Automatic node insertion when dragging to or right-clicking on a connection line

[Metin Seven]

Hi,

I'm very excited about the Material Graph. It paves the way to complex material setups.

One thing I miss though is being able to auto-insert a node when dragging it to touch an existing connection line between nodes. Now you have to manually rewire to insert a node between an existing node connection (unless I don't know of an already existing option to automatically do this).

Additionally, it would be great if you could insert a new node between two connected nodes by right-clicking on a connection line. If the current nodes connection line pop-up menu with the Remove and Disable options would be extended with all possible nodes (Materials, Textures, Animation, Utilities), that would speed up node workflow.

Many thanks in advance.

Best regards,

Metin

[TpwUK]

Hi,

I'm very excited about the Material Graph. It paves the way to complex material setups.

One thing I miss though is being able to auto-insert a node when dragging it to touch an existing connection line between nodes. Now you have to manually rewire to insert a node between an existing node connection (unless I don't know of an already existing option to automatically do this).

Additionally, it would be great if you could insert a new node between two connected nodes by right-clicking on a connection line. If the current nodes connection line pop-up menu with the Remove and Disable options would be extended with all possible nodes (Materials, Textures, Animation, Utilities), that would speed up node workflow.

Many thanks in advance.

Best regards,

Metin

The Node editor in Blender takes some beating, and I would like to see many of its abilities in KeyShot's version, but considering that the node editor is new to KS, it has plenty of scope for further additional capabilities and refinements. We shall wait n see what the Dev Team come up with over the next few releases to see what direction the KS node editor will be travelling

Martin

[soren]

It sounds like a good idea Metin - we have noted the request.

Martin, can you elaborate on which features in the Blender node editor you would like to see in KeyShot?

Søren

[Metin Seven]

Thanks!

A few more very comfortable Cycles node features that spring to my mind are:

• Automatic node layout rearrangement after inserting a node into a node structure.

• Easy switching of node types (e.g. right-clicking on a node to change its material or texture type, in stead of having to delete the node, add a new node and connect it). This is a feature of the Node Wrangler add-on that is shipped along with the latest few Blender releases.

[mafrieger]

+1

[TpwUK]

It sounds like a good idea Metin - we have noted the request.

Martin, can you elaborate on which features in the Blender node editor you would like to see in KeyShot?

Søren

Hi Søren, thanks for asking ...

I love Blenders way of the final output not really caring what it was created from. Your output can be made up of different kinds of materials, metal (anisotropic), diffuse, glossy etc etc and they can all be combined in multiple ways. The colour coded node inputs and outputs steering you in the right direction. As others have mentioned the node editors ability to connect nodes on the fly is pretty darn cool too (see linked video). The math functions that are in Blender play a pivotal role in the final output shader.

So things like the following should be easily do-able in KS ...

Final Output type = Advanced
Diffuse/Colour = Curvature
+ Positive Curvature = Metal Type with all metal sub nodes available so you can have a rough metal poking through
+ Neutral Curvature = Paint Type with all sub nodes available so you can have a scratched paint surface
+Negative Curvature = Metallic Paint Type with all sub nodes available for creating rust with scratches and oxidised type bump

Making Fresnel available for driving IOR etc, being able to add math functions to nodes and shader mix types where needed freely. If you are trying to do something that will break the render, then a warning or a type mis-match and a refusal is a good way to learn things for people like me who don't have a clue what certain math functions would do but like to play anyway.

I suppose what I am really saying is, open the flood gate and let us have the full force, not just the failsafe overflow.

I have included a Blender file for you to look at (if you have blender installed)  and a screen shot showing the flexibility of their nodes system.

Here's a link to what I personally think is one of the best uses of the node editing that should be easy to adapt to KS but it isn't - The video also shows the smart automatic node insertion that others seem to like just as much as me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oojlF0m8KSE

Martin

<edit>  Sorry for the video insertion i was hoping it would just show as a link :/  ... me bad </edit>

[Metin Seven]

Great additions, Martin, thanks! I particularly second the useful guidance of color-coded node inputs and outputs.