Use Creative Tools as nodes on the canvas

A Creative Tool on the canvas is an ordinary Nodespell model node shown with the guided controls of a Creative Tool, such as Image Generator or Relight. You add it to the graph without picking a model first, edit it in the Parameters panel, connect it like any node, and switch it back to the plain model node view whenever you want.

Add a Creative Tool to the graph

A new Creative Tool node starts with the tool’s default model and is named after the tool, for example “Image Generator”. Nodespell selects the new node so you can fill in its inputs straight away.

Where	How
Tab menu	Press Tab, then search for the tool name. Creative Tools are listed under Creative tools, and they appear first when you browse a media category.
Tab menu from a socket	Drag from an output socket and release to open the menu. Only tools whose model can take that connection are listed, and the new node is connected for you.
Canvas right-click menu	Right-click empty canvas, open a media section such as Image, then a task. The first entry, Creative tool with Any model beside it, adds the Creative Tool; the entries below it add specific model nodes.

Tools without a matching task row in the right-click menu, such as Cinematic Shot or Relight, appear as their own entries in their media section. See Add nodes for the Tab menu in general.

Edit a Creative Tool node in Parameters

Select a Creative Tool node and open the Parameters panel. Instead of the native parameter list, the panel shows:

1. The tool name, with the model picker card below it.
2. The tool’s main controls, grouped into sections such as References, Output, and Settings. Specialist tools add their own controls here, such as Cinematic Shot’s camera and shot design choices or Relight’s lighting stage.
3. More settings, which holds every remaining parameter of the model and shows how many you changed.
4. A run button labelled with the tool’s action, such as Generate, Edit, or Upscale, with the credit estimate beside it on paid plans.

The run button appears only when this node is the only selected node. It runs the node the same way Run Selected Tasks does, including any upstream work that needs to run first. Each run adds one take to the node; to make several takes in one go, use the run options described in Run nodes.

When a node’s input is connected, the matching control shows that it is controlled by the connected node. A connected prompt shows “Prompt controlled by an input node” with a Disconnect button.

Switch between Creative Tool and model node view

The presentation of a node is a display choice. Switching it never changes the model, parameter values, connections, takes, position, or name.

To switch	Do this
Creative Tool → model node	Right-click the node and select Show as model name node, for example Show as Nano Banana 2 node.
Model node → Creative Tool	Right-click an eligible model node and select Show as Creative Tool. If the model fits several tools, choose one from the submenu.

Show as Creative Tool appears only for models that a Creative Tool lists. For Cinematic Shot, Variations, and Relight, the option appears only when the node already holds that tool’s settings, for example a node you first set up as a Relight tool.

What happens when I change the model on a canvas node?

Choose another model from the picker in Parameters. Nodespell plans the change before applying it.

Node state	Result
No takes yet, and every setting and connection fits the new model	The model changes in place. A notice tells you how many settings were adjusted or could not carry over.
No takes yet, but some settings or connections would be lost	Review what will change lists Settings that won’t carry over and Connections that won’t carry over, each marked Incoming or Outgoing. Select Change model or Cancel.
The node already has takes	Create a new model branch? explains that a new node keeps the original model and every previous result intact. Select Create branch to add the new node, or Cancel.

If the graph changes while the dialog is open, Nodespell refreshes the review and asks you to confirm again. Cancelling leaves the node exactly as it was. See Branch and switch presentation.

Save a default model for a Creative Tool

Set up a Creative Tool node the way you like, right-click it, and choose Save as my default…. The dialog explains that the current model becomes the default model for that tool’s nodes you add from now on, in any project. Existing nodes do not change. See Snippets and presets.

How is a canvas Creative Tool different from Create?

Both use the same tool definitions, model lists, controls, and estimates.

	Create workspace	Creative Tool node in Graph
Where you edit	The Create composer	The Parameters panel
Generations per run	Generations stepper, 1 to 4	One take per run
Adds to the graph	A new model node at the current Level when you run	The node you placed
Model switch on a node with takes	Create a model branch? draft	Create a new model branch?

Frequently asked questions

Does showing a node as a Creative Tool change how it runs?

No. The node runs the same model with the same parameters and connections. Only the controls in Parameters change.

Why is Show as Creative Tool missing from a node’s menu?

The node’s model is not listed by any Creative Tool, or it fits only Cinematic Shot, Variations, or Relight and the node does not hold that tool’s settings. The node still works as a model node.

Can I rename a Creative Tool node?

Yes. A custom node name is kept when you change the model or switch presentation.

Why is there no run button in Parameters?

The run button appears only when the Creative Tool node is the only selected node. Select just that node, or use Run Selected Tasks.

Related

• Creative Tools overview — every tool and what it returns
• Choose a model — the picker, estimates, and switching
• Add nodes — the Tab menu and Node Browser
• Parameters — the panel that hosts Creative Tool controls
• Takes — results kept on each node