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Chapter 5, Getting Familiar with Your Workspace
Schematic



The Schematic is the view in which you build the dependency graph for a composition which is a set of connected nodes. You can set the direction in which processing proceeds in the User Preferences Creative tab. For 2D workflows, you can build the dependency graph in a left-to-right or top-down direction. For 3D workflows, you can build the dependency graph in a left-to-right or bottom-top direction--see Setting User Preferences.

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A dependency graph with a left-to-right flow.

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A dependency graph with a top-down flow.

When you create a new composition, the only node in the tree is the output node (every composition has only one primary output node). 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.

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

Nodes and Connections Top

There are a number of different types of nodes, each represented by a distinct icon.

Node icon: Represents:
An input node for footage. It is identified by a small film icon on the left of the proxy. The Link Image tab opens when a footage input node is selected in the Schematic view.
An input node for a composition created during a media import. It is identified by a small sheet icon on the left of the proxy. When you select an imported media input node, the tool UI displays the Import Image tab. The input node displays a proxy of the media it references.
An input node for a linked composition. It is identified by a small composition icon on the left of the proxy. When you select a linked composition input node, the tool UI displays the Link Image tab. The input node displays a proxy of the rendered output it references.
A normal tool node.
A super tool node. Each super tool can have its own icon. The Reaction super tool icon is shown here. A super tool node behaves as a group node in that you can enter the node to work with the tools it contains.
A group node that you create by selecting two or more nodes and grouping them together. You can right-click a group and select Edit Group to work only with the nodes in that group.
The primary output node for the composition. A dependency graph always has exactly one primary output node. You cannot delete this node, but you can add secondary output nodes to the composition--see Multiple Output Nodes. The output node represents the result of the composition. When you select this node, the tool UI displays the Output tab. The output node does not display a proxy of the result.
A secondary output node for a composition. Note that secondary output nodes vary slightly in appearance from the primary input node, it is a lighter gray.


Multiple Output Nodes Top

A composition can support multiple output nodes which provide simultaneous renders from different points in the dependency graph. This characteristic of the composition lets you link to a composition at different points in the dependency graph.

An output node cannot be muted, however, intermediate results can be enabled on output nodes and output nodes can be grouped at any level. There's no restriction on the presence of an output node at the highest group level (the composition level).

Each output node has its own format (resolution, pixel aspect ratio, rate, channels and depth) and it crops its input image according to its format.

An output node has the following editable values. You can reset the values back to their defaults in the Tool Options area (Reset button):

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Value: Description:
Name Initialized to Output (#).
Description Of arbitrary length, empty by default.
Image Format Width, height, pixel aspect ratio and rate. Primary output is initialized from the composition project settings, additional outputs from the primary output.
Pixel Format Channels and depth. Primary output is initialized from the composition project settings, additional outputs from the primary output.
Start Start frame index. Primary output is initialized from the composition project settings, additional outputs from the primary output.
End End frame index, exclusive. Primary output is initialized from the composition project settings, additional outputs from the primary output.
Duration End - Start.
Poster Frame used for proxies, defaults to start value.
As Primary Output Image Format Whether the width, height, pixel ratio and rate values follow the primary output values. Always off on primary output. On by default on additional outputs.
As Primary Output Pixel Format Whether the channels and depth values follow the primary output values. Always off on primary output. On by default on additional outputs.
As Primary Output Time Whether the start, end and poster values follow the primary output values. Always off on primary output. On by default on additional outputs.
Render on/off Whether the output is rendered upon a publish command, on by default.
Render mode Render mode used upon a publish or render command. Set to the composition render mode project setting by default.


Primary Output Top

One of the outputs is tagged as being the primary output. Aside from identifying the principal output of a composition, the primary output is most useful in the following workflows:

The first output node that is automatically created with a new composition is the primary output by default. However, in a composition with multiple outputs, any output can be set as the primary output at any time. This can be achieved through a drop-down menu listing the output node names in the Composition tab.

