The Compositing Graph


The compositing graph is the nodal system of the authoring tool MaPZone2, and the main part of the texture creation process.
It allows you to combine Filters fed by FX-Map, FX-Maps-Links and FX-Filters to FX-Maps.
You can then combine the result of these filters with each other or with additional FX-Maps: the possibilities are endless.

The compositing graph allows you also to define output nodes. Each output node corresponds to a bitmap that will be rendered by the ProFX2 engine at runtime in your game, and which can be used just like any regular bitmap image.

Compositing Graph


Compositing Graph functions and shortcuts




Contextual Menu


RMB anywhere in the Compositing Graph area to open the contextual menu or go through the "Graph" Menu.

Graph Menu Graph Menu


This contextual menu offers the following items:
  • New Filter : creates a new Filter in the Compositing Graph
  • New FX-Map : creates a new FX-Map, FX-Map Link or FX-Filters to FX-Maps
  • Add External Links... : browse the library to import an External Link
  • Import... : browse the library to merge in a preset
  • Pan Mode : enter Pan Mode to navigate through the Compositing Graph
  • Reduce : reduces the scale of the graph display (for a quicker navigation in large graphs)
  • Thumbs View : shows thumbnail images of resulting bitmaps over each node. This makes it easier to understand how a given texture is built.



Navigation


WMB to navigate in the Compositing Graph

Graph Nav


Connecting Nodes

Link Nodes



Cut Node Links

Cut Links



Thumbnails View


CTRLRMBto enter Thumbs View :
Thumb View



Reduce Mode

Reduce Mode



Node Creation Panel


ALTRMBanywhere in the Compositing Graph area to open the quick panel.

Graph Menu


More about the color code used in the default skin:

  • The FX-Maps nodes are always in black.
  • The smaller grey node is for FX-Filters to FX-Maps (transform any result obtain by mixing Filters into something able to feed them like a FX-Map)
  • The color nodes ares for FX-Filters. ex: emboss, colorize etc...
  • Output nodes are always in purple (e.g. Diffuse and Normal).

For more details about each type of filter node, refer to the page FX-Filters


CategoryGraphism