Record & Publish node
Image Capture
A still camera for any image cable: a rising edge on Capture saves the connected image — PNG, JPEG, HEIC or TIFF, straight alpha where the format allows it. Files land in the folder picked in Settings (default: Pictures), auto-numbered, never overwritten. Saved pulses for one frame when the file is on disk; a trigger that arrives while the previous write is still running counts into Skipped instead of flooding the disk.
Inputs
| Port | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|
| ImageWhat to photograph: any image cable — the final Canvas, a single generator, a 3D Scene, even its Depth or Normals pass. | image | — |
| CaptureA rising edge takes ONE shot. Cable a Keyboard key, a Pulse or a beat; holding it true does not machine-gun the disk — a trigger during a running write counts into Skipped instead. | bool | false |
| File NameThe file name prefix. Every shot auto-numbers — Name_001.png, Name_002.png… — and existing files are stepped over, never overwritten. | string | Capture |
| FormatPNG (lossless, keeps transparency — the default), JPEG (small, no alpha, composites over Background), HEIC (small AND keeps alpha), TIFF (lossless, for print). | int | 0 |
| QualityJPEG and HEIC compression, 0.05–1. PNG and TIFF are lossless and ignore it. | float | 0.9 |
| BackgroundTransparent keeps the image's straight alpha (PNG/HEIC/TIFF). Black or White flatten onto a solid — and JPEG always flattens, having no alpha to keep. | int | 0 |
| TimestampAdds the capture moment to the file name (Name_2026-09-02_14-33-05_001.png) — for installations where the counter alone would not tell the shots apart. | bool | false |
Outputs
| Port | Type |
|---|---|
| Saved | bool |
| Path | string |
| Count | int |
| Skipped | int |
How It Works
Image Capture is a still camera for any image cable — the snapshot beside Video Recorder's movie camera. A rising edge on Capture saves whatever is on the Image port as PNG, JPEG, HEIC or TIFF, with straight alpha where the format allows it, so a rendered element drops into any editor with its transparency intact.
Files land in the folder picked in the Settings tab, are auto-numbered and are never overwritten. Saved pulses for one frame once the file is actually on disk, and Path carries where it went.
The node protects itself from being over-triggered: a request that arrives while the previous write is still running counts into Skipped instead of flooding the disk. That makes it safe to drive from a Keyboard key, a beat detector or a Pulse.
Use Cases
- Shoot a sequence — A Pulse on Capture turns a generative patch into a contact sheet of variations.
- Export an element with alpha — PNG or TIFF of a generator's output, ready to place in a layout.
- Capture on an event — A beat, a hand gesture, a threshold crossing takes the picture.
- Document a session — A key that grabs the current frame while you perform.
- Seed material — Capture a frame, then load it back with an Image node as the starting point for the next patch.
Tips
- Use PNG or TIFF when alpha matters; JPEG has none and HEIC's is format-dependent.
- Background decides what fills transparent pixels in formats that cannot carry alpha.
- Watch
Skippedwhen driving from a fast trigger — if it climbs, slow the trigger down or reduce the image size. - The Capture port is edge-triggered: hold it true and nothing further happens until it goes false and true again.
- Combine with Crop Image to save a tight element rather than the full viewport.
Open Image Capture in the interactive catalog →
Image Capture is one of 381 nodes in Grafit Pro.
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