Is there any logic behind the reasoning of the node order in the graph? Specifically, in a default scene the Atmosphere node is plugged into the Planet node. Then when you create a cloud node TG re-wires the graph. Now the cloud node goes into the Planet node and the atmosphere goes into the cloud node. This seems counter-intuitive to me. A strange way of thinking/reading a graph. Surely it makes more sense to have clouds plugged into the atmosphere which then are plugged into the planet. When I manually re-wire the nodes as such, there seems to be no difference. So why the confusing flip-flop?
Quote from: DutchDimension on August 08, 2018, 10:49:15 PM
Is there any logic behind the reasoning of the node order in the graph? Specifically, in a default scene the Atmosphere node is plugged into the Planet node. Then when you create a cloud node TG re-wires the graph. Now the cloud node goes into the Planet node and the atmosphere goes into the cloud node. This seems counter-intuitive to me. A strange way of thinking/reading a graph. Surely it makes more sense to have clouds plugged into the atmosphere which then are plugged into the planet. When I manually re-wire the nodes as such, there seems to be no difference. So why the confusing flip-flop?
Simply how nodes are added. When you add a cloud layer, it's added as if you right clicked the the Output of the Atmsosphere and inserted a Cloud Layer. You're free to reorder the graph however it is more human-readable to you. I've always wanted to have backwards looking nodes, would be a nice feature.
I think the logic is in the reading of the nodes, that's done in the opposite direction (as I understood). I think atmo is the upper limit (except for background), like the basic terrain displacement is the lower, both being read from planet 'outwards'.
My logic is this: Firstly, they should be connected in the same order that they appear in the Node List (the Node List should be built from the Node Network). I assume that part is universally acceptable. Secondly, when I add a node to the Node List I prefer it to go to the end of the list, or after whichever node is currently selected, as with the terrain list and the shaders list. But this is probably more subjective and I don't claim that this is going to be right for everyone.
More on my second point. It doesn't matter for cloud layers but the ordering has meaning for surface shaders, so decisions made there affect cloud layers too (for consistency).
Quote from: Dune on August 09, 2018, 01:50:27 AM
I think the logic is in the reading of the nodes, that's done in the opposite direction (as I understood). I think atmo is the upper limit (except for background), like the basic terrain displacement is the lower, both being read from planet 'outwards'.
I like that way of thinking. I'll try and keep that in mind. Thanks Dune.
Thank you for the clarification Matt! I'll give that some more thought.
Quote from: Matt on August 09, 2018, 02:55:35 PM
More on my second point. It doesn't matter for cloud layers but the ordering has meaning for surface shaders, so decisions made there affect cloud layers too (for consistency).
Is this because Surface Nodes build on top of each other, while Cloud Nodes get their ordering more from their elevation and thickness?
Pretty much, yes.
- Oshyan