{"id":14001,"date":"2026-05-14T06:40:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T06:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3dcoat.com\/documentation\/?post_type=manual_documentation&p=14001"},"modified":"2026-05-14T17:19:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:19:31","slug":"gpu-nodes","status":"publish","type":"manual_documentation","link":"https:\/\/3dcoat.com\/documentation\/manual\/nodesystem\/gpu-nodes\/","title":{"rendered":"GPU Nodes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GPU Nodes in 3DCoat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a GPU Node?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A GPU Node in 3DCoat is a fundamental building block for creating procedural materials, textures, and complex visual effects. Under the hood, each node is driven by the NodeGraph Language (NGL), which is an extension of GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you connect nodes together in the 3DCoat Node Editor, the software dynamically compiles your node graph into a single, highly optimized shader that executes directly on your graphics processing unit (GPU). This architecture ensures that even incredibly complex materials and mathematical operations can be calculated and rendered in real-time without performance bottlenecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By using GPU Nodes, artists can create non-destructive, resolution-independent smart materials. Instead of relying solely on static bitmap images, you can construct surfaces using mathematical operations, procedural patterns, external textures, and underlying geometric data (like cavity, occlusion, and normals).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documentation Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The GPUNodes<\/code> directory contains detailed, category-by-category documentation for all standard procedural nodes available in 3DCoat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help artists and developers quickly find the tools they need, the documentation is divided into the following 14 categories, each with its own dedicated Markdown file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n