blender-shader-nodes

name	blender-shader-nodes
description	Blender 5.x shader nodes — PBR materials, procedural textures, Principled BSDF, glass/metal/skin shaders, world/HDRI lighting, raycast shader node, and scripting material node trees via Python (bpy). Includes 5.1 changes (Normal Map OpenGL/DirectX, Raycast, OpenColorIO 2.5).

Blender Shader Nodes Expert

Overview

This skill provides expert guidance for Blender 5.x shader nodes: designing material setups, writing Python scripts to build shader node trees programmatically, understanding render engine differences (Cycles vs EEVEE), and accessing the complete shader node catalog. Includes 5.0 and 5.1 changes (Raycast node, Normal Map OpenGL/DirectX toggle, OpenColorIO 2.5).

MCP-First Approach

Prefer the official Blender MCP Server (Blender Lab, Blender 5.1+) for creating materials, wiring shader trees, sampling viewport renders directly in a running Blender session. Fall back to emitting Python scripts only when the MCP server is not connected.

Detection: at session start, look for tools whose names match execute_blender_code, get_objects_summary, or search_api_docs — these belong to the official blender-mcp server. If any are present, MCP is available.

Tools used by this skill:

• execute_blender_code — run bpy Python in the live session (primary action)
• get_objects_summary, get_object_detail_summary — inspect scene state before mutating
• get_blendfile_summary_datablocks / _missing_files / _of_linked_libraries / _path_info / _usage_guess — inventory the file
• search_api_docs, get_python_api_docs, search_manual_docs — confirm correct API/operator names before calling them
• get_screenshot_of_window_as_image / _as_json, get_screenshot_of_area_as_image — verify visual results
• jump_to_tab_by_name, jump_to_tab_by_space_type, jump_to_view3d_object_by_name, jump_to_view3d_object_data_by_name — drive the UI to make changes visible
• render_thumbnail_to_path, render_viewport_to_path — capture quick visual feedback

Workflow: inspect with a get_* / search_* tool → mutate via execute_blender_code → verify with a screenshot or summary tool. Keep code blocks small and idempotent so failures are easy to localize.

Setup: see docs/blender-mcp-setup.md.

Task Decision Tree

• "Create a material for X" -> Identify the material type, design the node tree, generate Python code (see Material Recipes)
• "My material looks wrong" -> Follow the Debugging workflow
• "What node does X?" -> Consult references/node_reference.md
• "Set up world lighting / HDRI" -> See World/Environment pattern in Python API reference
• "Script a shader node tree" -> Consult references/python_api.md for API patterns
• "Cycles vs EEVEE?" -> Check the Render Engine Compatibility section in node_reference.md

Generating Shader Node Trees

When creating materials via Python:

1. Read references/python_api.md for the correct API patterns and node type strings
2. Structure the script following this pattern:
   • Create the material with use_nodes = True
   • Clear default nodes
   • Add all nodes with correct type strings
   • Position nodes left-to-right (x spacing ~300, y spacing ~200)
   • Set default values on inputs
   • Create all links between nodes
   • Assign material to the target object
3. Use Frame nodes to organize complex setups into logical sections

Node Type String Conventions

• Most shader nodes: ShaderNode<PascalCaseName> (e.g., ShaderNodeBsdfPrincipled, ShaderNodeTexNoise)
• Geometry input: ShaderNodeNewGeometry (not ShaderNodeGeometry)
• Color attribute: ShaderNodeVertexColor
• Mix node: ShaderNodeMix with data_type set to 'RGBA', 'FLOAT', or 'VECTOR'
• Color Ramp: ShaderNodeValToRGB
• When uncertain about the exact type string, consult references/python_api.md

Material Recipes

PBR Material (Texture-Based)

1. Texture Coordinate -> Mapping -> Image Texture(s) -> Principled BSDF -> Material Output
2. Connect maps: Base Color (sRGB), Roughness (Non-Color), Metallic (Non-Color), Normal Map (Non-Color) -> Normal Map node -> Normal input
3. Set non-color images to image_tex.image.colorspace_settings.name = 'Non-Color'

Procedural Material

1. Texture Coordinate -> Noise/Voronoi/Wave Texture -> Color Ramp -> Principled BSDF
2. Layer multiple textures using Mix nodes for complexity
3. Use Separate XYZ on Texture Coordinate for axis-dependent patterns

Glass / Transparent

1. Principled BSDF with Transmission Weight = 1.0, Roughness = 0.0 (clear) or >0 (frosted), IOR = 1.45-1.52
2. Alternative: Glass BSDF node for simpler setup
3. EEVEE: Enable Screen Space Refraction on material and render settings

Metal

1. Principled BSDF with Metallic = 1.0, Base Color = metal tint (gold: 1.0, 0.766, 0.336), Roughness = 0.1-0.4
2. Alternative (5.0): Metallic BSDF node for physically accurate complex IOR
3. Add fingerprints/scratches: mix Roughness with procedural texture

