# Baker Node Add-on **URL:** \ **Category:** Released Add-ons and Extensions\ **Tags:** add-ons, free\ **Created:** [October 2, 2023, 7:45am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711 "2023-10-02T07:45:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 7:45am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/1 "2023-10-02T07:45:45Z")
![Baker nodes with different target types](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/4/7/1/471d0eba263644820759e2fda53a64bf6bc0d541.png) Baker Node adds a node to Blender’s shader editor that can quickly bake its input to an image, color attribute or sculpt mask. ## Uses - Quickly create stencil masks or brush masks/textures from shader nodes. - Use shader nodes to set or modify an object’s sculpt mask. - Improve shader performance by baking the results of complex node setups. - Use the outputs of various Cycles-only nodes in Eevee. - Easily export texture maps from any part of the shader. ## Features - Can bake to an image, color attribute or the sculpt mask of the active object. - Supports baking in the background (Blender 3.3+). - Baker nodes can be synced so that multiple nodes can be baked with one click. - Option to automatically create target images or color attributes when baking. - Supports baking both color and alpha. ## Target Types - **Image (UV)** - Bake to an image using a UV map of the active object. - **Image (Plane)** - Bake to an image using the co-ordinates of a plane. Useful for creating brush textures/masks. An automatically updating preview of the result can be displayed by expanding the _Preview_ section on the node. - **Color Attribute** - Bake to a color attribute on the active object. - **Sculpt Mask** - Replace or modify the active object’s sculpt mask. ## Usage **Location:** Shader Editor \> Add \> Output \> Baker Connect the baker node’s input, set the target type and (optionally) select or create the image/color attribute to bake to. Then press the bake button on the node. If no baking target is set then one can be created automatically (if enabled in the add-on settings). The baker node’s _Baked Color_ and _Baked Alpha_ sockets output values from the target image or color attribute. They can be used to improving a shader’s performance by inserting the baker node after slow sections of the shader. Settings such as the number of samples and the object to use when baking can be set in the node’s _Settings_ menu accessed by clicking the gear icon on the right of the node. [GitHub Repo](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/tree/v0.7.0) [Documentation](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/wiki) ---
**Author:** ![H4nnes](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/h4nnes/32/1122483_2.png) [@H4nnes](https://blenderartists.org/u/H4nnes)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 8:46am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/2 "2023-10-02T08:46:14Z")
This seems usefull, thanks for releasing this! ---
**Author:** ![Bernardo](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/bernardo/32/1089686_2.png) [@Bernardo](https://blenderartists.org/u/Bernardo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 9:47am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/3 "2023-10-02T09:47:54Z")
thank you for releasing this, seems really useful! I think at the moment there isn’t a way to bake animation into image sequences? Are you planning to add such functionality? ---
**Author:** ![melvi](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@melvi](https://blenderartists.org/u/melvi)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2023, 10:25am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/4 "2023-10-02T10:25:30Z")
Awesome work, this is brilliant!! Thanks so much for making this. ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/5 "2023-10-04T21:13:03Z")
Yes, currently baking to image sequences isn’t supported. It seems relatively straightforward though, so hopefully I’ll be able to add support fairly soon. Thanks for the comments everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Bernardo](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/bernardo/32/1089686_2.png) [@Bernardo](https://blenderartists.org/u/Bernardo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:39am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/6 "2023-10-05T06:39:28Z")
that’d be a great functionality! I often work on projection mapping projects, and the ability to bake image sequences would be a godsend for these kind of projects and probably many more situations. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![mcjamall07](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/mcjamall07/32/1266736_2.png) [@mcjamall07](https://blenderartists.org/u/mcjamall07)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 11:16am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/7 "2023-10-06T11:16:48Z")
just want to say thanks, this helps me a lot! ---
**Author:** ![nickberckley](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/nickberckley/32/967154_2.png) [@nickberckley](https://blenderartists.org/u/nickberckley)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/8 "2023-10-06T17:10:43Z")
How does this work under the hood. Is it just bpy.ops-es or does it use any external library? Seems so good I wonder how nobody had this idea. ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2023, 8:35am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/9 "2023-10-07T08:35:48Z")
Internally it uses bpy.ops.object.bake with Cycles as the renderer. It’s essentially baking with the emit bake type performed inside of a subclassed ShaderNodeCustomGroup node. Sculpt mask, image plane and preview baking require a few extra steps, but still perform the actual baking in the same way. Incidentally, because the node uses Cycles for baking most of the settings in the Render Properties panel that normally affect baking (margin size, noise threshold etc) also affect bakes performed using the node. ---
