Node Preview ​

A second viewport that shows what any single node is contributing — without touching the graph. The main Viewer shows what you're making; Node Preview is a read-only probe into any point of the network.

Open it from View → Panels → Node Preview and dock it next to the Viewer (see Panels & Layout). Select a single node in the graph and its rendered output appears in the panel, updating live as you scrub, edit params, or rewire — side by side with the finished composition in the main Viewer.

Nothing in the panel is editable, and that's the point: inspecting a node here never modifies the graph, creates undo entries, or disturbs the composite.

Why not just wire the node to Output? ​

You can — but it costs you things the preview doesn't:

  • You lose the final image. Wiring an intermediate node to Output replaces the composite, so you end up comparing against memory. The preview shows the intermediate and the final result at the same time, both updating as you work.
  • "Just looking" rewires the graph. Inputs accept a single connection, so wiring a node to Output kicks out the existing connection — look, then rewire back, with undo entries and cache churn along the way (and a broken comp if you forget). The preview is pure read.
  • Some branches can't reach Output at all. Matte inputs, fill_source / stroke_source, UV maps, text reveal masks — these feed secondary inputs and never appear in the composite directly. The preview is the only way to see one without temporarily tearing down the real wiring.
  • The lock crosses layers and comps. Lock the preview to a mask on one layer, then edit the thing driving it from another layer — or another comp entirely — while watching the result.
  • Independent view state. Its own background, zoom, and pan. Pixel-peep a matte at 800% on a checkerboard while the main Viewer stays fit-to-window.

Following selection vs. locking ​

By default the preview follows selection: select exactly one node and it renders; select none (or several) and it keeps the last frame. Click the lock button to pin the preview to the current node — it stops following selection and keeps rendering that node, even while you select and edit elsewhere in any layer or comp. Click again to resume following.

Controls ​

  • Lock (🔓/🔒) — pin/unpin the preview to the current node, as above.
  • Background (▦) — cycle the backdrop: dark checker → light checker → black → white. Checkerboards make alpha readable; black/white reveal fringing and premultiplication issues.
  • Zoom (the % button) — scroll to zoom (10%–800%), drag to pan; click the % button to fit/reset. At 200% and above the image switches to pixelated sampling so you can inspect individual pixels.

What renders ​

Nodes that produce an image at their output — effects, generators, Draw nodes, Transform2D — preview directly. Value, color, and geometry nodes (a Math node, a Solid Color, a raw Rectangle) have no pixels at their output and show as transparent; they only become an image through a downstream rasterizer (DrawShape, DrawText, Output). To eyeball raw geometry, preview the DrawShape node after it; to inspect values and attributes, use the Details panel.

The preview renders at the comp's resolution and quality setting, and the canvas edge is the comp edge — a faint outline marks it so partially transparent content stays oriented. Content outside the comp bounds is not currently shown.

The main Viewer owns playback: the preview updates while scrubbing and editing, and pauses during playback and RAM preview.

© 2026 Caddis