PyNodes opens up the node system in Blender to scripters and adds a number of UI-level improvements.
=== Dynamic node type registration ===
Node types can now be added at runtime, using the RNA registration mechanism from python. This enables addons such as render engines to create a complete user interface with nodes.
Examples of how such nodes can be defined can be found in my personal wiki docs atm [1] and as a script template in release/scripts/templates_py/custom_nodes.py [2].
=== Node group improvements ===
Each node editor now has a tree history of edited node groups, which allows opening and editing nested node groups. The node editor also supports pinning now, so that different spaces can be used to edit different node groups simultaneously. For more ramblings and rationale see (really old) blog post on code.blender.org [3].
The interface of node groups has been overhauled. Sockets of a node group are no longer displayed in columns on either side, but instead special input/output nodes are used to mirror group sockets inside a node tree. This solves the problem of long node lines in groups and allows more adaptable node layout. Internal sockets can be exposed from a group by either connecting to the extension sockets in input/output nodes (shown as empty circle) or by adding sockets from the node property bar in the "Interface" panel. Further details such as the socket name can also be changed there.
[1] http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Phonybone/Python_Nodes
[2] http://projects.blender.org/scm/viewvc.php/trunk/blender/release/scripts/templates_py/custom_nodes.py?view=markup&root=bf-blender
[3] http://code.blender.org/index.php/2012/01/improving-node-group-interface-editing/
The group node operators offset nodes when moving them between node trees, but this should only be done for "free", un-parented nodes not attached to a frame, otherwise the node loc is relative to the parent node.
Issue was caused by couple of circumstances:
- Normal Map node requires tesselated faces to compute tangent space
- All temporary meshes needed for Cycles export were adding to G.main
- Undo pushes would temporary set meshes tessfaces to NULL
- Moving node will cause undo push and tree re-evaluate fr preview
All this leads to threading conflict between preview render and undo
system.
Solved it in way that all temporary meshes are adding to that exact
Main which was passed to Cycles via BlendData. This required couple
of mechanic changes like adding extra parameter to *_add() functions
and adding some *_ex() functions to make it possible RNA adds objects
to Main passed to new() RNA function.
This was tricky to pass Main to RNA function and IMO that's not so
nice to pass main to function, so ended up with such decision:
- Object.to_mesh() will add temp mesh to G.main
- Added Main.meshes.new_from_object() which does the same as to_mesh,
but adds temporary mesh to specified Main.
So now all temporary meshes needed for preview render would be added
to preview_main which does not conflict with undo pushes.
Viewport render shall not be an issue because object sync happens from
main thread in this case.
It could be some issues with final render, but that's not so much
likely to happen, so shall be fine.
Thanks to Brecht for review!
if make group is called with only one node selected ALL the node sockets are linked to the node group
with help+review from Lukas Toenne
This patch aims towards motivating users to use Group Node to share OSL nodes