**Author:** ![nickberckley](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/nickberckley/32/967154_2.png) [@nickberckley](https://blenderartists.org/u/nickberckley)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2023, 8:37am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/10 "2023-10-07T08:37:42Z")
Does node have hidden image node hidden inside it, or did you find a way to bake without having to select image node? ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2023, 9:04am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/11 "2023-10-07T09:04:13Z")
It creates and selects an Image Texture node in the same node tree as the baker node when the bake operator is invoked (unfortunately placing it inside the node doesn’t work) and deletes it when Blender has actually started the bake (i.e. when bpy.app.is\_job\_running(‘OBJECT\_BAKE’) == True). So the image node is only visible for a very short time (\< 1s). For bakes that aren’t run in the background (like preview bakes) the interface freezes and the image node is simply deleted when the bake finishes so that it’s never visible at all. ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/12 "2023-10-19T15:36:57Z")
[Version 0.8](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/releases/tag/v0.8.0) is now released! Change log: - Added support for baking to image sequences (see the [tips section](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/wiki/Tips#image-sequences) of the documentation for details). - Added previews for the _Image (UV)_ target type. - Added per-frame preview caching, allowing for previews in animated node trees to update in realtime. - Previews now check if they need updating when the frame changes. - Added various properties to the _Additional Settings_ panel, including _Margin Size_ and settings for target images. - Added _Preview Samples_ property to preferences. - Fixed crash after reloading scripts. - Fixed issue with queuing non-background bakes whilst a background bake is in progress. ---
**Author:** ![ulf3000](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/ulf3000/32/793803_2.png) [@ulf3000](https://blenderartists.org/u/ulf3000)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2023, 5:36pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/13 "2023-10-19T17:36:54Z")
> [@Avelgest](#): > > Added support for baking to image sequences holy hell , thank you ! ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/14 "2023-11-06T17:03:06Z")
[Version 0.8.1](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/releases/tag/v0.8.1) change log - Bakers using the _Image (Plane)_ bake type no longer require an object to be set or selected for baking. - Support baking from within the node trees of custom nodes (ShaderNodeCustomGroup instances). - Fixed ID class write errors when baking previews. - Improved error handling. - Display certain errors in node UI when preview bakes fail. - Typo fixes. ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 5:59am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/15 "2023-12-07T05:59:16Z")
[Version 0.8.2](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/releases/tag/v0.8.2) makes the add-on compatible with Blender 4.0 as well including a few minor changes and bug fixes. Due to the node tree API changes in Blender 4.0 previous versions of the add-on will only work in Blender 3. Version 0.8.2 will work with both Blender 3 and Blender 4.0. - **(Blender 4.0)** Fixed add-on not enabling due to attribute errors from API changes. - **(Blender 4.0)** Fixed errors due to changes to the node tree interface API. - **(Blender 4.0)** Fixed baker not appearing in the _Add_ \> _Output_ node editor menu. - **(Image (UV))** Display margins on previews if the baker has an image set. - Improved handling of alpha for previews. - Fixed bug in sRGB conversion on Blender 3.3 and less when not using NumPy. - Fixed errors due to node tree rebuilds potentially being triggered during draw calls. ---
**Author:** ![Laserschwert](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/laserschwert/32/818494_2.png) [@Laserschwert](https://blenderartists.org/u/Laserschwert)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2024, 10:30am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/16 "2024-01-05T10:30:37Z")
Would it be possible to add support for baking tangent normal maps? (from a normal input) ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/17 "2024-01-06T03:27:56Z")
Just added a method for doing so to the main branch! After opening a context menu with a Baker node active select _Add Baker Set-up_ \> _Input to Tangent Space_. This will add a group node between the Baker and its input that converts normals to tangent space. It’s not in any release yet, but there I’ll likely add a new release in a few days time. ---
**Author:** ![Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Avelgest](https://blenderartists.org/u/Avelgest)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 12:51am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/18 "2024-01-08T00:51:46Z")
[Version 0.8.3](https://github.com/avelgest/baker-node/releases/tag/v0.8.3) - Added **Save on Bake** property to the _Additional Settings_ panel. This will automatically save the target image after baking if the image is packed or has a filepath set. - Added **Input to Tangent Space** to the _Add Baker Set-up_ section of the context menu. This can be used to bake tangent-space normal maps. - Use image-based baking for _Image (Plane)_ previews. Enable _Use VA Based Previews_ in the add-on preferences to restore the old behavior. - Fixed crashes when baking with _Image (Plane)_. - Fixed crashes when duplicating a material containing a Baker in Blender 4.0 - Suppress console messages about saving to an internal image when baking. - Typo fixes. ---
**Author:** ![bestelix](https://blenderartists.org/user_avatar/blenderartists.org/bestelix/32/1084923_2.png) [@bestelix](https://blenderartists.org/u/bestelix)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2026, 10:18am UTC](https://blenderartists.org/t/baker-node-add-on/1485711/19 "2026-05-06T10:18:20Z")
Great addon for texture output. I like the bake to plane option to output flat tilable textures - something that I didn’t see in other solutions. ![image](https://blenderartists.org/uploads/default/original/4X/b/0/7/b078bb27ee52d4f72d271ee71c5406694c1dbfaf.png) Can confirm this works with Blender 5.1.1