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What is the easiest way to create a color gradient texture in blender?

Original Question:

I want to apply a color gradient texture to an object, but I cannot figure out how to do so. I have read several guides that point to a "gradient texture" texture type when using the cycles render engine, but it just does not exist in my version of blender. I have tried switching back and forth between rendering engines, restarting blender, all sorts of stuff.

I am using Blender 2.74 in manajaro (arch linux based distro).

cornergraf
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  • I think the question should probably be "Why can't I see the gradient node?" then as opposed to the current title. I think it will be better to work out why you can't use the preferred method (gradient node) than trying to think of some workaround. – Ray Mairlot Sep 22 '15 at 11:57
  • @RayMairlot: You are probably correct, but I was thinking that maybe that the gradient texture node had been removed in a recent update to blender or something - which is why I phrased the question in a more general way. – cornergraf Sep 22 '15 at 13:10

1 Answers1

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You can find under the Add >> Texture >> Gradient Texture if you are using the Node Editor:

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Or in the Material panel as shown below

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Using the node editor is probably easiere because it helps to immediately figure out which node is doing what, the relations between the various components of the shader and quickly navigate the nodetree, while with the menus would be more tricky.

Down below you can see an example of usage of the gradient texture to mix two colors. On the top the node editor and on ther righit side the corrispective menu's view of the same material.

enter image description here

Carlo
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  • Thank you for your effort, but the gradient texture node does not exist in the nodes view either - I'll check again when I get home tonight because I did not know the exact spot before.

    Something must be wrong with my version of blender, I wonder what it could be.

     – cornergraf Sep 22 '15 at 13:13