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The graph view | Substance 3D Designer

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    7. The graph view
      1. The graph view
      2. Link Creation Modes
    8. The Library
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    9. Properties
    10. 2D view
    11. 3D View
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  5. Substance graphs
    1. Substance graphs
    2. Substance graph key concepts
    3. Creating a Substance graph
      1. Creating a Substance graph
      2. Graph instances / Sub-graphs
    4. Exposing a parameter
      1. Exposing a parameter
      2. Parameter presets
      3. Visible if: control visibility of inputs, outputs and parameters
    5. Graph parameters
    6. Inheritance in Substance graphs
    7. Output size
    8. Values in Substance graphs
    9. Publishing Substance 3D asset files (SBSAR)
    10. Exporting Bitmaps
    11. Exporting PSD files
    12. Sample Substance graphs
    13. Warnings in Substance graphs
    14. Nodes reference for Substance graphs
      1. Nodes reference for Substance graphs
      2. Atomic nodes
        1. Atomic nodes
        2. Bitmap
        3. Blend
          1. Blend
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      3. Node library
        1. Node library
        2. Texture Generators
          1. Texture Generators
          2. Noises
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            11. BnW Spots 1
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            14. Cells 1
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            18. Clouds 1
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            21. Creased
            22. Crystal 1
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            24. Directional Noise 1
            25. Directional Noise 2
            26. Directional Noise 3
            27. Directional Noise 4
            28. Directional Scratches
            29. Dirt 1
            30. Dirt 2
            31. Dirt 3
            32. Dirt 4
            33. Dirt 5
            34. Dirt Gradient
            35. Fluid
            36. Fractal Sum 1
            37. Fractal Sum 2
            38. Fractal Sum 3
            39. Fractal Sum 4
            40. Fractal Sum Base
            41. Fur 1
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            43. Fur 3
            44. Gaussian Noise
            45. Gaussian Spots 1
            46. Gaussian Spots 2
            47. Grunge Concrete
            48. Grunge Damas
            49. Grunge Galvanic Large
            50. Grunge Galvanic Small
            51. Grunge Leaks
            52. Grunge Leaky Paint
            53. Grunge Map 001
            54. Grunge Map 002
            55. Grunge Map 003
            56. Grunge Map 004
            57. Grunge Map 005
            58. Grunge Map 006
            59. Grunge Map 007
            60. Grunge Map 008
            61. Grunge Map 009
            62. Grunge Map 010
            63. Grunge Map 011
            64. Grunge Map 012
            65. Grunge Map 013
            66. Grunge Map 014
            67. Grunge Map 015
            68. Grunge Rough Dirty
            69. Grunge Rust Fine
            70. Grunge Scratches Dirty
            71. Grunge Scratches Fine
            72. Grunge Scratches Rough
            73. Grunge Shavings
            74. Grunge Splashes Dusty
            75. Grunge Spots
            76. Grunge Spots Dirty
            77. Liquid
            78. Messy Fibers 1
            79. Messy Fibers 2
            80. Messy Fibers 3
            81. Microscope View
            82. Moisture Noise
            83. Perlin Noise
            84. Plasma
            85. Caustics
            86. Voronoi
            87. Voronoi Fractal
            88. Waveform 1
            89. White Noise
            90. White Noise Fast
          3. Patterns
            1. Patterns
            2. 3D Linear Gradient
            3. 3D Volume Mask
            4. Alveolus
            5. Arc Pavement
            6. Brick 1
            7. Brick 2
            8. Brick Generator
            9. Checker 1
            10. Cube 3D
            11. Cube 3D GBuffers
            12. Fibers 1
            13. Fibers 2
            14. Gaussian 1
            15. Gaussian 2
            16. Gradient Axial
            17. Gradient Axial Reflected
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            21. Gradient Linear 3
            22. Gradient Radial
            23. Height Extrude
            24. Mesh 1
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            26. Panorama Shape
            27. Polygon 1
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            29. Scratches Generator
            30. Shape
            31. Shape Extrude
            32. Shape Mapper
            33. Shape Splatter
            34. Shape Splatter Blend
            35. Shape Splatter Data Extract
            36. Shape Splatter to Mask
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            42. Tile Generator
            43. Tile Random
            44. Tile Random 2
            45. Tile Sampler
            46. Triangle Grid
            47. Weave 1
            48. Weave 2
            49. Weave Generator
        3. Filters
          1. Filters
          2. Adjustments
            1. Adjustments
            2. Auto Levels
            3. Channel Mixer
