Environment Image Sampler
Updated: 9 Sep 2025
Use an Environment Image in a shading system.
Environment Image Sampler
Method #
This node takes an input Environment Image and makes it available for use in a shading system. Useful for adding extra reflections or refractions to a surface, without adding the cost of extra lighting.
The output of this node is a shader, which can either be combined with other Shading nodes for more complex designs, or applied to Materials to directly control one of the material channels. They can also be applied to Fields, where they can be used on the various channels on the Field Emitters to control how the smoke is generated, and Field Materials to control how the field is rendered.
Parameters
Parameter Details Position X
The shader’s position along the local x-axis.
Position Y
The shader’s position along the local y-axis.
Position Z
The shader’s position along the local z-axis.
Rotation Heading
The shader’s rotation around the local y-axis.
Rotation Pitch
The shader’s rotation around the local x-axis.
Rotation Bank
The shader’s rotation around the local z-axis.
Scale X
The shader’s scale along the local x-axis.
Scale Y
The shader’s scale along the local y-axis.
Scale Z
The shader’s scale along the local z-axis.
Parameter Details Position
Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent.
Rotation
Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent.
Scale
Toggle inheritance of the Scale from the parent.
World Position Only
Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties.
Inherit Time
Toggle inheritance of time from the parent.
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
Parameter Details Source Channel
Source input from which the shader will be generated.
Mapping Type
Select which mapping type will be used in the image.
- Normal : This samples the environment image in the direction of the surface normal.
- Reflection : This samples the environment image using a reflection on the surface from the camera position, making a reflection effect. Useful for adding reflective effects to a surface.
- Refraction : This samples the environment image using a refraction through the surface from the camera position, making a reflection effect. Useful for adding refractive effects to a surface.
Texture Channel
Select which channel(s) from the selected texture to use for shading the surface.
- RGBA : Apply your texture uniformally to the RGBA channels.
- Red : Limit the texture to only apply to the Red channel.
- Green : Limit the texture to only apply to the Green channel.
- Blue : Limit the texture to only apply to the Blue channel.
- Alpha : Limit the texture to only apply to the Alpha channel.
- RGB : Limit the texture to only apply to RGB, avoiding Alpha.
- Luminance : Limit the texture to only apply to Luminance.
Intensity
Adjust the intensity of the texture.
Blur
Control the amount of blur used.
Preview In Viewport
Preview the effects of the shading node on the channel it’s applied, without other nodes further in the chain being used.
Inputs
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position X | The shader’s position along the local x-axis. |
| Position Y | The shader’s position along the local y-axis. |
| Position Z | The shader’s position along the local z-axis. |
| Rotation Heading | The shader’s rotation around the local y-axis. |
| Rotation Pitch | The shader’s rotation around the local x-axis. |
| Rotation Bank | The shader’s rotation around the local z-axis. |
| Scale X | The shader’s scale along the local x-axis. |
| Scale Y | The shader’s scale along the local y-axis. |
| Scale Z | The shader’s scale along the local z-axis. |
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent. |
| Rotation | Toggle inheritance of the Position from the parent. |
| Scale | Toggle inheritance of the Scale from the parent. |
| World Position Only | Inherit the world position from the parent only, rotation and scale will be ignored. Overrides above properties. |
| Inherit Time | Toggle inheritance of time from the parent. |
These properties control the core behaviours of the node.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Source Channel | Source input from which the shader will be generated. |
| Mapping Type |
Select which mapping type will be used in the image.
|
| Texture Channel |
Select which channel(s) from the selected texture to use for shading the surface.
|
| Intensity | Adjust the intensity of the texture. |
| Blur | Control the amount of blur used. |
| Preview In Viewport | Preview the effects of the shading node on the channel it’s applied, without other nodes further in the chain being used. |
| Name | Description | Typical Input |
|---|---|---|
| Environment Image | Override the environment image in the attributes with an input image from the nodegraph. | Environment Image |
| Blur Amount | Control the amount of blur that is applied. | Gradient |