Store Named Attribute Node in Blender Geometry Nodes

The Store Named Attribute node in Blender Geometry Nodes writes custom data directly onto the elements of a geometry mesh, curve, or point cloud under a user-defined name. This node enables you to save attributes—such as colors, vectors, floating-point numbers, integers, or boolean flags—onto specific geometry domains so that they can be accessed later in the Geometry Node tree, exported to external formats, or read inside the Shader Editor for procedural texturing.

How the Node Works

The Store Named Attribute node takes an input geometry, attaches custom data to it, and outputs the modified geometry. Unlike anonymous attributes that rely on connecting long node noodles across a tree, named attributes persist on the geometry using a text identifier (string) that you specify.

Key Settings and Inputs

  • Data Type: Defines the type of information stored. Options include Float, Integer, Vector, Color, Boolean, 2D Vector, 8-Bit Integer, and Matrix.
  • Domain: Specifies which part of the geometry holds the data. Available domains include:
    • Point: Vertices of a mesh, curve control points, or point clouds.
    • Edge: Edges of a mesh.
    • Face: Mesh polygons.
    • Face Corner: Mesh loops (essential for UV maps and vertex color data).
    • Spline: Entire curve segments.
    • Instance: Top-level transformation instances.
  • Selection: A boolean field input that filters which geometry elements receive the stored attribute. Unselected elements retain their default or previous values.
  • Name: A text field where you define the unique string identifier for the attribute (e.g., my_mask, uv_map, damage_factor).
  • Value: The actual data or calculated field to store on the selected domain elements.

Common Use Cases

  1. Passing Data to Materials (Shader Editor): You can calculate values in Geometry Nodes (such as curvature, proximity, or height) and store them as a named attribute. In the Shader Editor, you can retrieve these values using the Attribute shader node by typing the matching attribute name.
  2. Creating Custom UV Maps: By storing a 2D Vector attribute on the Face Corner domain, you can generate and modify custom UV coordinates programmatically.
  3. Data Export for External Software: Stored attributes are written into the geometry data, allowing export formats such as Alembic (.abc), USD, and FBX to carry custom vertex colors, weight maps, or simulation data into game engines and other 3D applications.
  4. Decluttering Node Trees: When specific calculations need to be reused across different parts of a complex Geometry Node setup, storing and reading the data by name eliminates the need for crossing connection lines across the entire workspace.