Overview
Uses a connected image or a map asset selected in the inspector as a displacement map to shift source-image pixels. Use it for water ripples, heat haze, dents, and distorted fabric or patterns.
The map's colors or brightness determine where and how far pixels move.
Usage tips
- Start with
mode = Directionalanddirection_mode = ExactAngle: connectnoise_generateto map and begin withdirection_amountfrom 2–8. This makes water, heat haze, and flag movement follow the specified angle exactly. - In Directional mode, a map value of 0.5 is neutral, white (1.0) moves along the positive angle, and black (0.0) moves in the opposite direction. White and black move by half the configured amount.
direction_mode = AxisScaledpreserves the previous behavior. It appliesamount_xandamount_yseparately, so unequal values skew the actual movement away fromangle.ExactAngleuses onlydirection_amountand does not skew the direction.- Animate the map itself: change the noise
seedper frame or use a scrolling map to animate the distortion. sampling = Nearest(default) is right for pixel art.Linearcreates intermediate colors, but interpolates translucent edges in premultiplied-alpha space so hidden RGB in transparent pixels does not create dark or colored fringes.- Choose by intent: use
slope_blurto smear along terrain,directional_warpto drag in one direction, and this node to displace positions.
Common pitfalls
- Stretched stripes appear at the edges: sampling goes beyond the image boundary.
Turn
wrap_x/yON for tileable assets, or reserve padding withcanvas_resizefor standalone assets. - VectorRG does not move as expected: red controls left/right and green controls up/down. This is an intermediate feature; learn the behavior with Directional first.
- Movement does not follow the specified angle: this can happen with
direction_mode = AxisScaledwhenamount_xandamount_ydiffer. ChooseExactAnglewhen the angle must be exact.maptakes priority when an image is connected. Ifmapis unconnected, the node uses the asset selected inMap Asset.
Examples
- Select
soft_warp_01inMap Assetfor gentle distortion. - Connect a noise image from another node to
mapfor procedural variation. - Use
mode = Directional,direction_mode = ExactAngle,source = OKLCH-L, andangle = 0to push white areas right and black areas left. - Use
VectorRGandvector_warp_rg_01for fine four-direction distortion from the red and green map channels. - When distorting a tileable asset, turn
wrap_x/wrap_yon so pixels shifted beyond one edge are read from the opposite edge.
Related nodes
directional_warp— drag in one directionslope_blur— smear along height slopesnoise_generate— the go-to map sourceregion_warp— distort by region