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Feature Request Node editor usability improvement suggestions

Discussion in 'Shader Graph' started by lostminds, Jul 16, 2019.

  1. lostminds

    lostminds

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2019
    Posts:
    51
    Hello, I'm learning to use the shader graph, and I must say I like it a lot and find it super powerful. However, apart from expanding and changing individual node functionalities I think there are also some more basic node editor functionalities you could add or change to make it a lot easier to work with the editor. As it so happens I also work on developing a node based graphics app, and perhaps you could be inspired by some of the node editor ideas I've implemented there. While the concept is a little different, and my app focuses on 2d vector graphics, I think there are several ideas that would translate quite well into the shader graph interface.

    If you want to see it in action, you can see how my node editor Patternodes works here:


    As for the features I think would be nice additions to the shader graph editor:
    - Simple deleting. This one's not very complicated, simply allow users to delete selected nodes or connections by pressing the delete or backspace key.

    - Retain connections on delete/disconnect. When a deleted node has an input connection that is compatible to the next connected not in sequence, try connecting the input to that node where the output of the deleted node was. In Other words, if you have nodes A-B-C and remove B, try to connect A-C.

    - Add nodes on connection. Right now all you can do on a connection is delete it. It would be very useful if you could add nodes on a connection. This would be limited to nodes that support input and output compatible with the connection and the new node would be added connected from the start to the nodes at the start and end of the connection.

    - Play/pause/scroll animation controls. Add some sort of controls for starting/stopping or setting the animation time.

    - Tool tips and socket/connection explanations. Add hover tool tips on sockets and connections, explaining what types of values they represent and what they can be connected to. I think this would be especially useful for the type change connections where the input is converted from one type to another.
     
    EvOne likes this.