            4. Chrominance Extract
            5. Clamp
            6. Color Match
            7. Color To Mask
            8. Contrast/Luminosity
            9. Convert To Linear
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            11. Grayscale Conversion Advanced
            12. Hald CLUT
            13. HDR Range Viewer
            14. Height Map Frequencies Mapper
            15. Highpass
            16. Histogram Range
            17. Histogram Scan
            18. Histogram Scan Non-Uniform
            19. Histogram Select
            20. Histogram Shift
            21. Invert
            22. Lighting Cancel High Frequencies
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            24. Luminance Highpass
            25. Min Max
            26. Pow
            27. Quantize
            28. Replace Color
            29. Replace Color Range
            30. Threshold
          3. Blending
            1. Blending
            2. Color (Blend Node)
            3. Color Burn
            4. Color Dodge
            5. Difference
            6. Dissolve
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            8. Luminosity (Blend Node)
            9. Multi Switch
            10. Switch
          4. Blurs
            1. Blurs
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          5. Channels
            1. Channels
            2. RGBA Merge
            3. RGBA Split
            4. Alpha Merge
            5. Alpha Split
            6. Pre-Multiplied to Straight
            7. Straight to Pre-multiplied
          6. Effects
            1. Effects
            2. 3D Texture Position
            3. 3D Texture SDF
            4. 3D Texture Surface Render
            5. 3D Texture Volume Render
            6. Ambient Occlusion (HBAO) (Filter Node)
            7. Ambient Occlusion (RTAO)
            8. Bevel (Filter Node)
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            10. Curvature (Filter Node)
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            13. Diffusion Color
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            16. Edge Detect
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            19. Flood Fill
            20. Flood Fill Mapper
            21. Flood Fill to BBox Size
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            28. FXAA
            29. Glow
            30. Mosaic
            31. Multi Directional Warp
            32. Non Uniform Directional Warp
            33. Reaction Diffusion Fast
            34. RT Irradiance
            35. RT Shadow
            36. Shadows (Filter Node)
            37. Shape Drop Shadow
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            39. Shape Stroke
            40. Summed Area Table
            41. Swirl
            42. Uber Emboss
            43. Vector Morph
            44. Vector Warp
          7. Normal Map
            1. Normal Map
            2. Bent Normal
            3. Facing Normal
            4. Height Normal Blender
            5. Height to Normal World Units
            6. Normal Blend
            7. Normal Combine
            8. Normal Invert
            9. Normal Normalize
            10. Normal Sobel
            11. Normal to Height
            12. Normal To Height HQ
            13. Normal Transform
            14. Normal Vector Rotation
          8. Tiling
            1. Tiling
            2. Make It Tile Patch
            3. Make It Tile Photo
          9. Transforms
            1. Transforms
            2. 3D Texture Offset
            3. Auto Crop
            4. Cartesian To Polar
            5. Clone (Filter Node)
            6. Mirror (Filter Node)
            7. Noise Upscale 1
            8. Noise Upscale 2
            9. Noise Upscale 3
            10. Non-Square Transform
            11. Non-Uniform Rotation
            12. Polar to Cartesian
            13. Quad Transform
            14. Safe Transform
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            18. Trapezoid Transform
        4. Material Filters
          1. Material Filters
          2. 1-Click
            1. 1-Click
            2. Bitmap to Material Light
          3. Effects (Material)
            1. Effects (Material)
            2. Height Blend
            3. Material Height Blend
            4. Season Filter
            5. Snow Cover
            6. Water Level
          4. Transforms (Material)
            1. Transforms (Material)
            2. Material Transform
          5. Blending (Material)
            1. Blending (Material)
            2. Material Adjustment Blend
            3. Material Blend
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            6. Multi-Material Blend
          6. PBR Utilities
            1. PBR Utilities
            2. BaseColor / Metallic / Roughness converter
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            5. PBR BaseColor / Metallic Validate
            6. PBR Dielectric F0
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          7. Scan Processing
            1. Scan Processing
            2. AO Cancellation
            3. Atlas Scatter
            4. Atlas Splitter
            5. Clone Patch
            6. Color Equalizer
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            10. Multi-Angle to Albedo
            11. Multi-Angle to Normal
            12. Multi Clone Patch
