Datasheet

■ Setting Up a Composite 25
To duplicate a node with its current setting, select the node and choose Edit • →
Duplicate from the menu bar.
You can clone a node by selecting the node and choosing Edit •
→ Clone from the menu
bar. Cloning differs from duplication in that the cloned node maintains an active link
to the original node (see Figure 1.24). Thus, if the properties of the original node are
updated, the updated information is passed to the cloned node. You can sever the link
between the clone and the original by choosing the cloned node and selecting Edit
→
Declone.
Figure 1.24 A cloned node (left) is automatically connected to the source
node (right), as indicated by the orange pipe and the orange C symbol at the
top-left corner of each node icon.
To help organize the node network, you can force bends into pipes. To do so, choose •
the node that is upstream (that is, provides the output), RMB+click and choose Other
→
Dot. A dot icon is inserted into the pipe (see Figure 1.25). You can LMB+drag the dot
and thus force a right angle into the connection. The dot carries no parameters. You can
also insert a dot by pressing the Ctrl key while
the mouse is in the Node Graph. A diamond
appears at the midpoint of every pipe. Continue
to hold the Ctrl key while LMB+dragging a
diamond. The diamond is instantly converted
to a dot.
To zoom in or out of the Node Graph, •
Alt+MMB+drag. To pan, Alt+LMB+drag.
To frame the node network automatically,
MMB+click while the mouse pointer is over
the Node Graph.
Using the Viewer Pane and Viewers
To view a composite, you must connect a viewer to the node network. By default, a Viewer 1
node is provided. To connect Viewer 1, LMB+drag the 1 pipe and drop it on top of the node
you wish to view. Once a viewer is connected, its output is displayed in the Viewer pane.
You can also connect a viewer by selecting the node you wish to view and pressing the 1
key. You can connect more than one node to a viewer (see Figure 1.26). To do so, select the
nodes one at a time and press the next available viewer number on the keyboard, such as 2,
3, or 4. To have each connection’s output appear in the Viewer pane, press the appropriate
number key.
You can create additional viewers and connect each viewer to a different node. To do
so, choose Viewer
→ Create New Viewer from the menu bar. If more than one viewer exists
in a script, each viewer receives a tab in the Viewer pane.
Figure 1.25 A dot creates a bend in
a pipe.
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