FR - 3D-Node Network

[Volker Harun]

Hi,

I think that this suggestion - you could say feature request or rather wishlist - might be something for TG3 ... however, here it comes.

First of all, I love the Node Network ... but it could be imho improved.

The Basics:
1. Groups should be handled as groups. To disable a complete group with a single click is missing.
2. Hiding groups from view (only the title is visible) should be a fine thing.
3. There is a need for more inputs (i.e. Power Fractal has so many values I would like to influence by functions - for example a function that calculates the fractal's roughness depending on height and/or slope)

Advanced: (these might include a 3-dimensional view of the Node Network)
4. Nodes inside a group should be 'object coordinated' while nodes outside a group a rather 'world coordinated'
5. The internal Node-Network should be visible (with alpha in the background) in the normal view with an easy switch to change levels.

Regards,
Volker Harun

[cyphyr]

Advanced: (these might include a 3-dimensional view of the Node Network)

I havn't played with Vista yet, but I can see how this would indeed be usefull and helpfull and it may not be too hard to setup within Vista's API.
Richard Fraser
(cyphyr)

[old_blaggard]

You could probably use Core Animation on OS X (Leopard) to get a similar result to Vista's.

[Dark Fire]

Advanced: (these might include a 3-dimensional view of the Node Network)
4. Nodes inside a group should be 'object coordinated' while nodes outside a group a rather 'world coordinated'
5. The internal Node-Network should be visible (with alpha in the background) in the normal view with an easy switch to change levels.

Regards,
Volker Harun

Interesting ideas - I can see why they would be useful, but a 3D node network as well as a 3D world would be a bit intimidating to new users...

[Will]

but you could always turn it off, could be a non-default thing.

Regards,

Will

[bigben]

...
Advanced: (these might include a 3-dimensional view of the Node Network)
...
5. The internal Node-Network should be visible (with alpha in the background) in the normal view with an easy switch to change levels...

I know you can right click to go into the internal node network, but perhaps something more visible to indicate the presence of an internal network which you could click on to enter it?

[attachimg=#1]

A mechanism to create internal networks for nodes (other than manually editing the file) would also be nice. I'm creating masks with combinations of shaders and they can take up as much screen real estate as the actual surface layers. For the most part I only need to see the final output to connect it to the required surfaces.

A 3D network could still potentially get quite messy/confusing

[Volker Harun]

@BigBen:
It would be great if I could connect (wire) the nodes inside the internal network of a group with the outside ,-)

Volker

[Dark Fire]

@BigBen:
It would be great if I could connect (wire) the nodes inside the internal network of a group with the outside ,-)

Volker

I know you can right click to go into the internal node network, but perhaps something more visible to indicate the presence of an internal network which you could click on to enter it?

Both great ideas. I wonder if the Planetside team have ever considered adding a third dimension to the node network...

[neon22]

How about a fake 3d node. like in the attached image
So in a node - user can elect to have a parameter appear on the outside of the box for easy external connection
   (Either on L or R side - see modified Base colour node image)
Colours have different shaped tag to numeric parameters - tooltip shows color or name of parameter

Draw box with varying height based on how many are exported.
   Power Fractal would have max of something like 27 (14 a side)
   However reason suggests about 10 external at any one time for useful connections

The box could also scale up in terms of inputs and outputs to represent a group of internal nodes as a single entity...?
Just an idea...

[bigben]

@BigBen:
It would be great if I could connect (wire) the nodes inside the internal network of a group with the outside ,-)

Volker

This is possible to some extent. If you right-click on a shader's input triangle you can assign a shader from a complete list of shaders in the TGD. This works functionally, but there is no visual repesentation of the link when linking outside of an internal network.

In normal working this can be simpler than dragging outputs across a complex network, and of course it helps if you use meaningful names for your shaders.

[mogn]

@BigBen:
It would be great if I could connect (wire) the nodes inside the internal network of a group with the outside ,-)

Volker

This is possible to some extent. If you right-click on a shader's input triangle you can assign a shader from a complete list of shaders in the TGD. This works functionally, but there is no visual repesentation of the link when linking outside of an internal network.

In normal working this can be simpler than dragging outputs across a complex network, and of course it helps if you use meaningful names for your shaders.

Yes it works:

  Create the standard terrain
  Add a surface layer to the base colurs , with max altitude to 32 and fussy to 10.
  You will see the mountain sourrounded by a snow layer.
  Create a cloud shader or any other shaders. Goto internal network.
  In the internal network create a surfacelayer. Set all parameters including the fractal breakup as in surface layer 01.
  Right click the input tab and assign the base colurs layer
  Exit the cloud shader internal network.
  Delete surface layer 01
  Remove the surface shader connection from planet 01.
  You now have a totally black prewiew.
  Assign cloud shader/surface layer 01 to the planet01 surface shader.
  After some time you will see the original prewiew.

[Volker Harun]

Thanks to all!

Mogn ... thanks! I did once your way - and got the black preview - unfortunatly I was impatient.