Crop
Masks pixels outside a rectangular region, making them transparent.
Category: Composite Menu path: Composite > Crop
Ports
| Port | Type | Direction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
in | imageRgba16f | input | Input image |
out | imageRgba16f | output | Cropped result |
Parameters
| Param | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
left | scalar | 0 | Inset from the left edge. Pixels mode: pixels. Percent mode: percentage. Keyframeable. |
top | scalar | 0 | Inset from the top edge. Keyframeable. |
right | scalar | 0 | Inset from the right edge. Keyframeable. |
bottom | scalar | 0 | Inset from the bottom edge. Keyframeable. |
mode | enum | Pixels | Unit for crop values. Pixels: absolute comp pixels. Percent: percentage of composition dimension (0-100). |
Expose Channels
When enabled (E button on node header), adds input ports that override params via edge connections:
| Port | Type | Overrides |
|---|---|---|
left_in | scalar | left |
top_in | scalar | top |
right_in | scalar | right |
bottom_in | scalar | bottom |
How It Works
Crop values are specified in composition space (pixels or percent of comp dimensions). The engine converts these to overscan-aware UV bounds so the crop is stable regardless of quality level or downstream effects that expand the canvas (e.g. Blur, Glow). Pixels outside the crop rectangle are set to fully transparent (RGBA = 0). Pixels inside are passed through unchanged. This is a non-destructive crop -- the canvas resolution stays the same, but the cropped areas become invisible during compositing.
Viewport Gizmo
When a Crop node is selected, a viewport gizmo appears with four draggable edge handles (left, right, top, bottom). A semi-transparent dark overlay shows the cropped-out area. Drag any edge handle to adjust the corresponding crop value interactively.
Usage Examples
Basic: Remove unwanted borders
- Add a Crop node after your image source
- Set left, top, right, bottom to trim the edges
- Use Pixels mode for precise control, Percent mode for resolution-independent crops
Creative: Animated crop reveal
- Keyframe the left value from the full image width down to 0
- The image progressively reveals from right to left
- Use smoothly interpolated keyframes for a wipe effect
Advanced: Split-screen
- Use two Crop nodes on two different layers
- Crop one layer's right half and the other's left half
- Composite for a split-screen comparison
Tips
- Crop makes pixels transparent rather than resizing the canvas -- downstream nodes still see the full resolution
- In Percent mode, values are 0-100 (e.g. 25 = crop 25% from that edge)
- All four edges can be animated independently for complex reveal animations
- For hard rectangular masks with more control over shape, consider using a Rectangle node with Matte