Examples

Checkout our example content here, you'll find .nxt graphs demonstrating these same topics.

If you're not quite sure how nxt fits into your workflow checkout our workflow and transition map here. Over there we explain nxt from different vantage points to help illuminate how nxt can work for you.

Tutorials

Introduction to tokens

01 Making and executing a node. Hello world.
  • Make a node
  • Add code
  • Setup a token
  • Use the output log



02 Adding and using attributes and tokens in code
  • Naming
  • Attribute types
  • More on substitution



Execution and Inheritance

03 Making and executing a series of nodes
  • Executing nodes in sequence
  • Pathing to nodes and attributes
  • Execution options



04 Inheriting within a stack
  • Stacks execution
  • Inheritance within stacks
  • Parent / unparent nodes
  • Changing attribute display



Additional notes on execution, history, build view
  • Start points
  • Break points
  • Build view
  • History view



05 Using attributes from other nodes
  • Linking to other attrs
  • Pathing to other attrs



Instances

06 Node instances
  • Instances
  • Instance path
  • Local vs instanced attributes
  • Instances of instances



More on attributes

07 Notes on renaming
  • NXT doesn't rename anything automatically
  • But it will recomp based on name



08 Attribute overloading and reverting
  • Resolution order
  • Node, parent, instance



09 Writing data to attributes from code
  • Using self.attr
  • Usign raw, resolved, cached view



Layers

10 Layering and compositing
  • Adding layers
  • Layer display state
  • Active layer
  • Executing part of a layer
  • Adding new attrs and overrides on a layer



Contexts

Sub-graphs
  • Referencing builtin layers
  • Calling sub-graphs
  • Getting and using returns from sub-graphs
Remote graphs

Coming soon...

Walkthrough: references and reloading

This walkthrough uses the example graphs from the examples folder. layering.nxt references the_basics.nxt, so opening it gives you a graph built from two files.

Add a reference
  1. Open layering.nxt with File > Open Graph (Ctrl+O).
  2. In the Layer Manager, right click the layering layer and choose Edit References.... The list shows the_basics.nxt, the one reference this layer has.
  3. Press +. An empty row is added and the cursor goes to the field under the list.
  4. Type file_list.nxt, or press the folder button and pick the file. The new row is drawn normally because the file is found next to the layer. (Had a folder in NXT_FILE_ROOTS held a file_list.nxt, that one would be used instead: roots are looked in before the layer's own folder. See How references are found.) Type a path to a file that does not exist and the row turns red, with 1 could not be found under the list.
  5. Press OK. The referenced layers are loaded and the graph is composited again. The layer is now marked unsaved; Save Layer (Ctrl+S) writes the new reference into layering.nxt. Undo (Ctrl+Z) takes the change back.

The Reference Editor, here on a layer with one reference that cannot be found

Tip

Order matters: a reference higher in the list is stronger than the ones below it. Drag rows to change the order. Toggle the resolved view to see where each reference lands on this machine.

Pick up somebody else's changes
  1. Change the_basics.nxt outside this session, for example by opening it in a second editor, editing a node and saving.
  2. Back in the first session, right click the layering layer and choose Reload Source....
  3. Every file the layer is built from is listed and checked. Uncheck any you do not want read again, then press Reload Checked.

Reload Source

The graph now shows the saved changes. Rows marked (unsaved changes) lose those changes when reloaded, but Undo puts them back.

Find your way around a big compute

Select a node with code, double click into the code editor, and try:

  • Ctrl+F to find a word, F3 to step through the matches, and the chevron to replace them.
  • Ctrl+G to jump to a line.
  • Ctrl+Space after os. in a compute that imports os, or after ${, to see what completion offers. After ${/ it offers the graph's node paths, and after ${/some_node. that node's attributes.
  • Leave editing (Esc), press Q for Raw View, and hover a ${} token to see its value. Hold Ctrl and click a token that reads another node's attribute to jump to that node.

See Code Editor for every shortcut.

Example Graph Walkthroughs

Still pending

mGear

The Rigging Buddies Podcast

Time stamps can be found in the video description on YouTube.
Download Ball Rig Example
Download "Roller Girl" by Sergi Caballer

Example: Maya hand rig
Example: Nuke resize image sequence
Example: Maya cloth attribute wedge and playblast