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You can also use the Set As Primary right-click option on an output node in the Schematic view.

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Adding Output Nodes Top

Creating a new composition automatically adds an output node to it. However, you can add more output nodes anywhere in the composition.

To add an output node to a composition:

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Deleting Output Nodes Top

The primary output cannot be deleted, which ensures that a composition has at least one output. Graphical delete options on the primary output are absent and an attempt to delete it in any other way (hotkey or scripting) results in an error message.

To delete a secondary output node:
Node Anatomy Top

Each node has a set of tabs around its outer edge. The name of each node appears either underneath it or inside it.

Tab: Description:
Input You connect an input to this tab. If a node accepts multiple inputs, the tab is divided into the number of inputs the node accepts. A node that accepts a single input:

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A node that accepts nine inputs:

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Output Contains the output of the node. You create connections between nodes by connecting the output tab of one node to the input tab of another. The Output node contains the result of the dependency graph. Note that you can connect an output to more than one input. This is called "instancing" the node.

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Proxy Click this tab (T hotkey) to show or hide the proxy for the node.

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Masking An input for masking--see Pixel Masking.

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Intermediate Result Click this tab to enable intermediate results for the node--see Creating Intermediate Results.

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Marked for keyframing icon A yellow icon appears next to the image input tab when the tool has been marked for keyframing--see Marking Attributes for Keyframing.

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Node Connections Top

The connection lines in a dependency graph visually indicate by color and style what you are outputting: RGBA, RGB, or A. You can also choose how you want the lines to appear: curved, angled, or straight.

Color Line Style Output
Gray Solid line RGBA
Light-blue Dashed line RGB
White Dashed line A

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To change the appearance of a connection line:
  1. Middle-click or press the tilde (~) key to display the drop gate, and swipe south to the Schematic Options.

  2. Under Display, select an option from Links for the connection lines.

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    Note: You can also set the links style in your user preferences--see Setting User Preferences.

Working in the Schematic View Top

When working in the Schematic view, you can:

To clean up all or a portion of the dependency graph:
To reset the zoom and pan to fit the dependency graph:
To change the name of a node:
  1. Select the node to display its tabs in the tool UI.

  2. In the Tool Options at the right, click in the Name field and edit the name.

  3. Press Enter to accept your edits.

    The node in the Schematic view updates to reflect the new name.

To display the details of a node without opening the node:
To display the thumbnail of a node:
To connect two nodes:
To insert a node between two other nodes:
To disconnect nodes:
To quickly disconnect and reconnect nodes:
To reposition a node within the dependency graph:
To replace a node's tool with another tool:
  1. Display the Pick List, Tools, and Views tab by middle-clicking or pressing the tilde (~) key. Drag and drop a tool onto the selected node.

    A drop gate appears.

  2. Swipe through the Replace option.

    The selected node is replaced with the new tool.

To create a group consisting of multiple nodes:
To edit a group or enter a super tool:
To exit a group or a super tool:
To add or remove a node from a visual group node:
To resize or move a visual group node:
To lock a visual group or lock the nodes in a visual group:
To open or close a visual group node:
To ungroup a group:
To add input or output connections to a group node:
To collapse a branch of the dependency graph:
  1. Locate the node at which you want to collapse the branch.

  2. Right-click the node and select Expand or Collapse or press E.

    The branch leading into that node collapses. The arrow on the left of the node indicates a collapsed branch.

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    Expanded branch

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    Collapsed branch

To expand a collapsed node:
To mute or unmute a node:
  1. Select the node.

  2. Right-click a node and select Mute or Unmute, or press M.

    Note: You can also mute/unmute a node by selecting it and clicking the Mute button in the Tool Options area. This button is located to the left of the Reset button.

To select an entire branch of a dependency graph:
To turn intermediate results on or off for a node:
To set a context point on a node:
To clear a context point on a node:
To reset a tool node:
To cut, copy, or paste one or more nodes:
  1. Select the node(s) you want to cut or copy.

