The Node Graph
The Node Graph shows your groom as a network of connected nodes rather than a single linear list. Each node corresponds to an operator, and the connections between nodes describe how data flows from one to the next. The graph and the The Operator Stack are two views of the same groom: a change made in one is reflected in the other.
When to use the graph
For most grooms the linear Operator Stack is the quickest way to work. The Node Graph becomes valuable when your setup is not a straight line, for example when you want to:
- Branch a result so it feeds into more than one operator.
- Merge several inputs into one groom.
- Reuse the output of one part of the network in several places.
These arrangements are awkward to express as a single stack but natural as a graph.
Working in the graph
In the Node Graph you can add nodes, connect an output of one node to an input of another, and select a node to edit its parameters in the Editing Operator Properties panel. Selecting a node in the graph selects the corresponding operator in the stack, and vice versa, so you can move between the two views freely as you build and refine a groom.
Relationship to the stack
Think of the Operator Stack as the simple, linear face of your groom and the Node Graph as its full, branching form. Simple grooms look the same in both. As soon as a groom branches or merges, the graph is the clearer place to see and edit its structure.