Generator node
Flow Map
Endless motion for any texture: the Mask image (or the source itself) becomes a vector field -- the same sixteen styles as the Particle Vector Field -- and the source is advected along it. Loop motion is seamless and never smears; Advect motion is a feedback smear with Persistence. Chroma splits colors along the flow, Streak motion-blurs along it. Live video sources rebuild the field every frame. The field itself is available via the Flow Field node.
Inputs
| Port | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|
| ImageThe picture being set in motion — a still, a video, a live camera, another generator. | image | — |
| MaskThe image the motion field is read from: a segmentation mask, any photo, live video. Leave it unconnected and the source flows along its own features. | image | — |
| EnableOff passes the picture through with no motion at all. | bool | true |
| ModeWhich of the sixteen field patterns shapes the motion — outline flow, contour bands, vortices, curl noise, brush strokes and the rest. Out-of-range values snap to the nearest one. | int | 7 |
| MotionLoop cross-fades two phase-offset flows so nothing ever smears — seamless forever. Advect feeds the output back into itself for smoke-like drift. Anything outside the two falls back to the nearest. | int | 0 |
| AmountHow far pixels travel along the field, in Grafit units. Not clamped; about 0.05…0.4 reads as motion, beyond roughly 1 the picture tears apart. | float | 0.15 |
| SpeedOne master clock for loop phase, pattern drift, noise and advection. Not clamped; 0 freezes without snapping and negative values run the motion backwards. | float | 1 |
| Loop TimeSeconds per motion cycle in Loop mode. At least 0.05; long cycles look calmer, short ones read as a fast churn. | float | 2 |
| PersistenceIn Advect mode, how much of the previous frame survives before dissolving back to the source. Clamped to 0…0.995 — near the top it smears almost forever. | float | 0.9 |
| JitterVaries each Loop cycle slightly so the repeat cannot be spotted. Clamped to 0…1; 0 is a perfectly regular loop. | float | 0.3 |
| ChromaSplits red and blue along the flow, so colour fringes appear only where the picture moves. Not clamped; about 0…1 is tasteful, higher goes psychedelic. | float | 0 |
| StreakMotion blur smeared along the flow direction. Clamped to 0…1, where 1 is a long comet trail. | float | 0 |
| EdgeHow the picture is sampled past its border: Clamp smears the edge pixels, Wrap tiles it, Mirror reflects it. Values outside the three snap to the nearest. | int | 0 |
| ChannelWhich channel of the mask is read as the shape — Alpha, Red, Green, Blue or Luminance. Alpha suits segmentation masks, Luminance suits photos. | int | 0 |
| ThresholdThe level that separates shape from background in the chosen channel. Clamped to 0.0001…1; low values catch faint edges, high values only solid areas. | float | 0.05 |
| InvertSwaps what counts as inside and outside the shape. | bool | false |
| RegionWhere the motion is allowed: Inside the shape, Outside it, or Everywhere. Values outside the three snap to the nearest. | int | 0 |
| FeatherSoftens the boundary between the moving region and the still one, in Grafit units. At least 0; around 0.05…0.3 hides the hard edge. | float | 0.1 |
| Image PowerLets the mask's brightness scale how strongly each spot moves — dark areas stay put. Clamped to 0…1, where 0 ignores brightness entirely. | float | 0 |
| AngleBase direction of the pattern, in degrees clockwise. Any value works; it simply wraps around. | float | 0 |
| FrequencyHow many bands, waves or ripples fit across the view. At least 0.01; 2…20 covers broad sweeps to fine corduroy. | float | 6 |
| DriftHow fast the pattern itself slides along, on top of the picture motion. Not clamped; negative drifts the other way, 0 holds it still. | float | 0 |
| SwirlBends the field sideways, turning straight or radial flow into spirals. Not clamped; ±1 is already a full quarter-turn twist. | float | 0 |
| Center XHorizontal centre for radial, vortex and ripple patterns, in Grafit units. Any value works, even off screen. | float | 0 |
| Center YVertical centre for radial, vortex and ripple patterns, in Grafit units. Any value works, even off screen. | float | 0 |
| Noise AmountHow much wandering noise is stirred into the field. At least 0; around 0.3…1 breaks up mechanical-looking flow. | float | 0 |
| Noise ScaleSize of the noise cells — small numbers make broad rolling motion, big numbers a fine boil. At least 0.01. | float | 3 |
| Noise SpeedHow fast the noise evolves. Not clamped; 0 freezes the noise pattern and negative values reverse it. | float | 0.3 |
| ResolutionDetail of the motion grid along its long edge. Clamped to 64…1024; 256 is plenty, high values only pay off on very fine masks. | int | 256 |
| FieldCable a Vector Field 2D: the texture moves along its field. Without one it swirls in curl noise. | structure | — |
Outputs
| Port | Type |
|---|---|
| ImageThe picture being set in motion — a still, a video, a live camera, another generator. | image |
| Width | float |
| Height | float |
How It Works
Flow Map gives any texture endless, seamless motion. The Mask image — a segmentation mask, a photograph, live video, or (unconnected) the source itself — is converted into a vector field using the same sixteen styles as Particle Vector Field 2D, rebuilt every frame so live video just works, and the source image is advected along that field.
Two motions:
- Loop — the classic dual-phase flow map: two advections run half a cycle apart and cross-fade, so displacement never accumulates and never smears. Loop Time sets the cycle and per-cycle Jitter rotates the flow slightly each pass so the period stays invisible.
- Advect — feedback melt, with frame-rate-independent Persistence.
Field Styles
Sixteen ways to turn an image into motion: Outline Flow, Contour Bands, Directional, Zig-Zag, Wave, Radial, Vortex, Curl Noise, Turbulence, Gradient Climb, Brush Flow, Edge Attract, Skeleton, Ripple, Shear Bands and Vortex Grid. Region (Inside / Outside / Everywhere) and Feather decide where the field acts, and Image Power lets the source's brightness scale it.
Use Cases
- Living backdrops — a still photograph that never stops moving, without a video file.
- Shaped motion — a logo or silhouette in the Mask input steers the flow of everything else.
- Melt and smear — Advect motion with high Persistence for liquid dissolves.
Tips
- Chroma adds aberration along the flow and Streak adds directional motion blur — both read as speed.
- One Speed knob is the clock for everything, so the whole effect stays in step.
- Edge mode (Clamp / Wrap / Mirror) decides what the advection pulls in from beyond the frame.
- Connect a Flow Field node to see or reuse the exact field this node is using.
Open Flow Map in the interactive catalog →
Flow Map is one of 381 nodes in Grafit Pro.
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