Connect Points
Connect a set of points into a polyline or closed polygon.
What it does
Connect Points turns a set of points into a shape by drawing lines between them. Sequential mode walks the points in index order to build a polyline, optionally closing it into a polygon, optionally smoothing it into a curve that still passes through every point. K-Nearest and Within Radius link each point to nearby points, so the result reads as a proximity graph rather than a single ordered path.
Where the points carry a grouping attribute, separate strokes or recorded sessions for example, Split By turns one tangled shape into one shape per group. Fill, Stroke, and Stroke Width control how the resulting shape paints.
When to use it
A scattered set of points joined into a line or polygon, from a scatter, a simulation, a Distance Field sample, or a recorded stroke
Points already in a meaningful order drawn as a clean polyline or closed polygon: Sequential, with Closed on for the polygon
A soft curve that still passes through the original points: Sequential with Smooth interpolation, and Tension for tightness
Visualising which points are close to one another: K-Nearest or Within Radius
One shape per group instead of one shape connecting everything: set Split By to the grouping attribute
| Parameter | Type | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
points_in | Collection or Vec3[] | — | Points to connect into a path |
connection | String | "Sequential" | How to determine which points connect: Sequential = index order, K-Nearest = nearest neighbors, Within Radius = all points within distance. One of: Sequential, K-Nearest, Within Radius. |
neighbors | Number | 3 | Number of nearest neighbors to connect to |
max_distance | Number | 0 | Maximum connection distance (0 = unlimited) |
deduplicate | Boolean | true | Remove duplicate edges (A-B and B-A become one line) |
closed | Boolean | false | Connect the last point to the first |
interpolation | String | "Linear" | How to interpolate between points. One of: Linear, Smooth. |
tension | Number | 0.500 | Curve tightness (0 = loose, 1 = tight) |
subdivisions | Number | 16 | Number of subdivisions per segment |
split_by | String | "" | Attribute name to group by (e.g. 'session'). Empty = one shape from all points. |
fill | Color or Color Field or Color[] or Field or Material or Material[] or Frame Sequence | rgba(0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00) | Fill color, or connect a Fill/Color/Image node |
stroke | Color or Color Field or Color[] or Field or Material or Material[] or Frame Sequence | rgba(1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00) | Stroke color, or connect a Stroke/Color node |
stroke_width | Number | 2 | Stroke width (0 = no stroke) |
position | Vec3 | (0, 0, 0) | Position offset (X, Y, Z) |
rotation | Vec3 | (0, 0, 0) | Rotation in degrees (X, Y, Z) |
scale | Vec3 | (1, 1, 1) | Scale (X, Y, Z) |
opacity | Number | 1 | Layer opacity (0 = transparent, 1 = opaque). Editable, wirable, keyframable. |
Gotchas
In Within Radius mode a Max Distance of 0 does NOT mean unlimited. It means a radius of zero, so by default nothing connects. The 0 = unlimited shortcut only applies in K-Nearest mode. Raise Max Distance above 0 if Within Radius gives an empty result.
Closed, Interpolation, Tension, and Subdivisions only apply, and are only shown, in Sequential mode. K-Nearest and Within Radius hide them, since those modes connect by proximity rather than by an ordered path.
Tension controls how tightly the Smooth curve pulls to the polyline: 0 is loose and curvy, 1 pulls it straight. The curve passes through the original points either way, and only the handles in between change.
Worked example
Feed a set of points into Connect Points, from a scatter, a simulation result, or a recorded stroke.
Leave Connection on Sequential to draw them in order. Turn on Closed to join the last point back to the first and get a polygon.
Set Interpolation to Smooth and adjust Tension to soften the line into a curve that still passes through every point.
Wire a Color node into Stroke (and Fill, if you closed the shape) to paint the result.
If your points carry a grouping attribute, type its name into Split By to get one shape per group instead of one shape joining everything together.
See also
Pen · Resample · Subdivide · Convex Hull