Beyond Green And Grey: A Guide To All Node Socket Colors In Blender

Understanding Node Socket Colors

In Blender’s node editor, the colored sockets on nodes allow artists to visualize the different data types flowing through a node network. Rather than just seeing generic inputs and outputs, the colors help organize and categorize the nodes based on whether they are passing along numerical values, colors, vectors, textures, or other data structures.

Getting familiar with the color conventions in Blender’s nodal shader and compositing systems allows for faster visualization of what is happening in complex node trees. It also aids in debugging node networks when outputs don’t match expectations. Beyond the common green and grey shades, node sockets in Blender come in several distinct colors.

Overview of Node Socket Types in Blender

Node sockets in Blender fall into one of three core categories:

Table of Contents

Inputs – Where data enters the node
Outputs – Where results leave the node
Parameters – Values that can be hooked up to control the node

Input and output sockets use colors to denote data types. Parameters for controlling node operations generally use a neutral grey tone so as not to interfere with visualization of the data flows.

Color Conventions for Different Data Types

As data enters and exits nodes in the form of shades, vectors, patterns and other multimedia information structures, the color of the sockets provides clues as to the type of data coming through. Some of the common socket colors include:

Numbers and Values (Grey)

The color grey as used in input, output and parameter sockets indicates numeric values and other control data. Different grey tones help separate parameters from inputs and outputs. Examples of grey socket data types include:

Scalars
Floats
Integers
Booleans
Generic control parameters

Colors (Yellow)

Yellow sockets passing RGB color data are very common in Blender. They allow nodal textures and shaders to have their overall tinting customized. Examples of color data sockets include:

Diffuse color inputs
Specular and highlight color parameters
Transmission and subsurface scattering colors

Vectors (Blue)

Directional vector inputs and outputs utilize blue colored sockets. These often feed into normal, bump, and displacement calculations. Common blue vector sockets include:

Surface normal inputs
Bump and displacement outputs
Vector math node results
Vector parameter controls

Textures (Light Blue)

Procedural and image textures flowing through nodes get denoted with light blue sockets. These allow shaders to utilize pixel color and transparency information encoded into texture resources. For example:

Image texture color outputs
Noise texture pattern results
Bump map inputs
Base color map inputs

Socket Colors for Specific Node Types

In addition to the generic color conventions above, some specific node types in Blender have their own established socket colorings:

Shader Nodes

For shading properties, shader nodes like Principled, Glass and Glossy utilize several color standards:

Green – Shader color outputs
Blue – Normal inputs
Grey – Blend factor/opacity
Yellow – Base color inputs

Texture Nodes

Procedural and image textures often use:

Light Blue – Color outputs
Grey – Contrast/Brightness
Yellow – Base colors
Green – Alpha mask outputs

Math Nodes

Math operations across floats, vectors, colors etc. standardize on:

Blue – Vector math results
Grey – Scalar math results
Yellow – Color math results
Green – Generic outputs

Creating Custom Node Groups with Colored Sockets

When designing custom node groups, color conventions can be explicitly defined on input and output sockets. This allows establishing standards for the data types used in external reusable node networks. Some examples include:

Marking vector streams with blue sockets
Indicating mask outputs with green sockets
Showing color parameters with yellow sockets

Group inputs and outputs get automatically labeled based on their socket types. But having explicit colors set makes recognizing data roles easier when using the group repeatedly in projects.

Tips for Organizing and Reading Node Trees

Taking advantage of Blender’s color coding in nodal shaders can make deciphering complex node networks much easier. Some tips include:

Standardizing socket colors in custom node groups
Using consistent socket colors for specific data types
Labeling groups and nodes with their main operations
Following lighting and shading pipelines from left to right
Separating sections with frame nodes

These practices help artists parse lengthy node trees at a glance. The meaningful splashes of color guide the eye through the flow of data.

Example Node Setups Using Color Coded Sockets

To see socket color conventions at work, examine these example shader node setups:

Procedural Wood Shader

This node network for generating fake wood textures relies heavily on color coded sockets to keep inputs and outputs straight as image maps blend with noise patterns. Key points are:

Base color inputs in yellow
Bump nodes outputting blue vectors
Light blue noise texture plugged everywhere
Green channel outputs for factor mixing

Gold Multi-Coat Paint

This complex shader has many layered color and normal inputs mixed across a forked node structure. Socket colors help identify:

Blue normals for bumpy coats
Specular colors in yellow
Branching done by green factor outputs
Multiple principled shaders converging

Without colorful differentiation for data types, this network would appear a jumbled mess of crisscrossing lines. But the color coding creates clear separation of concerns.

Conclusion

Learning to read the distinctive palette of node editor socket colors unleashes the full power of Blender’s nodal workflows. Artists can utilize the coloring conventions to visualize shader logic, debug connectivity issues, and build advanced systems from lower level nodes. Moving beyond boring grey opens up a rainbow of nodal possibilities.