The FxTree

The FxTree is where you create networks of linked operators to composite images and create effects. Operators are represented by nodes that you can link together manually or connect beforehand using the Fx Operator Selector.

If you need to build several different networks, you can create multiple instances of the FxTree workspace — called trees — to organize them more efficiently. Each tree is a separate operator in the scene with its own node in the explorer.

For more information about building effects in the FxTree, see Building Effects.

A	Menu Bar
B	Import Images button
C	Import Raster Paint Clip button
D	Examples of operators
E	Mouse pointer held over input provides additional information
F	Navigation Control
G	Operator Inputs
H	Operator Output

To display the FxTree

Do one of the following:

To display the Compositing layout featuring all of Softimage's compositing tools including the FxTree, choose View Layouts Compositing.

or
To view the FxTree on its own, do one of the following:
- To open the FxTree in a viewport, click the name of the current view and choose FxTree from the Views menu.
  
  or
- To open the FxTree in a floating window, choose View Compositing FxTree from the main menu.

Navigating in the Fx Tree

There are a number of different ways in which you can move about in the FxTree. You can use the same pan and zoom tools that you use in 3D views, or you can use the Navigation Control. The Navigation Control lets you pan and zoom using only the mouse.

To pan and zoom in the FxTree

Do one of the following:

Press Z to activate the Pan and Zoom tool. You can now left-click to pan in any direction, middle-click to zoom in, or right-click to zoom out.

or
Press S to activate the Navigation tool. You can now left-click to pan in any direction, or middle-click+drag to zoom in and out.

or
On the numeric keypad, press + (plus) to zoom in by one level or - (minus) to zoom out by one level.

or
Use the Navigation Control to navigate. This is described in Using the Navigation Control below.

Zooming with the Mouse Wheel

By default, you can zoom using the mouse wheel. Scroll forward to zoom in and backward to zoom out. Press Ctrl to zoom quickly, Shift to zoom slowly, and Ctrl+Shift to zoom even more slowly.

If desired, you can disable the mouse wheel zoom or restrict it to the Navigation tool so that you can use the mouse wheel with other tools. See Mouse Wheel in Camera Preferences [Preference Reference].

Using the Navigation Control

The Navigation Control combines a rectangular bird's-eye view of the FxTree, used for panning, with a slider, that controls zooming. The rectangle represents the entire FxTree workspace in miniature. Inside this rectangle, a light gray rectangle represents the visible portion of the image, while an even lighter gray rectangles represent the operators in the workspace.

A	Operators	C	Zoom Slider
B	Pan Rectangle	D	Reset Zoom

With the zoom slider on the right, you can move the pointer up and down to zoom in and out.

The Navigation controls are automatically displayed when you place the first operator in the FxTree.

To pan using the Navigation Control

Click anywhere in the pan rectangle and drag. As you move the visible area with the mouse pointer, the corresponding portion of the tree is displayed in the FxTree.

To zoom using the Navigation Control

Click the zoom slider, drag upward to zoom in, or drag downward to zoom out.

To reset the zoom state, click the small square directly below the zoom slider, or press R.

Framing the Fx Tree

You can frame the entire Fx tree or a selection of operators.

To frame only the selected operators, press F.
To frame the entire Fx tree, press A.

Creating Trees

A tree is an instance of the FxTree workspace. If your workspace becomes too crowded, you can always create extra trees and organize your effects accordingly. In the explorer, each tree is represented by an FxTree node, which is located directly under the scene root.

NoteAlthough you can copy and paste operators from one tree to another (see Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Operators), you cannot share operators between trees.

To create a new tree

From the FxTree menu, choose File New Tree. A new tree is added to the scene.
Repeat to create additional trees.

To switch between trees

Choose File Choose Tree (name of tree) from the FxTree menu.

Renaming Trees

By default, each tree is named FxTree (FxTree 1, FxTree 2, and so on). You can easily rename trees to identify the effects that you've created in them.

To rename a tree

From the FxTree menu, choose File Choose Tree and select the tree that you want to rename from the menu.
From the FxTree menu again, choose File Tree properties to open the tree's property editor.
Enter a new name in the Name field.

To rename a tree using the explorer

You can rename an FxTree in the same way as other elements in the explorer. See Renaming Scene Elements in the Explorer [Interface and Tools].

The change is reflected in the FxTree's File Choose Tree menu.

Deleting Trees

If you no longer need any of the effects that you built in a particular tree, you can delete the tree from the scene.

To delete a tree

Do one of the following:

From the FxTree menu, select the tree that you want to delete (File Choose Tree (name of tree), then choose File Delete Tree).

or
In the explorer, locate the node of the tree that you want to delete, select it, and delete it.

ImportantDeleting a tree deletes any operators associated with it.