Pattern
Generates geometric patterns including checkerboard, stripes, dots, hexagonal grid, and brick.
Each Type has its own proportion and Softness controls, shown only while it is selected; raise Softness to turn hard edges into smooth transitions between the two colors. Patterns make good texture bases, overlays, and masks.
While the node is selected, an arrow from the center of the Preview runs along the pattern’s horizontal axis: drag its tip around the center to set Rotation, hold Shift to snap to steps of 15 degrees, and double-click it to reset. See Canvas handles.
Over an image
Section titled “Over an image”Wire a picture into the optional Background input and the pattern is drawn straight over it, at the picture’s size and depth, with no Composite node. Nothing changes while the input is empty.
- Output Mode, Blend, and Opacity join the Output section, under Color Mode, while a background is wired. Output Mode is Composite, or Pattern Only for the pattern alone at the picture’s size. Pattern starts at Overlay and half opacity, so the picture and the pattern both show.
- Size. The background sets the size, so Width and Height (and a wired Size Reference) are grayed.
- Mask. An optional Mask input says where the pattern appears, such as only in the crevices; Mask From and Mask Fit show while one is wired. With no background, the mask fades the pattern itself.
- Transparent areas stay transparent. Pattern never paints where the picture is empty, so a cutout or the gutter of a padded trim stays clear. Opacity 0 returns the picture unchanged.
- Depth and channels follow the picture. A 32-bit picture stays 32-bit, and a grayscale picture stays grayscale. A batch of pictures or trims keeps each frame’s name, color, and place on the sheet.
- On a texture set, a Map row heads the Output section: pick Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, Ambient Occlusion, Height, or Emissive, and the pattern draws into that map only while every other map and the Opacity pass through. The Normal and the Opacity are not offered. See Drawing into one map.
Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”Pins
Output
Output width in pixels.
Overridden when size_ref is connected.
Output height in pixels.
Overridden when size_ref is connected.
A grayscale output may be re-promoted to color by a downstream color node
Which map of the texture set this node edits. Every other map passes through unchanged. Shown while a texture set or a library is wired
How the pattern blends over the background
How strongly the pattern shows over the background. 0 returns the background unchanged
Pattern
Pattern shape to generate
Number of pattern repetitions. Higher = smaller, more tiles
Rotate the pattern around its center (degrees)
Pan the pattern horizontally
Pan the pattern vertically
Edge softness between cells. 0 = hard edges, 1 = full gradient.
Width of Color A as proportion of each period. 0.5 = equal width stripes.
Edge softness between stripes. 0 = hard, 1 = full gradient.
Dot radius relative to cell size
Edge softness on dot borders. 0 = hard, 1 = very soft.
Offset every other row by half a cell
Thickness of the hex grid lines
Edge softness on hex grid lines
Swap Color A and Color B
Width-to-height ratio of each brick. 2.0 = standard proportions.
Row stagger amount. 0.5 = standard half-brick offset, 0 = no stagger.
Width of mortar lines between bricks
Edge softness on mortar lines
Color
First pattern color
First pattern gray level, from black to white. In a 32-bit document the slider runs from 0 to 1, and a typed value can go from -16 to 16.
Active in Grayscale mode.
Second pattern color
Second pattern gray level, from black to white. In a 32-bit document the slider runs from 0 to 1, and a typed value can go from -16 to 16.
Active in Grayscale mode.
Mask
How the connected color image is read as a mask
How the mask is sized when it doesn't match the image
Usage Tips
Section titled “Usage Tips”- Dots with Stagger gives a basic halftone look. For CMYK plates, presets, and more spot shapes, use Halftone.
- Rotate Stripes by 45° for diagonal lines.
- Set one color’s alpha to 0 to get a pattern overlay with transparent gaps.
- Brick combined with Noise makes a quick base for architectural textures.
- Set Color Mode to Grayscale for a single-channel pattern (Color A and Color B become gray levels), handy for tiling masks and height fields. In a 32-bit project the levels are full precision, so a height pattern has no 256-step banding; see Gray levels keep full precision.