Hi all. Sorry for the cryptic title -- I'm not sure how to refer to this. It's a small issue with the interface that's annoyed me for a long time. I'm guessing the fix is simple but I can't find it.
It's this: The node network window always updates and refocuses on the selected node when you click the corresponding tab at the top of the app window. For example, clicking "Cameras" takes you to the cameras group. Usually this is handy but it's a pain when you've drilled down several levels into an object's shading network and you just want to tweak the render settings. Clicking "Renderers" takes you back to the top node level and you have to drill back down again.
I would think that "Dynamic layout" might be the setting . . . it's enabled by default but disabling it doesn't seem to affect anything.
Good idea.
In the meantime, if you create a new Group at the "drilled down several levels" location and enable its Global Bookmark parameter, a bookmark will be created in the Node Network pane. When you click on the menu buttons which refreshes the Node Network view (which you don't want), you can click on the bookmark and it will take you right back to the internal node network or wherever you created it.
Thanks for the suggestion. Creating a temporary bookmark beginning with a number or underscore (so it sorts to the top of the list) might work. It's probably simpler to train myself to always open the render parameters in the side panel *before* diving into a network . . . though that's easier said than done.
So yes, if disabling Dynamic Layout would prevent the node window from refreshing, that might be useful for me and other easily distracted users. :)