            13. Multi Color Equalizer
            14. Multi Crop
            15. Smart Auto Tile
        5. Mesh Based Generators
          1. Mesh Based Generators
          2. Mask Generators
            1. Mask Generators
            2. Bottom To Top
            3. Cloth Wear
            4. Dirt
            5. Dripping Rust
            6. Dust
            7. Edge Blur
            8. Edge Damages
            9. Edge Dirt
            10. Edge Notch
            11. Edge Select
            12. Edge Speckle
            13. Edge Wear
            14. Fiber Glass Edge Wear
            15. Grease
            16. Ground Dirt
            17. Leaks
            18. Leather Wear
            19. Light
            20. Mask Builder
            21. Metal Edge Wear
            22. Paint Wear
            23. Selective Dirt
            24. Sun Bleach
            25. Surface Brush
          3. Weathering
            1. Weathering
            2. Cracks Weathering
            3. Fabric Weathering
            4. Leather Weathering
            5. Metal Weathering
            6. Moss Weathering
            7. Rock Weathering
            8. Rust Weathering
          4. Utilities (Mesh Based Generators)
            1. Utilities (Mesh Based Generators)
            2. 3D Planar Projection
            3. Material Mesh Data Blender
            4. Material Selector
            5. Mesh Data Combiner
            6. Tri Planar
        6. 3D View (Library)
          1. 3D View (Library)
          2. HDRI Tools
            1. HDRI Tools
            2. Blackbody
            3. Color Temperature Adjustment
            4. Exposure
            5. Exposure Preview
            6. HDR Merge
            7. Nadir Extract
            8. Nadir Patch
            9. Panorama 3D Position
            10. Panorama Rotation
            11. Gradient 2 Points
            12. Gradient Linear (HDRI)
            13. Line Light
            14. Physical Sun/Sky
            15. Plane Light
            16. Shape Light
            17. Sphere Light
            18. Straighten Horizon
      4. Graph items
  6. Substance function graphs
    1. Substance function graphs
    2. What is a Substance function graph?
    3. Create and edit a Substance function graph
    4. The Substance function graph
    5. Variables
      1. Variables
      2. System variables
      3. Get a variable value
      4. Create a variable
    6. FX-Maps
      1. FX-Maps
      2. How it works
      3. The Iterate Node
      4. The Quadrant Node
      5. Using Substance function graphs in FX-Maps
        1. Using Substance function graphs
          in FX-Maps
        2. Iterate and $number variable
        3. Using the Sampler nodes
        4. Using the Set/Sequence nodes
    7. Warnings in Substance function graphs
    8. Sample Substance function graphs
    9. Nodes reference for Substance function graphs
      1. Nodes reference for Substance function graphs
      2. Function Nodes Overview
      3. Constant Nodes
      4. Vector and Swizzle nodes
      5. Get Nodes
      6. Sampler nodes
      7. Cast nodes
      8. Operator nodes
      9. Logical nodes
      10. Comparison nodes
      11. Function nodes
      12. Control nodes
  7. MDL graphs
    1. MDL graphs
    2. Main MDL graph concepts
    3. Creating an MDL graph
    4. MDL library
    5. Exposing parameters in MDL graphs
    6. Substance graphs and MDL materials
    7. Exporting MDL content
    8. Warnings in MDL graphs
    9. MDL learning resources
  8. Bakers
    1. Bakers
    2. Bakers Legacy Interface
  9. Best Practices
    1. Best Practices
    2. Filesize Reduction Guidelines
    3. Graph Creation Etiquette
    4. Performance optimization guidelines
  10. Pipeline and Project Configuration
    1. Pipeline and Project Configuration
    2. Project Configuration Files - SBSPRJ
    3. Configuration List - SBSCFG
    4. User Preferences - Automating Setup
    5. Retrieving the installation path
    6. Installation via Command Line
    7. Environment variables
  11. Color Management
    1. Color Management
    2. Spot Colors (Pantone)
  12. Package Metadata
  13. Scripting
    1. Scripting
    2. Plugin basics
    3. Plugin search paths
    4. Plugins packages
    5. Plugin Manager
    6. Python Editor
    7. Accessing graphs and selections
    8. Nodes and properties
    9. Undo and redo
    10. Application callbacks
    11. Creating user interface elements
    12. Adding actions to the Explorer toolbar
    13. Using color management
    14. Using spot colors
    15. Logging
    16. Using threads
    17. Debugging plugins using Visual Studio Code
    18. Porting previous plugins
    19. Packaging plugins
    20. Scripting API reference
  14. Technical issues
    1. Technical issues
    2. Warnings and errors
    3. Cannot create/load a project
    4. Application does not start
    5. Crash when rendering graphs
    6. Parameters not working as expected
    7. Incorrect image output
    8. 3D View issues
    9. User interface issues
  15. Release Notes
    1. Release Notes
    2. All Changes
    3. Version 12.4
    4. Version 12.3
    5. Version 12.2
    6. Version 12.1
    7. Version 11.3
    8. Version 11.2
    9. Version 2021.1 (11.1)
    10. Old versions
      1. Old Versions
      2. Version 2020.2 (10.2)
      3. Version 2020.1 (10.1)
      4. Version 2019.3 (9.3)
      5. Version 2019.2 (9.2)
      6. Version 2019.1 (9.1)

