Quick Shape

Preset "sticker" geometry — pick a named silhouette and get a ready-to-use shape with zero custom params beyond size. Useful for prototyping, testing flow fields with recognizable motion, mockups, and anywhere you want a directional or iconic shape without drawing one.

Category: Shapes Menu path: Shapes > QuickShape

Ports

Port	Type	Direction	Description
out	shape	output	The preset shape as a closed path (or paths)

Parameters

Param	Type	Default	Description
preset	enum	Arrow	Which preset silhouette to emit (see list below)
size	scalar	100	Largest extent of the shape in comp pixels. All coords scale together — shapes stay roughly proportional

Expose Channels

When enabled (E button on node header), adds input ports that override params via edge connections:

Port	Type	Overrides
size_in	scalar	size

Available Presets

Preset	Description
Arrow	Right-pointing arrow (stem + triangular head). Pair with Transform2D rotation to point any direction
Heart	Classic heart silhouette with two humps meeting in a V, tapering to a point at bottom
Cursor	Mouse-pointer silhouette — tip at top-left, tail at lower-right
SpeechBubble	Rounded-rect body with tail pointing down-left
Star	5-point classic star
Lightning	Jagged bolt shape
Plus	Equal-arm cross/plus symbol
Check	Checkmark / tick

Usage Examples

Test flow fields with a directional shape

QuickShape (Arrow) → CloneToPoints ← Grid → DrawShape → Output. Grid of arrows shows a PointAdvect-style flow at a glance (drop a field source into CloneToPoints' scatter attribute for rotation).

Speech bubble over a layer

QuickShape (SpeechBubble, size: 300) → Transform2D → DrawShape → Output. Instant comic-style callout.

Instanced hearts along a path

QuickShape (Heart) → CloneToPoints ← PointsAlongPath ← EditableShape. Hearts follow a curve with auto rotation from path tangent.

Animate a cursor across the screen

QuickShape (Cursor) → Transform2D (keyframe position) → DrawShape → Output. The cursor preset's tip is roughly at top-left so rotation/position feels natural.

Chain with other shape ops

Use OffsetPath on a QuickShape preset to thicken it; RoundCorners to soften a sharp preset (Plus, Check, Lightning); ShapeBoolean to combine two presets into a compound icon.

Tips

• Every preset is a closed path centered at the origin — works out of the box with CloneToPoints, ShapeAttributes, ShapeBoolean, etc.
• size is the largest axis — non-square presets retain their natural aspect ratio. To stretch, use Transform2D scale.
• Presets are intentionally tiny parameter-free — use EditableShape if you need to modify a preset's geometry, or compose with ShapeDeform for procedural tweaks.
• The Arrow preset's tip is on the +X axis — Transform2D rotation of 90° points it down, -90° points up, 180° points left. Useful for directional indicators.
• Missing a shape you want? Add it to engine/src/graph/quick_shape.rs's build_preset() match + the TS ENUM_OPTIONS.QuickShape.preset list.

Related Nodes

• EditableShape — full bezier shape editing when a preset doesn't match
• DrawShape — rasterizes the preset into a texture
• Transform2D — rotate/scale/position a preset in comp space
• OffsetPath, RoundCorners — shape ops that pair well with presets
• CloneToPoints — instance a preset at every point