Parameters are a node’s settings in Nodespell, such as a model’s aspect ratio, a blur’s size or a prompt’s text. You edit them in the Parameters panel, which shows the selected node. A parameter can hold a typed value, follow an expression, be animated with keyframes, or be driven by a connection.
Open the Parameters panel
Section titled “Open the Parameters panel”Select a node and its parameters appear in Parameters. When nothing is selected the panel says No nodes are selected or pinned.
- Press
Q, or turn on Docked Parameter Editor in View Settings, to dock Parameters beside the graph. - Open Parameters as its own panel from Window > New Panel Window > Parameters.
- Select several nodes of the same kind to edit a shared parameter on all of them at once.
Keep a node in view with pinning
Section titled “Keep a node in view with pinning”Click Pin/Unpin Nodes in the Parameters toolbar to pin the node you are editing. Parameters keeps showing the pinned node while you select other nodes, which is useful when you tweak one node and watch another. Click the button again to unpin.
Which controls does Parameters use?
Section titled “Which controls does Parameters use?”| Control | Used for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Slider with number field | Decimal and whole numbers | Drag the slider or type in the field |
| Toggle | On/off settings | |
| Menu | One choice, or several for multi-choice menus | |
| Text field | Short text | |
| Long text field | Prompts and other long text | Select Expand for more room; Back to parameter returns |
| Colour | Colours and linked RGB values | Swatch opens the colour editor |
| Asset picker | Images, video or audio from your assets | |
| List | Several values or points | Add, remove and reorder items |
| Curve and ramp editors | Colour and value ramps | Used by colour and grading nodes |
Some parameters can be cleared with Unset, which leaves the value empty so the model uses its own default.
Fine-tune a number with press and hold
Section titled “Fine-tune a number with press and hold”The value ladder gives you precise control without a middle mouse button.
- Press and hold on a number field or a slider’s handle. A ring fills around the pointer; keep holding until the ladder opens.
- Without releasing, move up or down to choose a step size: 100, 10, 1, 0.1, 0.01 and smaller. Whole-number parameters stop at 1.
- Drag left or right to change the value by that step. The ladder shows the new value and how far it has moved.
- Release to finish. The whole drag is one undo step.
Hold the pointer at the left or right edge of the window to keep the value moving. With a mouse, holding the middle button opens the ladder straight away.
Type exact numbers and calculations
Section titled “Type exact numbers and calculations”- A slider’s ends are only its travel range. You can type, drag or nudge a number field past them.
- Type a calculation such as
1920 / 2and Nodespell stores the result as a fixed number. - With several nodes selected, type a range such as
0..100to spread values evenly across them in selection order, or0..100,0.6to set the curve. Distribute Values… in the parameter’s right-click menu does the same with a dialog.
Keyboard nudges in a number field:
| Keys | Change |
|---|---|
Shift+Up / Shift+Down |
Add or subtract 10 |
Option/Alt+Up / Option/Alt+Down |
Add or subtract 0.1 |
Option/Alt+Right / Option/Alt+Left |
Multiply or divide by 10 |
Cmd+Up / Cmd+Down (macOS) |
Add or subtract 1 |
Cmd+Right / Cmd+Left (macOS) |
Multiply or divide by 2 |
When a slider drag lands on the parameter’s default, it snaps there briefly; hold Option/Alt to move freely.
Pick colours precisely
Section titled “Pick colours precisely”Click a colour swatch to open the colour editor.
- Drag in the saturation and value square or the hue strip. Hold
ShiftorOption/Altto move a tenth as far, or both for a hundredth. - Type exact values in RGB or switch to HSV with the mode button. HSV needs values of 0 or more.
- Intensity multiplies the colour so values above 1, used for HDR work, stay editable.
- Click the original swatch to revert to the colour you started with. Reset to default and Make neutral are in the editor too.
- Open Larger colour picker for more room.
In the parameter row, Show RGB channels splits the colour into R, G and B fields. Arrow keys nudge a channel; hold Shift for finer steps or Cmd/Ctrl for larger ones. Simple colour fields also offer a hex value, Save swatch, and Pick from screen in browsers that support it.
Reset a parameter or use your saved defaults
Section titled “Reset a parameter or use your saved defaults”| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| Reset one parameter | Double-click its label, Option/Alt+click it, or right-click and choose Reset to default |
| Reset every parameter on the node | Revert Parameters to Default in the toolbar’s More menu |
| Save the node’s current settings as your default | Right-click the node on the canvas and choose Save as my default… |
| Manage your saved defaults | Preferences > My node defaults |
A saved default applies to nodes of that type you add from now on, in any project; existing nodes do not change. Once a default is saved, Reset to default restores your saved value instead of the Nodespell value. Values that come from a connection, an expression, keyframes, project files or references cannot be saved. Resetting a parameter that has an expression removes the expression, with an Undo button in the message. See Snippets and presets for named presets.
Drive a parameter from a connection
Section titled “Drive a parameter from a connection”Right-click a parameter and choose Connect as input to add an input socket for it, then connect a node to that socket. You can also drag a connection onto the node and choose the parameter from Connect to hidden input.
While connected, the row shows From and the source node’s name, and the control is read-only: This parameter is controlled by an input connection from that node. Choose Disconnect input to return to the typed value.
When more than one thing could set a parameter, Nodespell uses the first that applies: a connection, then keyframes, then an expression, then the typed value, then the default.
Show a value on the node
Section titled “Show a value on the node”Right-click a parameter and open Show on the node to display its value on the node in the graph: Evaluated shows the computed value, the raw option shows the typed value or expression text, and No Display hides it. Cmd/Ctrl+click a parameter label to cycle through these.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Can I type a value larger than the slider allows?
Section titled “Can I type a value larger than the slider allows?”Yes. The slider’s range only sets how far the handle travels; the number field accepts values beyond it.
How do I fine-tune a value on a trackpad?
Section titled “How do I fine-tune a value on a trackpad?”Press and hold the number field or slider handle until the value ladder opens, move up or down to pick a step size, then drag sideways. No middle button is needed.
Why can’t I edit a parameter?
Section titled “Why can’t I edit a parameter?”A parameter is read-only when a connection drives it or when the project is open for viewing only. Choose Disconnect input to type a value again.
Do saved defaults change nodes I already have?
Section titled “Do saved defaults change nodes I already have?”No. A saved default applies only to nodes of that type you add afterwards. To bring an existing node to your default, use Reset to default on its parameters.
Related
Section titled “Related”- Expressions: drive a parameter with a calculation
- Connect nodes: sockets and multi-inputs
- Keyframes: animate parameters over time
- Snippets and presets: reusable setups
- Prompts and saved text: edit long prompt fields