Output Image Path

The Output Image Path node as you may expect outputs your bake data to an image file. The output settings are controlled by a Output Settings node which can either be attached to the ‘Settings’ socket or left empty to instead take the settings from a pinned node. The path and name can be set from a File Names node. A list of objects can be connected to the blue socket instead, which is described on the File Names page.

_images/outputimgpath.png
  1. Bake Image Button: After validating settings this will cause all connected Bake Pass nodes to be processed and any post processing to be done. Each Color socket will be saved separately and have the Suffix if any added to the name as well as the file extension. If the created image is not open in the current blend file and the ‘Open Images’ preference is set, the image will also be opened.

  2. Image Path: Simply used to select the path where the image will be saved. Relative paths may be used (eg. // to refer to the path the .blend file is in). A File Names node can be connected instead. It’s also possible to use a list of objects either directly or via the File Names node which changes how things are split up into output files. Read the File Names page for details on that feature.

  3. Color/Suffix: When a color is connected to this socket it will change to ‘Suffix’, allowing you to enter a file name suffix that will be appended to the end of the file name before the dot extension. There is also a single input bake button to the right of this field for baking only that input (useful when testing settings, etc). An empty socket will always be added to the bottom of the node to allow as many inputs with suffixes as you want.

  4. Alpha: If the output image format supports an alpha channel and ‘RGBA’ mode has been selected, then each connected socket will also have an ‘Alpha’ input below it. A value or color can be used as input (if a color is connected a drop down will appear to select what channel to use, the default being pixel value). Alpha channels are always created in Linear space as this is what OpenGL, etc expects.