Skin / Subsurface

1. Principled BSDF with Subsurface Weight = 0.3-1.0, Subsurface Radius = (1.0, 0.2, 0.1) for RGB scattering
2. Connect skin texture to Base Color, detail normal map to Normal
3. Cycles: Use Random Walk method for best quality

Emission / Neon

1. Principled BSDF with Emission Color = desired color, Emission Strength = 1-50+
2. Or standalone Emission node -> Material Output (Surface)
3. Enable Bloom in render settings (EEVEE) for glow effect

Toon / Cel Shading (EEVEE)

1. Principled BSDF (or any BSDF) -> Shader to RGB -> Color Ramp (Constant interpolation) -> Material Output (via Emission or custom output)
2. Color Ramp stops create discrete shading bands
3. Shader to RGB is EEVEE-only

World / HDRI Environment

1. Environment Texture (load .exr/.hdr) -> Background -> World Output
2. Add Mapping node between Texture Coordinate (Generated) and Environment Texture for rotation
3. Set Background Strength for intensity

Displacement

1. Texture -> Displacement node -> Material Output (Displacement socket)
2. Set material displacement method: mat.cycles.displacement_method = 'BOTH' 96#HB|3. Requires subdivision on the mesh (Subdivision Surface modifier or Adaptive Subdivision in Cycles)

Raycast Node (Blender 5.1)

1. ShaderNodeRaycast casts a ray from the shading point and returns hit information
2. Outputs: Position, Normal, Distance, Object, Is Hit
3. Useful for material-driven proximity effects, occlusion, and intersection detection
4. Supports specifying ray direction and length limits
5. Works in both Cycles and EEVEE

Normal Map Improvements (Blender 5.1)

1. New OpenGL/DirectX toggle for normal map tangent space convention
2. OpenGL (default) vs DirectX flip — fix inverted normal maps from game engines
3. New option to compute normal maps on the displaced mesh (Cycles only)
4. Use normal_map_node.invert_y or normal_map_node.tangent_space_convention to toggle

Volume (Fog/Smoke)

1. Principled Volume -> Material Output (Volume socket)
2. Or: Volume Absorption + Volume Scatter -> Add Shader -> Material Output (Volume)
3. Set Density, Color, Anisotropy

Debugging & Optimization

Common Visual Issues

• Material appears black: Check that Material Output has a valid Surface connection. Verify the object has UV coordinates if textures require them
• Material appears white/flat: Missing texture connections or all textures set to wrong color space
• Glass/transparency not working in EEVEE: Enable Screen Space Refraction in both render settings and material settings. Set blend mode to Alpha Hashed or Alpha Blend
• Normal map looks bumpy/wrong: Ensure normal map image is set to Non-Color color space. Check that Normal Map node is set to correct space (Tangent for most cases)
• Texture stretching: Object needs proper UV unwrap. Alternatively, use Object or Generated texture coordinates with Mapping node
• Fireflies in Cycles render: Reduce light bounces, use Clamp Direct/Indirect in render settings, or denoise

Performance Tips

1. Principled BSDF over separate shaders: The Principled BSDF is optimized internally; combining Diffuse + Glossy + Glass manually is slower
2. Minimize texture resolution: Use 2K textures for most cases, 4K only when close-up detail is needed
3. Avoid excessive Noise Texture stacking: Each noise computation is expensive. Bake complex procedural textures for animation
4. EEVEE screen-space effects: Screen Space Reflections, Refraction, and SSS add per-material cost. Only enable on materials that need them
5. Simplify for viewport: Use lower texture resolution or simpler shaders in viewport preview mode

EEVEE vs Cycles Quick Guide

Feature	Cycles	EEVEE
Rendering	Path tracing (accurate)	Rasterization (fast, approx.)
SSS	Random Walk (accurate)	Screen-space (approximate)
Reflections	Ray traced	Screen-space + probes
Transparency	Ray traced	Alpha blending / hashing
Volumes	Full volumetrics	Limited volumetric support
Displacement	True + adaptive subdivision	Not supported (use Normal Map)
OSL	Supported (CPU only)	Not supported
Shader to RGB	Not supported	Supported (toon shading)

Node Reference

For the complete catalog of all shader nodes organized by category (Input, Output, Shader, Texture, Color, Vector, Converter, Script), consult references/node_reference.md.

Key sections to search:

• BSDF/shader types: grep for "BSDF" or "Shader" in node_reference.md
• Texture nodes: grep for "Texture"
• Principled BSDF inputs: grep for "Principled BSDF - Detailed"
• Render engine compatibility: grep for "Cycles Only" or "EEVEE"
• Blender 5.0 changes: grep for "5.0"
• Blender 5.1 changes: grep for "5.1" or "Raycast" or "Normal Map"
• OpenColorIO 2.5: Updated color management with improved display transforms

Python API Reference

For the complete Python API patterns including node type strings, socket types, linking, material assignment, world setup, and Color Ramp configuration, consult references/python_api.md.