Gaussian Blur

Overview

A standard Gaussian blur. It is rarely applied directly to finished pixel art; its main role is as an intermediate step that smooths masks and height maps. It also prepares bloom, soft shadows, and glow assets.

Usage tips

• In pixel-art production, its go-to role is behind the scenes:
  • Insert it before threshold to stabilize a mask boundary.
  • Insert it after height_from_image to soften steps in a height map.
  • Blur a shadow silhouette to create a soft cast shadow.
• Combine it with blend(Screen/Add) for bloom: extract bright pixels → blur → add over the source. The glow node performs this whole operation in one node.
• Applying it to finished pixel art removes the pixel texture. If you want it as a finishing step, consider anti_alias, which softens only the outline.

Common pitfalls

• Blurred edges spread into a translucent haze: alpha is blurred too, so the translucent spread itself is expected. Hidden RGB in fully transparent pixels does not tint the result. For a hard boundary, apply threshold afterward or review the outline/compositing order.
• Increasing radius does not look different: on a small image, the effect appears to plateau after a few pixels. For typical 32–64px pixel art, radius 1–4 is practical.
• Processing is slow: large image × large radius costs more. Check the Diagnostics tab and keep the blur only where it is needed.

Technical details

This is a convolution filter based on a Gaussian distribution. Larger radii produce a stronger blur. It processes efficiently in two passes: horizontal, then vertical.

Related nodes

• glow — combines extraction, blur, and additive compositing into one glow node
• drop_shadow — creates a soft cast shadow with one node
• anti_alias — soften only the outline of finished pixel art
• directional_blur / slope_blur — blurs with direction or terrain influence