View source for The Node Network

Below the 3D preview is a view of the local Node Network, which shows all the nodes and connections local to the currently selected node, group, or layout. As described in the Terragen Conventions section, Terragen's scene structure is based around the concept of “networking” separate pieces called "nodes" to form a whole scene. This is a very powerful way to create scenes, but it’s also quite complex and not immediately intuitive for many people. In many cases, you can ignore the Node Network altogether and focus your scene building efforts in the Node Lists and context menus. For now we'll cover the basics of navigation and use of the Node Network view. Complete details on use of the Node Network and manipulation of nodes can be found in the In-Depth Node Network section.

While you may decide not to delve into the Node Network at first, it is still useful to watch how the network changes as you manipulate things in the Node Lists. You will see that the network moves to show you the device you currently have selected in the Node List, and you can see how new devices are positioned and connected into the network.

[[File:UI-NodeNetworkPane.jpg|border|900px|The Node Network]]
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Navigation in the Node Network is similar to working in the 3D preview. Hold Alt and drag to move your view around in the network. Use Alt + Left Click to drag the view up, down, left or right. Use Alt + Right Click to drag a rectangle around an area of the network you wish to zoom in on. Use Alt + Middle Click to zoom in and out. Alternatively, you can zoom in and out with the mouse wheel.

Navigating in the Node Network is simple. However, manipulating the flow of information between nodes to achieve the desired result takes significant knowledge about each node. Information about that will be covered in other articles.