Node Graph

Within the Comp tab, you can create and edit Node Graphs. Use Node Graphs to add images and effects to cameras, displays, and USD primitives. Every node is built using GLSL shaders to maximize performance.

Create a Node Graph

To create a new node graph:

1.   Click the append icon () in the top left corner of the Node Graph panel.
2.   The new node graph will automatically be labeled Graph_1. To rename, right click the Node Graph tab.
3.   To add additional node graphs, click the plus icon. Alternatively, right click on an existing graph and choose to create a new graph either before or after the current graph. You can also duplicate the selected graph.

Creating Nodes

To add a new node in the Node Graph:

1.   Press tab in the Node Graph OR right-click in the Node Graph. A list of nodes will appear.
2.   Search the list by scrolling or using the search bar.
3.   Click on the node name or press Enter to create the node.
4.   Click the node or press Enter again to place the node in the node graph.
5.   To ‘favorite’ a node so it appears at the top of the search bar, click the favorite icon () to the right of the node name.

Note:  Most nodes closely match Nuke’s nodes in parameters and behavior. However, a small number of nodes do not exist in Nuke. For a full list of all nodes used in Nuke Stage, check the Node Reference Guide.

Editing Nodes

To connect nodes, left-click the node port and drag your mouse to the port you want to connect. To disconnect a node, right-click on a port and select the connection to disconnect.

You can access and edit a node’s parameters by right-clicking on the node, or by left-clicking the node and using the properties panel.

Connecting Nodes

Connect Existing Nodes

To connect nodes, left-click the node port and drag your mouse to the port you want to connect. To disconnect a node, right-click on a port and select the connection to disconnect.

You can connect one node's input/output connecting arrow to another node by clicking on the arrow connection end, dragging it over the other node, and releasing the mouse when it's over the body of the node. If there's already a connection to that input/output, then disconnect that other pipe and connect the current pipe you're dragging.

Creating and Connecting Nodes

To create a node and immediately connect it to an existing node that has no dst connections, left-mouse click and drag from the dst port of the existing node. A connecting arrow will appear, along with the node selection pop up. Select the node you want to connect and it will appear in your node graph.

Note:  if you select a node that has no src port, then it will be created but won’t connect to the existing node.

Alternatively, with a node selected, press the Tab key to create a new node. Click Enter to place the node in the graph, and it will be connected to the dst port of the previous node.

Disconnecting Nodes

To extract nodes from the node graph, select the node(s) you want to remove and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+X. Alternatively right-click the selected nodes and select Edit > Extract. The node connecting arrow will reroute to the next node.

If you don’t need to keep the node, you can delete it by right-clicking and choosing Remove, or using the Delete key. If it was connected to other nodes, the connecting arrow will reroute to the next node in the graph.

You can disconnect two nodes by clicking on the connecting arrow and dragging it away from the closest port.

Grouping Nodes

Grouping Nodes with the Backdrop Node

You can use the Backdrop node to visually group nodes in the Node Graph. Inserting a Backdrop node creates a box behind the nodes. When you move the box, all the nodes that overlap the box are moved, too.

By inserting several backdrop nodes, you can group the nodes in your node tree onto boxes of different colors and titles. This makes it easier to find a particular node in a large node tree, for example.

To Group Nodes with a Backdrop Node

1.   Select the nodes you want to group together. Right-click on one of them and select Add backdrop, or click Ctrl+B.

A backdrop node will be created encompassing the selected nodes.

2.   Drag the squares on each corner of the box to resize the box as necessary.
3.   Click on the box title bar and drag it to move the box behind the nodes you want to group together. If there are any nodes on the box, they move together with the box.
4.   To change the color of the box, open the Backdrop node’s properties by double-clicking on the title bar, then click the left color button and pick a new color with the color picker that appears.
5.   To add a description/label for the box, use the Label parameter in the node’s properties. The label will appear under the backdrop’s title.
6.   If you later want to remove both the box and the nodes inside it, click on the title bar and press Delete. Shift +clicking on the title bar and pressing Delete only removes the box and leaves the nodes untouched. To remove the nodes and leave the box untouched, select the nodes individually and press Delete.