Mouse Picker
Updated: 14 Aug 2025
Detects mouse pressed events and outputs its position.
Mouse Picker
Method #
This node detects a mouse pressed event and outputs the position of the mouse in either world space or local space.
Making any 3d node will cause it to be activated by a left mouse click, and it’s position will follow the mouse position.
Using an Extractor Node attached to the output of this node will allow you to extract values to detect when mouse buttons are clicked.
Mouse picker only works in Builder and in Standalone executables. It does not function in media servers, as media servers capture all mouse functions.
Parameters
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
Parameter Details Active - Responding To Mouse
Toggle whether mouse clicks will be registered or ignored.
Position Plane
Which plane the mouse position is calculated for.
- Local X / Y / Z Plane : Chooses the plane along either the X, Y or Z axis, local to the mouse picker.
- Camera View Plane : Camera Relative to the X and Y coordinates of the cameras view plane.
Plane Offset
Plane offset from the selected Position Plane.
Direction Smoothing
How much smoothing is done to changes in the output rotation.
Use Movement Direction As Rotation
Toggle whether the movement of the mouse is output as a rotation.
The properties control the time at which the node is active. See Timeline for editing time segments.
Parameter Details Duration
Control the duration of the node’s time segment.
- Composition Duration : Use the length of the composition for the node’s time segment duration.
- Custom : Set a custom duration for the node’s time segment.
Node Time
The custom start and end time for the node.
Duration (Timecode)
The length of the node’s time segment (in time).
Duration (Frames)
The length of the node’s time segment (in frames).
Time Segment Enabled
Set whether the node’s time segment is enabled or not in the Timeline.
Inputs
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Active - Responding To Mouse | Toggle whether mouse clicks will be registered or ignored. |
| Position Plane |
Which plane the mouse position is calculated for.
|
| Plane Offset | Plane offset from the selected Position Plane. |
| Direction Smoothing | How much smoothing is done to changes in the output rotation. |
| Use Movement Direction As Rotation | Toggle whether the movement of the mouse is output as a rotation. |
The properties control the time at which the node is active. See Timeline for editing time segments.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Duration |
Control the duration of the node’s time segment.
|
| Node Time | The custom start and end time for the node. |
| Duration (Timecode) | The length of the node’s time segment (in time). |
| Duration (Frames) | The length of the node’s time segment (in frames). |
| Time Segment Enabled | Set whether the node’s time segment is enabled or not in the Timeline. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Transform Modifiers | Apply the transforms of another node to this node. | Null |
| Target Node | Modifiy the rotations of the node to always direct the z axis towards the input. | Null |
| Local Transform Override | Apply the transforms of another node to this node, relative to its parent. | Null |