Custom Node Designer

Custom Nodes come with a customizable patcher appearance, where you can place:

  • Interactive knobs & sliders
  • Feedback & visual decoration
  • Text

It should be fairly straightforward to use, but this article will explain all there is to know about it.

The custom Crossfader Node open in the Custom Node Designer view

2 things to note, before you start:

  • Creating, editing, and designing custom Nodes requires AudioNodes HD, so make sure to set it up if you haven’t already
  • The custom Crossfader Node is used as the example throughout this article, which you can also find under Audio Effects by default (or by searching for it under More Nodes & Snippets).

Accessing the Custom Node Designer

To begin, enter an existing Subpatch Node (or any custom Node) by right clicking it, then clicking Edit patch:

A custom Crossfader Node

Note, on touch screens:

  • Tap the Node
  • Tap the gear button near the top right corner, this will open the Node’s properties
  • From the top right corner of the Node properties, but the triple dot button, then hit Edit patch

Once inside the subpatch, open the Custom Node Designer from the top left corner:

Accessing the Custom Node Designer from a custom Node’s internal patch

This will open the Custom Node Designer, where you can now edit the Node’s appearance.

Editing the Node Appearance

Inside the Custom Node Designer, you can basically do 4 things:

  • Add new objects (based on what you have in the subpatch, see the next section in this article)
  • Move existing objects around by dragging them
  • Remove existing objects by right clicking, then clicking remove (on touch screens: touch and hold on the object, then tap remove)
  • Change the Node’s size and basic background appearance
  • +1: for text objects, edit the text contents (again by right clicking, or touch-and-holding on them)
The Custom Node Designer dialog

Some noteworthy additions to mention here:

  • If you need more objects to place in the designer view, see the next section in this article for details
  • The dashed section on the left and right edges of the Node indicate the room needed by inputs/outputs on the Node
    • These appear only if the custom Node has inputs or outputs, respectively
    • You should avoid placing interactive objects on them (such as knobs), or else it’ll be impossible to use those inputs/outputs
  • Newly created Subpatch Nodes come with a Subpatch overview object by default — if you want your custom Node to appear like typical built-in Nodes, you’ll usually want to remove this control at the start (though you can choose keep it, or even overlay it with Knobs for interesting results)

Adding & Customizing Knobs & Other Controls

The Custom Node Designer automatically recognizes various Nodes in the custom Node’s patch, such as the:

  • Knob Node,
  • Slider Param Node, or
  • Oscilloscope Node

In the Node browser, these Nodes have the same icon next to them as the Custom Node Designer button’s icon.

A Knob Node, which becomes available in the Custom Node Designer as soon as it’s created
Adding a Knob Node (which exists in the custom Node’s internal patch) in the Custom Node Designer

Additionally, these objects automatically take on the characteristics of their originating Node. With the Knob Node, for example, visual settings like size, color, and dashing appear identically in the Custom Node Designer, and settings like min-max values, or rounding, take effect when using the knob on the custom Node.

Finding More Custom Nodes

If you need inspiration or examples, you can always just open up the Node browser, and either:

  • Look for custom Nodes with the “puzzle” icon next to them in the Node browser (which indicates a custom Node with an editable internal patch, and editable appearance)
  • From the Node browser, choose More Nodes & Snippets, then choose Custom Nodes filter at the top, and then browse for what people create