The graph view

This page presents the Graph view of Substance 3D Designer.

The graph view is the main window of Substance 3D Designer, where you author and edit your graphs. The graph view has two main areas: a toolbar at the top, providing quick access to certain functions, and the actual graph area where nodes are placed.

The graph view is used for all graph types, but differs slightly between Substance graphs, function graphs, MDL graphs and FX-Map graphs, mainly in the toolbar area.


Viewport navigation

Navigating the graph happens in two dimensions, by Panning and Zooming.

  • You Pan by dragging anywhere on the graph with Middle-Mouse Button, or by dragging with Ctrl + Right Mouse Button.
  • You Zoom by Scrolling up or down with the Mouse Wheel, or by dragging up and down with Alt + Right-Mouse Button.
Note:

Zoom direction

Each of the zooming methods is inverted with the other:

  • Mouse wheel up pulls the graph view closer
  • Alt+RMB and drag up pushes the graph view away
Viewport navigation

You focus on the selected Node(s), or the whole graph if nothing is selected, with Hotkey F.

Navigation can also happen by using Pins and Hotkey F2, see graph Items.


Graph contextual menu

When clicking RMB in empty space in the graph, a contextual menu appears and can include the following options:

  • Add node: Open the Node menu to add a node in the graph;
  • Add comment: Add an unparented Comment graph object;
  • Add frame: Add a Frame graph object;
  • Add pin: Add a Pin graph object;
  • Add Dot node: Add a Dot node;
  • View outputs in 3D View: Assign all the graph's outputs to a material in the 3D View by matching usages, see Interacting with the 3D View below;
  • Reset and view outputs in 3D View: Reset a material in the 3D View and assign all the graph's outputs to that material by matching usages, see Interacting with the 3D View below;
  • View output in 2D View: Display one of the graph's outputs in the 2D View, see Interacting with the 2D View below;
  • Compute node thumbnails: Trigger the computation of the result of all nodes in the graph – which will be stored in the image cache – and use their first output as their thumbnail;
  • Clear nodes thumbnails: Clear the image cache containing the result of all nodes in the graph, which in turn clears the node's thumbnails;
  • Save package: Save the package which contains this graph;
  • Paste: Paste the nodes currently copied in the clipboard, including their upstream connections;
  • Paste without link: Paste the nodes currently copied in the clipboard, excluding their upstream connections;
  • Select all: Select all nodes in the graph;
  • Previous pin: Navigate to the previous Pin object in the graph;
  • Next pin: Navigate to the next Pin object in the graph;
  • Copy selection: Copy the selected node(s), connection(s) and parameter value(s) to the clipboard;
  • Delete selection: Delete the selected node(s);
  • Delete and relink: Delete the selected node(s) and replace them by direct connections from their upstream nodes to their downstream nodes, if possible;
  • Duplicate selection: Duplicate the selected node(s) in the same graph including their upstream connections;
  • Duplicate selection without link: Duplicate the selected node(s) in the same graph excluding their upstream connections;
  • Select upstream nodes: Select all nodes upstream of the selected node(s);
  • Select downstream nodes: Select all nodes downstream of the selected node(s);
  • Swap links*: Swap the connections between the selected pair of input and output connectors;
  • Disable node/selection: Disable the selected node(s) so they have no impact on the result of the stream, see Disabling nodes below.

