Groom Operator
A Groom operator encapsulates a whole network of Ornatrix operators inside a single operator. It stores its own internal graph - everything needed to generate, modify, or convert hair, guides, and meshes - and presents it in the stack as one unit. It can also expose a few parameters of its own, so a complex groom can be driven through a small, tidy set of controls.
Why encapsulate a groom
Wrapping a network into a Groom operator keeps a complex setup manageable and reusable. The internal graph travels with the scene, so the encapsulated groom is self-contained, and the exposed parameters let you adjust it without opening up its internals.
How a groom operator is created
A Groom operator can arise in several ways:
- Importing a groom into the scene as a groom operator, rather than as a loose set of operators. See Template Grooms.
- Boxing one or more operators together into a single unit. See Operator Boxing and Unboxing.
- Grafting a groom onto a surface, which places it as a self-contained groom. See Graft Grooms.
Working with groom operators
In the stack a Groom operator behaves like any other operator: you can place operators below it to feed it and above it to process its output. Its exposed parameters appear in the Editing Operator Properties panel. To edit the network inside, unbox it or open it as appropriate. See Operator Boxing and Unboxing.