Product · 17 October 2026 · 2 min read
Field: write a short kernel and let the node decide where it runs
Field is the language built into Infinite. One kernel can become a shader, a geometry deformer or an audio effect, depending on the node it lives in.
By Naman Soni
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Most nodes do one fixed thing. A Blur node blurs and a Delay node delays. Creative work often needs something in between, so Infinite includes Field, a kernel language for shaders, geometry and audio: a small language for writing what a node does.
One idea: a kernel run once per element
A Field node runs your kernel once for every element of its domain, forever. The domain is chosen by the node, not by you:
col = vec3(uv.x, uv.y, 0.5) // once per pixel, on the GPU: a shader
P.y += sin(P.x * 4.0 + t) * 0.2 // once per point in a mesh: a geometry deformer
out = in * gain // once per audio sample: a DSP effectYou never declare a backend. The same way of thinking covers pictures, shapes and sound.
The Field nodes
| Node | Domain | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Field Pixel | pixel | Per-pixel kernel compiled to GLSL, with state cells for feedback |
| Field Modifier | element | Per-vertex kernel over existing geometry |
| Field Primitive | element | Generates point geometry such as spirals, lattices and torus knots |
| Field Effect | sample | Per-sample audio effect with in, out, state and param |
| Field Synth | sample | A polyphonic synth voice driven by freq and gate |
| Field Notes | sample | Sends notes with note(pitch, vel, len) and reads the transport |
| Field Graph | graph | Runs at edit time and builds real nodes and cables |
Knobs that become pins
A kernel can declare parameters in its own code, and each one becomes a real input on the node:
param float cutoff = 0.25 [0.01, 0.99]
state float z = 0
z += (in - z) * cutoff
out = zThat is a one-pole low-pass filter. The cutoff pin can be wired to an LFO, a MIDI knob or the output of an Audio Analyze node like any other control, and it survives save and load.
Why a language, not another plugin format
A kernel is short enough to read in one go and to share as a text file. The Library has a growing set of free Field devices to start from, and the language reference is available as a PDF manual.
To see where a kernel's numbers can come from, read how sound and pictures share one graph. Infinite is free and open source for macOS, Windows and Linux.