*: Only available when the selection includes two links, or three nodes where two of the nodes are connected to inputs of the same third node.


Working with nodes

Graphs are primarily vessels for nodes which can ingest, generate and modifiy data then output it as the graph's result. Using nodes involve the following concepts and actions.

PLACING AND MANAGING NODES

Nodes can be placed in the graph in 5 ways. Each method works for all types of graphs.

  • By clicking or dragging from an icon on the node toolbar (see below). Only Atomic nodes can be placed this way.
  • By right-clicking on an empty area of the graph, and choosing Add node. Only Atomic nodes can be placed this way.
  • By dragging a thumbnail from the Library View into the graph View. This method works for all types of nodes, including node Instances.
  • By pressing Spacebar to access the quick menu. This menu provides access to all node types, has a search interface and lets your favorite certain nodes so they appear on top of the list.
    This menu filters its results based on the currently selected node's output types, showing only nodes that can be connected without errors.
  • By binding keyboard shortcuts to the creation of specific nodes. See Preferences window.
Placing nodes

If a node is placed when another node is selected, Designer will attempt to automatically connect the new node to the old node.
This automatic connection always places the new node after the old one in the flow.

Removing nodes can be done in two ways, depending on how you want a lost link to be treated:

  • Select a node and press Delete, or right-click and choose Delete Selection. This breaks all existing connections, potentially leading to broken functionality.
  • Select a node and press Backspace, or right-click and choose Delete and Relink. This attempts to keep links when possible, preventing broken functionality.

SELECTING NODES

You may select one or more nodes to copy them, delete them, move them around the graph, etc.

To select a single node, place the cursor on the node and click LMB.

To select multiple nodes, the several methods are available:

  • One-by-one: Hold Ctrl then click LMB on nodes. Unselected nodes are added to the selection, while selected nodes are removed from the selection;
  • Selection box: Click LMB on empty space in the graph, hold then drag the cursor to draw a selection box. Nodes at least partially included in the box are selected when releasing LMB;
  • Upstream: Click RMB on a node and select the Select upstream nodes option: the node and all nodes which are part of streams connected to the node's inputs are selected;
  • Downstream: Click RMB on a node and select the Select downstream nodes option: the node and all nodes which are part of streams connected to the node's outputs are selected.
Selecting nodes

Node contextual menu

When clicking RMB on a node, a contextual menu appears and can include the following options:

  • View output in 2D View: Display one of the node's outputs in the 2D View, see Interacting with the 2D View below;
  • View in 3D View: Assign all the node's outputs to a material in the 3D View by matching usages, see Interacting with the 3D View below;
  • Reset and view in 3D View: Reset a material in the 3D View and assign all the node's outputs to that material by matching usages, see Interacting with the 3D View below;
  • View output in 3D View*: Assign a specific node output to a material in the 3D View by matching usages;
  • Add comment: Create a Comment graph object and parent it to this node;
  • Add frame: Create a Frame graph object and fit it to the selected node(s);
  • Copy info to clipboard: Copy the node's unique identifier (UID) to the clipboard;
  • Expose parameters: Display the Expose node parameters dialog for this node;
  • Create*: Create input and/or output nodes for each of this node's inputs and/or outputs;
  • Open reference*: Load the graph referenced by this node as a separate Graph View tab;
  • Open reference in context**: Load the graph referenced by this node in the context of the current graph, as a breadcrumb in the existing Graph View tab;
  • Create graph from selection: Copy the selected node(s) into a new graph;
  • Copy selection: Copy the selected node(s), connection(s) and parameter value(s) to the clipboard;
  • Delete selection: Delete the selected node(s);
  • Delete and relink: Delete the selected node(s) and replace them by direct connections from their upstream nodes to their downstream nodes, if possible;
  • Duplicate selection: Duplicate the selected node(s) in the same graph including their upstream connections;
  • Duplicate selection without link: Duplicate the selected node(s) in the same graph excluding their upstream connections;
  • Select upstream nodes: Select all nodes upstream of the selected node(s);
  • Select downstream nodes: Select all nodes downstream of the selected node(s);
  • Swap links***: Swap the connections between the selected pair of input and output connectors;
  • Disable node/selection: Disable the node or selected node(s) so they have no impact on the result of the stream, see Disabling nodes below.

