Solid Color
Outputs a flat color value. Used as a color source for other nodes or as a background fill when connected to an image input.
Category: Color Menu path: Color > SolidColor
Ports
| Port | Type | Direction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
out | color | output | The color value |
When expose channels are enabled, additional ports become available (see below).
Parameters
| Param | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
color | color | (0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 1.0) | The RGBA color to output. Editable via the color picker in Properties. |
Expose Channels
When enabled (E button on node header), adds input ports for per-channel override and output ports for individual channel access:
Input ports:
| Port | Type | Overrides |
|---|---|---|
color_in | color | Entire color value |
r_in | scalar | Red channel |
g_in | scalar | Green channel |
b_in | scalar | Blue channel |
alpha_in | scalar | Alpha channel |
Output ports:
| Port | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
rgb | vec3 | RGB channels as a 3D vector |
r | scalar | Red channel value |
g | scalar | Green channel value |
b | scalar | Blue channel value |
a | scalar | Alpha channel value |
Per-channel input overrides (r_in, g_in, etc.) take precedence over the color param. The color_in override replaces the entire color, and individual channel overrides are applied on top of that.
How It Works
SolidColor is a lightweight value node -- it outputs a Color type, not a GPU texture. This makes it essentially free to evaluate (~50ns). When connected to an imageRgba16f input, the engine automatically converts the color to a full-canvas solid fill via resolve_as_texture. This means SolidColor works both as a value source for nodes that accept color inputs and as a background generator for image-based effects.
Usage Examples
Basic: Colored background
Connect SolidColor -> Output. The color fills the entire composition. Set opacity and blend mode on the Output node to control how it composites with layers below.
Drive color from other nodes
Enable expose channels. Connect a Time node through Math to r_in to animate the red channel over time. Or connect Noise.scalar to alpha_in for flickering opacity.
Color constant for effects
Use SolidColor as a color input for DrawShape's fill, or connect its rgb output to other nodes that accept vec3 values.
Tips
- SolidColor outputs a Color type, not a texture. It's automatically promoted to a solid-fill texture when connected to image inputs, but it's much cheaper than generating a full GPU texture upfront.
- The color picker in Properties supports direct numeric input for precise values.
- All channels are keyframeable for animated color changes.
- With expose channels enabled, SolidColor doubles as a color splitter/combiner -- feed in a color and read out individual R/G/B/A scalars, or assemble a color from individual scalar inputs.