts into the working space (32-bit) or to the sRGB display look (8-bit).

Usage Tips

Section titled “Usage Tips”
  • Use the file pattern filter (e.g. .png;.jpg) to load only specific formats from a mixed folder. *.svg is included by default, so a folder of icons loads as a batch of rasterized frames.
  • Enable Include Subfolders to recursively gather images from a nested directory structure.
  • Set Sort By to Date Modified and enable Reverse Order to load newest files first.
  • Use Natural Name for numbered frame sequences. Plain Name sorts them as text, which puts frame10 ahead of frame2.
  • Use Limit to cap the batch size when testing a pipeline on a large folder.
  • Wire into Sprite Sheet to pack an entire folder of assets into a single atlas.
  • Set Output Format to Grayscale to load a folder of masks or height maps as single-channel frames instead of upcasting them to color.
Section titled “Related Nodes”