*: Only available for graph instance nodes.
**: Only available for graph instance nodes and if the Enable in-context editing option is checked in the Preferences.
***: Only available when the selection includes two links, or three nodes where two of the nodes are connected to inputs of the same third node.

Alert:

If RMB was clicked when the cursor is placed over a node, several of these contextual menu options will target that node, regardless of whether other nodes are currently selected in the graph.
Therefore, for a consistently predictable outcome it is recommended to always place the cursor over the node which is part of the selection you actually want to target with a contextual menu action.

Connecting nodes

A node A's output connector can be connected to another node B's input connector, which will result in node B using the data output by A for performing its computations.

Note:

All of a node's connectors do not have to necessarily be connected. Leaving connectors bare results in the following:

  • for a input connector: the node falls back to a default value set for that input;
  • for an output connector: the data is ignored and discarded when the graph is computed.
Connecting nodes

You may create a new link by clicking LMB on each of those connectors, in any order.
Also, if a node B is created while a node A is selected, then the first output of node A will be automatically connected to the primary input of node B.

The following operations may be performed on existing links:

  • Delete: Delete links by either clicking LMB on the link and pressing Delete, or by Alt-clicking on any connection that has links. Alt-clicking deletes all links on that connection;
  • Duplicate: Duplicate links by holding Ctrl, clicking LMB on a connector and dragging the cursor. Click LMB on another connector to connect the link;
  • Move: Links can be picked up and moved from a connector to another by holding Shift, clicking LMB on a connector and dragging the cursor. Click LMB on another connector to connect the link.

Disabling nodes

Note:

This only applies to Substance graphs.

Nodes can be disabled so they have no effect in the graph but do not need to be disconnected or deleted.

Disabled nodes have the following behaviour:

  • They are displayed with the  Disabled badgedashed outline, and an interior rerouting link instead of a thumbnail;
  • The nodes will output the data received in their main input;
  • Disabled nodes can be chained together;
  • Their properties and connections are not modified;
  • Their disabled state is saved and persists across sessions;
  • When publishing to SBSAR, the resulting file takes into account the disabled state of nodes – i.e. what you see is what you get.

You can disable a node or a group of selected nodes by using the Shift+D keystroke, or by right-clicking in the graph and selecting the Disable node/Disable selection item in the contextual menu.

Alert:

Only nodes which match the following criteria may be disabled:

  • The node has at least one input
  • The node has only one output
  • The types of the main input and of the output must match – i.e. grayscale to grayscale, color to color
  • All selected nodes must have the same state – i.e. all must be enabled, the same rule applies for enabling them
Disabling nodes


Interacting with the 2D View

Note:

This only applies to Substance graphs.

To display a node output in the 2D View, double-click LMB on a node, or click RMB on the node and select the View Output in 2D View option in the contextual menu. If the node has more than one output, select the desired output in the submenu.

You may display any of the graph outputs in the 2D View by clicking RMB on an empty area in the Graph View, and selecting the View Output in 2D View option in the contextual menu. If the graph has more than one output, select the desired output in the submenu.


Interacting with the 3D View

Note:

This only applies to Substance graphs.

To apply an node output in the 3D View, click RMB on a node and select the View in 3D View option in the contextual menu. If the node has more than one output, select the desired output in the submenu. Then choose a target channel of the shader currently used in the 3D View.

