Working with Schematic

 
 
 

The Schematic is the view in which you build the composition – a set of connected nodes – for a composition. When you create a new composition, the only node in the tree is the output node; by default, every composition has only one primary output node.

Note

Unless otherwise specified, the term “node” and “tool node” are interchangeable throughout this guide.

When you create a composition by importing media, the composition contains one input node (which points to the media you imported) and one output node. You then build the dependency graph by adding tool nodes. For more detailed information on the different types of nodes, see Node Overview.

You can set the direction in which processing proceeds in the User Preferences Creative tab. For 2D workflows, you can build the dependency graph left-to-right or top-down direction. For 3D workflfows, you can build the dependency graph in a left-to-right or bottom-top direction -- see Setting User Preferences.

A dependency graph with left-to-right flow.

A dependency graph with a top-down flow.

Note

Nodes do not necessarily have to be connected. For example, you can create branches that you connect or disconnect to experiment with different scenarios.

When working in the Schematic view, you can:

Note

When using super tools or working inside a grouped tool, the name of the tool or group is displayed a the bottom of the Schematic, so you always know where you are in relation to the dependency graph.