Constellation Effect in Photoshop

Node Machine spawns points over your artwork and joins them with thin lines, like a star map. Every seed is unique, and you see every change live.

See Node+Circuit Machine Browse all plugins

Made with Node+Circuit MachineUpdated October 22, 2026Works in Photoshop 2025 or newer

Four renders made with Node Machine. Tap a tab to switch.

The short answer

To make a constellation effect in Photoshop, place points over your artwork and join nearby points with thin lines, like a star map. Node Machine, part of the Synkit plugin Node+Circuit Machine for Photoshop 2025 or newer, generates the points and connections for you with live preview. Every seed gives a different result, and the network exports as SVG.

At a glance

What it is: Node Machine, part of Node+Circuit Machine
What it does: Spawns points over your artwork and joins them with thin lines
Works in: Photoshop 2025 or newer
Format: Photoshop plugin, exports SVG
Included: Node Machine and Circuit Machine, 2 plugins in 1
Animation: Batch Render Mode renders every frame of your Timeline
Updates: Free for licensed users
Made by: Synkit, by Jorge Lopez

What it is

A constellation effect is a field of points joined by thin lines. Building one by hand in Photoshop means placing every dot and drawing every connection. Node Machine is a Photoshop plugin that generates the points and the connections for you, live.

Choose Random or Grid Point generation, add turbulence, and set spawn points and connection distances. Every seed is unique, so no two results are the same. Export the network as SVG or render a whole Timeline animation.

Examples

Same plugin, different networks

Six images, all made with Node Machine. Try it on yours

Cyan: Points and lines in a single color — **Cyan** Points and lines in a single color

Heat: Warm colors following the light — **Heat** Warm colors following the light

Portrait: A face drawn as a network — **Portrait** A face drawn as a network

Lettering: Type built from connected points — **Lettering** Type built from connected points

Interface: The same panel in light and dark mode — **Interface** The same panel in light and dark mode

SVG: Export the network as a vector — **SVG** Export the network as a vector

More Machine plugins

Prefer circuit traces? See the futuristic effect.

Circuit Machine comes in the same plugin and draws circuit style traces.

Futuristic effect Browse all plugins

How to Photoshop 2025 or newer

Make a constellation effect in five steps

Open Node+Circuit Machine
Install the plugin with the instructions in your download, then open it from the Plugins menu in Photoshop.
Turn on Live Preview
Live Preview Mode shows every change as you make it.
Generate the points
Choose Random or Grid Point generation, then set Density and Threshold.
Connect them
Set the connection distance to decide which points link up, and add turbulence to break the pattern.
Export or animate
Apply it, export the network as SVG, or use Batch Render Mode to render every frame of the Photoshop Timeline.

Settings

Three settings that matter

Points

Density and threshold

Decide how many points spawn and where they appear on your image.

Lines

Distance and connections

The connection distance decides which points join, from a sparse star map to a dense web.

Motion

Batch Render Mode

Renders every frame of the Photoshop Timeline, so the network can move.

Compare

Built in vs Node+Circuit Machine

What you want	Photoshop built in	Node+Circuit Machine
Place points	Brush or scatter dots by hand	Random or Grid Point generation
Draw connections	Pen tool, one line at a time	Generated from the connection distance
Try a variation	Start over	A new seed gives a new result
Vector output	Trace the result in a vector app	One-click SVG export
Animation	Frame by frame in the Timeline	Batch Render Mode renders every frame