Guillaume, you are right, but it actually is a bit more than that:
- Automatic on the fly type conversion to get rid of conversion nodes once and for all.
- Multi-Inputs with Photoshop like layer modes to get rid of mixer nodes for all those simple every day needs.
- Muting inputs or complete nodes
- Keeping unconnected nodes.
- Node preview.
- And sure, multiple outputs.
Especially the second is driving me nuts, since often I want to combine a texture with a surface color. In messiah I can set the input to +, -, * etc to just mix it with the already existing surface or with the texture below.
But today I had it after applying several image textures with alpha channels to a surface. In messiah I just connect the image node to the material input and be done with it: where the alpha is transparent I can see the texture or color below without any further ado. In XSI I need 3 to 4 nodes to get the same. If it would render faster than LW or messiah, I would accept it, but it is in fact slower with rendering image textures.
I already simulate some of the options in my own shaders, but that becomes rather convoluted without a better node interface.
And since I can see no development in that area since 4.0, I think about doing my own system.
I just thought I ask if something like this exists or was done before.
Cheers,
Thomas Helzle
P.S. For reference: http://www.screendream.de/stuff/messiah_nodes.jpg
On Wed, 14 Jun 2006 19:57:09 +0200, guillaume laforge <guillaume.laforge.3d(at)gmail.com> wrote:
I think Thomas idea is something like in Messiah. Shader nodes with the
ability to output several things from the shader.
Would love something like this in XSI !
A "multi-lightmap" output would be usefull too. Why only one lightmap input
limitation in the material ?
Cheers
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