---
title: "Sample Shader"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/NET_MAXON_NEUTRON_ASSET_UTILITY_SAMPLESHADER.html"
section_path: "The Node Editor > The individual Assets > Utility > Sample Shader"
element_id: "NET_MAXON_NEUTRON_ASSET_UTILITY_SAMPLESHADER"
description: "This page documents the Sample Shader node of the Scene Nodes system in Cinema 4D. It reads color values from images or shaders at any position — bringing …"
---

# Sample Shader

> **Note:** **What is it about?**
>
> This page documents the **Sample Shader node** of the Scene Nodes system in **Cinema 4D**. It reads color values from images or shaders at any position — bringing texture data into node logic, e.g. to drive distributions or geometry.

This function lets you sample a color source, such as an image or shader, at any point to determine a color value. The following image shows an example of this. There, three *Base Noise Nodes* configured with different **Start values** are combined into one color that is sampled by the *Sample Shader Node*. To vary the sampling position, the **Ratio Vector** of a linear distribution is used as the **UVW coordinate** on the *Sample Shader*.

![Image: 2023-2_node_sample_shader_01.png](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2023-2_node_sample_shader_01.png)\
In this example, the Ratio Vector of a distribution controls the sample position at which a colored noise structure is to be output.

![Image: 2023-2_node_sample_shader_02.png](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2023-2_node_sample_shader_02.png)\
Here you can see the result of the above setup. The linearly placed cubes are assigned random colors.