Input Nodes

Last modified: 10 March 2025

note

This page is a part of continuing efforts to make the LightWave documentation complete. If a link takes you back to the main page, it leads to a page that hasn't yet been created. Let us know if you find one!

The different Input nodes, where they can be found, what their outputs are.

Surface Input

When editing a surface, this node always appears in the Node Editor.

image2016-2-8-15_27_47.png

  • Item ID (Integer) - The LWItemID of the intersected primitive

  • Pixel X, Y (Integer) - The location of the pixel currently being rendered

  • Frame Width, Height (Integer) - The resolution of the image set in Camera Properties

  • Ray Position (Vector) - Origin of the ray that intersected this primitive (from the Camera, Reflection, Refraction, Shadow, etc.)

  • Ray Position dX, dY (Vector) - Ray origin differentials

  • Ray Direction (Vector) - The direction of the ray that intersected this primitive (from the Camera, Reflection, Refraction, Shadow, etc.)

  • Ray Direction dX, dY (Vector) - Ray direction differentials

  • Ray Weight (Color) The accumulated weight of the ray represented as a color

  • Ray Distance (Scalar) - The distance the ray traveled before intersecting the primitive

  • Shutter Time (Scalar) - The normalized shutter time (0...1)

  • Ray type (Integer) - Camera ray, Reflection ray, Refraction ray, Dissolve ray, Shadow ray and Occlusion ray. These can be fed into the Ray Type Switch node.

  • Ray Bounce (Integer) - The number of bounces the ray has taken to reach this intersection. Starts at 1

  • World Position (Vector) - The location of the intersection in world coordinates

  • World Position dX, dY (Vector) - The partial derivative of the world coordinate position in relation to X or Y coordinate of the pixel

  • World Position dU, dV (Vector) - The partial derivative of the world coordinate position in relation to the U or V coordinate of the pixel (for objects with automatic UV maps)

  • Perturbed Normal (Vector) - The interpolated normal perturbed by bump or normal mapping

  • Smooth Normal (Vector) - The interpolated normal

  • Geometric Normal (Vector) - The un-interpolated geometric normal

  • Normal dU, dV (Vector) - The partial derivatives of the normal along U and V coordinates

  • Barycentric Coordinates (Vector) - The masses of each vertex on a triangle

  • Object Position (Vector) - The location of the intersection in local coordinates

  • To Local, To World (Matrix) - Transformation matrices for the intersection

  • U, V (Scalar) - The U or V coordinate for the intersection, presuming the surface has UV coordinates

  • U and V dX, dY (Scalar) - The U and V partial derivatives along pixel X and Y

  • Primitive ID (Integer) - A Primitive can have an ID assigned that is different to the Item ID

  • Surface Side (Integer) - Determines if the intersection hit the front (0) or back (1) of the surface (2 double-sided back) (Example)

  • Polygon Index (Integer) - The numeric index for the polygon at the intersection

  • Mesh Element (Integer) - Outputs the element type needed for the Mesh Element Switch node

Nodal Motion

Accessed through Motion Options > Modifiers > Nodal Motion.

image2016-2-8-18_33_12.png

  • Item Position (Vector) - Relating to the item driving the nodal motion

  • World Position (Vector) - Relating to World coordinates (Vector).

  • Frame (Integer) - The current frame number (Integer).

  • Time (Scalar) - The current time in the FPS set in Options (Scalar).

  • Item Rotation (Vector) - Uses the current Item rotation as an output (Vector).

  • Item Scale (Vector) - Uses the current Item scale as an output (Vector).

Nodal Displacement

Accessed through Object Properties > Primitive > Modify > Nodal Displacement.

image2016-2-8-18_44_17.png

  • Object Position (Vector) - Provides the undeformed vertex position

  • World Position (Vector) - Provides the deformed position in world coordinates

  • Normal (Vector) - The vertex normal

  • Current Position (Vector) - Provides the current deformed vertex position in object coordinates

  • Point Index (Integer) - Gives the point index of the vertex.

In addition, the Nodal Displacement destination node has the following options when double-clicked on:

  • A Mode setting to control if the value is used to displace (add) or set the vertex position.

  • Deformed Coordinates in texture nodes checkbox for object or world coordinates.

Instance Generator

Accessed through Instance Generator > Nodes > Edit Nodes.

image2016-2-8-18_36_19.png

  • ID Index (Integer) - The ID of each instance

  • Fixed Random (Scalar) - Gives a random output

  • Fixed Float (Scalar) - Gives an output relative to the quantity of instances used

  • Base Position (Vector) - The base position of the instance

Light

Accessed through Light Properties > Edit Nodes.

image2016-2-8-18_39_18.png

  • Direction (Vector) - The direction in which the light is pointing

  • Distance (Scalar) - A value that can be used for controlling color over distance

Flocking

Accessed through Flocking > Flock > Properties.

image2016-2-9-0_37_19.png

  • Position (Vector) - Final world position of the agent

  • Velocity (Vector) - Speed and direction of the agent

  • Bank Up Vector (Vector) - The direction of Up for the agents

note

Contributed by Richard Feeney