(Substance graph only) You may apply all the graph outputs in the 3D View by clicking RMB on an empty area in the Graph View, and selecting the View Outputs in 3D View option in the contextual menu. Make sure one or more Output nodes are present in the graph and that it is set up correctly.


Toolbars

Note:

The full list only applies to Substance graphs. Other graph types have a limited set of these options.

Graph tools

The main toolbar can be found in every graph type, and provides general functions, as well as toggles for the visibility of the other toolbars. You can find these functions:

 Focus selection: (F) Focus view on selection, or whole scene if selection is empty.

 Reset zoom: (Z) Bring back the current zoom level to it's default state, and centers the view on the middle of the graph. Can mean zooming in or out.

 Export Graph view: Exports the full graph at a 1:1 resolution as an image. Useful for sharing a screenshot of your entire graph.

 Node information:

  • Display connector name - Toggles the name display of each individual connector on a node.
  • Display node result - Toggles the display of numerical values in nodes (MDL graph only)
  • Display node badges - Toggles node Badges on all nodes.
  • Display node size - Toggles node resolution display (Substance graph only)
  • Display timings - Toggles display of millisecond timings for each node (Substance graph only)
  • Limit text scaling when zooming out - Keeps the text of graph items at a constant screen size past a zoom threshold, which keeps the text clearly visible when zooming out.

 Node finder: (Ctrl+F) Opens up extra are of the toolbar to search and highlight nodes within your graph.

 Highlight flow: Highlight any nodes connected before, or after the currently selected node. Good for tracing a complex path of nodes.

 Node palette: shows or hide the node toolbar, see below.

 Rectangle links: Switch between rounded or rectangular-shaped links between nodes. Not available for FX-Maps.

 Align tools: Toggles display of the Align Tools.

Only on Substance graphs:

 Parent size: Toggles display of the Parent Resolution control settings, see below.

 Link Creation Modes: Choose between Standard (1), material (2) and Compact material (3) link creation modes.

 Timings control: Lets you reset all nodes and reset all timings.

 Tools:

 Node image cache: Toggles display of the node image cache toggle, see below.

 Remove unused nodes: Displays options for removing unused nodes in graphs, see below.

Node palette

The node toolbar differs depending on the graph type:

Node palette

Graph items palette

FX-Map palette

Parent size

This toolbar is only available in Substance graphs, and sets the Output Size of the graph's parent, which impacts the graph's Output Size if it uses the Relative to parent inheritance method.

Parent size toolbar

Horizontal and vertical size are linked by default, but can be unlinked for non-square textures. Values can also be reset to the default value of 256 x 256.

Node image cache

This toggle the use of cache when computing nodes in Substance graphs.

Node image cache setting

When a node is computed, its output images are stored in memory – i.e., cache – so they can be reused when recomputing the graph if this node is not impacted by a change. This means only the part of the graph which actually changes gets recomputed.

The memory storage limit of this cache can be changed in the General section of the Preferences, under the Memory section.

Enabling this option results in a large boost to the overall responsiveness of graph computations, at the cost of a significant increase of Designer's memory usage.

Remove unused nodes

As you iterate in graphs and try things, some nodes which have no effect on the final result can get left behind. This adds clutter as well as wasteful computation since all nodes are evaluated in the first stages of graph rendering.

Remove unused nodes drop down menu

The  Remove unused nodes tool deletes all nodes that are not part of a stream which ends in an output node. The only exception is input nodes since deleting these would change the interface of instance nodes referencing this graph.

Remove unused nodes

The first option applies the cleaning to the current graph exclusively.

If the current graph is a Substance graph, a second option is enabled which lets you include all node parameter functions in the cleaning process. This means if a function graph controlling a node parameter value has unused nodes, then that graph will be cleaned as well following the same rules.

After the cleaning has completed, a report dialog is displayed. You will find more details in the Console, as logs tagged GraphCleaner. These logs will include the number of removed nodes per graph and parameter functions.

Cleaning can be undone across all impacted graphs as a single action.

Align tools

These tools are a set of simple helpers to align and organize your nodes. They work in all graph types.

 Align horizontally: Aligns all selected nodes horizontally.

 Align vertically: Aligns all selected nodes vertically.

 Snap nodes to grid: Snaps all selected nodes to nearest grid positions.

 

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