  2. Do one of the following:

  3. To paste the cut or copied node(s), right-click outside all nodes and select Paste, or press Ctrl + V.

To delete one or more nodes:
  1. Select the node or nodes you want to delete.

  2. Do one of the following:

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    Note: You can also delete nodes by selecting them and clicking the Delete button in the Tool Options area of the tool UI.

To select all nodes:
Node Navigation Top

Drill-Down is a way to change the currently selected node without depending on a viewer, such as the Schematic view or the Composition browser. It changes the current node by navigating upstream (towards inputs) or downstream (towards outputs) using hotkeys. It only allows navigating through connected nodes.

To navigate through a series of nodes:
Cycling through Inputs and Outputs Top

For easy display of a node's multiple inputs and outputs in the Player, you can cycle the hotkeys. When in tool input mode in the Player, pressing the 5 hotkey a second time cycles to the next image input and cycles back to the first image input. When in tool output mode in the Player, pressing the 6 hotkey a second time cycles to the next image output and cycles back to the first image output. These hotkeys can be used to cycle through composition outputs and rendered results.

For added flexibility, you can assign a context point to a tool node. For example, while viewing the output of a tool in one Player, you may also want to view the result of a composition, matte, or other Keyer super tool output in another Player. To do this, add a context point (C1, C2, C3 or C4) to the Keyer super tool and assign a Player view to that context point. Then, use the context point's hotkey number (1, 2, 3 or 4) to cycle through the Keyer's outputs--see Setting Context Points.

Setting the Schematic Options Top

You can set a number of display and playback options for the Schematic view.

To access the Schematic options:
To set the display options:
  1. Select the Display tab.

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  2. Set the Display options:

    Select To
    Navigator Show or hide the Schematic Navigator. By default, the Navigator is displayed.
    Highlight Expand and highlight the tabs of a node when you pass the cursor over them.
    Links Change the line style of connections. Lines can appear as: Curved, Straight, or Angled.


  3. Set the Placement options:

    Select To
    Auto Layout Automatically organize all of the nodes in the dependency graph.
    Auto Zoom Automatically zoom to keep the complete dependency graph visible in the center of the Schematic view.

    Note: You can make any of the display setting the default setting for the view by selecting them in your user preferences--see Setting User Preferences.

To hide the Schematic Navigator in the full screen Schematic:
  1. Middle-click or press the tilde (~) key to display the drop gate, and swipe north to view the full screen Schematic.

  2. Middle-click or press the tilde (~) key to display the drop gate, and swipe south to the Schematic Options.

  3. Under Display, select Navigator to hide the Navigator. By default, the Navigator is visible.

To set the playback options:
  1. Select the Playback tab.

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  2. Set the Viewer Time options.

    Follow Master -- Sets the view to global time. Disable to use its own local time.

    Offset -- Lets you set a frame offset for the time. The frame offset is with respect to the time you set for the view. For example, if you set a frame offset of 5 and selected the Follow Master option, the proxy in the view always displays the frame that is five frames ahead of the frame currently running in global time. If you deselected Follow Master, the proxy in the view always displays the frame that is five frames ahead of the frame running in the local time of the view.

    Update on Play -- Updates the proxy at each frame when you play the composition. Deselect to update the proxy only when you stop playing the composition, and only at the scrub frames when you scrub through the composition.

  3. Set the Frame Rate options.

    Play All Frames -- Plays all frames in the composition, regardless of whether it maintains the frame rate set for the composition. Deselect to have the view maintain the frame rate for the composition, at the expense of dropping frames where necessary.

    User -- Lets you set the frame rate at which you want the Schematic view to play the composition. Type the frame rate in the field to the right of this button, or click and drag on the bottom edge of the field to adjust the value.

    Stop on Drop--Stops the Player if a tool is dropped into the dependency graph.

Things to Remember

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