Using Node Commands

The operator name, along with the icon, is displayed on the node. You can turn off a node the same way as in the Workspace panel, by clicking on the icon.

When an operator is turned off, a red line appears across the node in the Schematic view and the icon appears gray.

As you work in the Schematic view, you can view and modify operator settings in the Controls panel.

To access operator settings:

In the Schematic view, double-click an operator node.

The operator's controls appear in the Controls panel. The operator node that is currently displayed in the Controls panel has no drop shadow.

To view an operator in the viewport:

In the Schematic view, triple-click an operator node.

The operator becomes the current operator in the viewport and the Schematic view is hidden.

Note: You can also double-click the node, and then click the Send Up button .

Schematic Context Menus

Context menus provide quick access to Schematic view commands. To access the context menus, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) the item you want to modify. The menu varies depending on the item you are modifying.

To use the basic Schematic view context menu:

Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) in an empty area of the Schematic view.

When using the basic context menu in the Schematic view, you can:

• Add an operator to the workspace (the operator is added as a separate branch)
• Emphasize all nodes
• Navigate the Schematic view (Zoom, Home, Fit in Window)
• Change the Schematic layout (change the flow direction, show or hide the grid, toggle Snap to Grid)
• Show or hide secondary connections

To use the layer node context menu:

Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) a layer node.

In addition to the basic Schematic view context menu options, there are several things you can do when one or more layer nodes are selected:

• Add an operator
• Emphasize selected nodes
• Organize the nodes by moving, copying, pasting, duplicating, grouping, or deleting them
• Group and ungroup nodes, as well as edit grouped nodes
• Rename nodes

To use the operator node context menu:

Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) an operator node (Paint or Gaussian Blur, for example).

Additional context menu options, when one or more operator nodes are selected, include:

• Commit the operator's output to disk
• Show thumbnails for the nodes, arrange the nodes, or emphasize the nodes
• Enable Set View Context for a node
• Add a render output node

To use the footage context menu:

Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) in an empty area of the Schematic view.

The additional context menu option is Toggle Footage Information.

To use the composite context menu:

Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) in an empty area of the Schematic view.

If the selected node is a composite, you can also:

• Import footage into the composite
• Add an operator to the composite

(When an operator is added above the composite, the branch is automatically renamed for the added operator.)

• Add a layer, light, or null object

(However, you cannot see the camera, lights, or null objects in the Schematic view.)

• Create a new layer from an operator
• Nest the composite

Setting the View Context

When an operator is displayed in the active viewport, a viewport icon appears next to the operator in the Workspace panel and Timeline.

When you show the Schematic view, this icon disappears, but the view context is still on this operator. This means the viewport will show this operator again when you hide the Schematic view.

When you are in the Schematic view, you can set the view context on another node. Whenever you decide to hide the Schematic view, this node becomes the current operator in the viewport.

To change the view context:

1. Select a node in the Schematic view.
2. Right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) the node and choose Set View Context.

A white outline appears around the node.

Note: You can also change the view context by triple-clicking a node.

Selecting an Operator to View

From the Schematic (or any other) view, you can select an operator to display in the viewport.

To select an operator to view:

1. In the Schematic view, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Macintosh) an empty area (or on any node) and choose Select Operator.
2. In the Select Operator to View dialog, select the operator you want to show in the viewport.



3. Click OK.

The selected operator appears in the viewport.

If the Composite Controls panel or any other operator controls panel (such as Blur or Linear Keyer) is active when you select an operator, that operator's controls are displayed. If another panel is showing when you select an operator, the name on the operator's tab updates but the controls are not displayed.

For example, if the Timeline is active and the Glow operator is selected, the Glow Controls tab appears (and the Timeline remains active). In this example, you can continue to work on an animation in the Timeline while viewing the Glow operator in the viewport.

Note: The behavior is the same when you triple-click a node to show it in the viewport.