Node previews in the shader editor #110353

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Colin Marmond · 2023-07-21T19:05:02+02:00

Colin Marmond commented

2023-07-21 19:05:02 +02:00

Here is the task for the Google Summer of Code 2023.

I'll try to keep this task updated because it will be more convenient than describing the project in each patches.

Few useful links :
Link to the weekly reports
Link to the feedback thread

Patches:

Patch	Status	What's inside
#108001	Merged	Nodes: Move preview images to an overlay
#110064	Merged	Use ImBuf instead of a raw buffer for compositor previews
#110065	Merged (Experimental)	The main patch implementing the previews
#110725	WIP	Individual nodes refresh
#110945	Merged	Add ability to preview output nodes
#110949	Merged	Hide the node preview button when the overlays are disabled
#110958	Merged	use flat previews for shader nodes by default
#111040	Under Review	Nodes: Limit the size of the previews
#111041	Merged	Nodes: stop the shader preview job when changing the viewed nodetree

TODO list for the patch #110065

Better handle which node can be previewed
Deal with displacement (for shader nodes only ? for no nodes ?)
Support rendering output nodes with AOVs (currently the function can not handle it)
Start preview job when a node is toggled on (not only for the first time)
Use ImBuf for preview drawing (depends on #110064)
Fix a leak in the preview job functions (IMPORTANT)
Be explicit about Volume node support
Remove the ability to preview the material output node and simplify the routing process
Refresh previews when shape/engine is changed
Unexpected behavior with PrincipledBSDF and eevee
Hide previews with workbench

Designs:

Task	Status	What's inside
#110651	Agreed	Refresh shader node previews per updated nodes

Here are the other things to do after the main functionalities are merged (roughly sorted by importance):

Crash with muted node groups (#121032)
Redraw when toggling the node preview so that the job can start
Fix bugs with AOV #109683
Stop preview job when disabling node previews (last one disabled) and when exiting a node-group #111041
AOV display scene at back
Toggling shader node previews should not affect the material preview nor the compositor previews
Decide the design for the max UI size of the previews #111040
Add ability to use lazy allocation for render when using R_BUTS_PREVIEW (maybe add another flag)
AOV output node has a preview button, but doesn't work because there is no output socket. Hide it like Material Output, or use the input socket? #110945
Remove the ugly uses of BKE_ntree_update_main_tree, and try to use more appropriate functions
Rename some callback handles in render_types.h:166
Hide the preview button when the overlay settings have the previews disabled (node_is_previewable) #110949
Improve the socket detection of the previewed nodes (is_default_link_socket ) #110945
Use a default 2D shape for preview, and add a toggle for using the material preview scene #110958
Darken the preview when it is outdated for more than X ms
Fix texture coordinates (e.g. gradient texture node)

Non code TODOs:

Update the user documentation images
Prepare some doc for this page too

Known limitations:

Volume nodes are not supported yet, and will probably not be in the future.
Non-shader node previews dont show up with a background, it will be the case in a future patch.
There are still some confusing behaviours when toggling node previews (will be fixed in a future patch changing a bit the event structure).
- When enabling the preview, it doesn't show immediately due to the need of a redraw.
- When disabling all nodes, preview rendering is still running in the background.

## Here is the task for the Google Summer of Code 2023. I'll try to keep this task updated because it will be more convenient than describing the project in each patches. Few useful links : [Link to the weekly reports](https://devtalk.blender.org/t/gsoc-2023-shader-editor-node-preview-weekly-reports/29359?u=kdaf) [Link to the feedback thread](https://devtalk.blender.org/t/gsoc-2023-add-a-shader-preview-node-feedback/28334?u=kdaf) Patches: | Patch | Status | What's inside | | - | - | - | | #108001 | Merged | Nodes: Move preview images to an overlay | | #110064 | Merged | Use ImBuf instead of a raw buffer for compositor previews | | #110065 | Merged (Experimental) | The main patch implementing the previews | | #110725 | WIP | Individual nodes refresh | | #110945 | Merged | Add ability to preview output nodes | | #110949 | Merged | Hide the node preview button when the overlays are disabled | | #110958 | Merged | use flat previews for shader nodes by default | | #111040 | Under Review | Nodes: Limit the size of the previews | | #111041 | Merged | Nodes: stop the shader preview job when changing the viewed nodetree | <details> <summary>TODO list for the patch #110065</summary> - [x] Better handle which node can be previewed - [x] Deal with displacement (for shader nodes only ? for no nodes ?) - [x] Support rendering output nodes with AOVs (currently the function can not handle it) - [x] Start preview job when a node is toggled on (not only for the first time) - [x] Use ImBuf for preview drawing (depends on #110064) - [x] Fix a leak in the preview job functions (IMPORTANT) - [x] Be explicit about Volume node support - [x] Remove the ability to preview the material output node and simplify the routing process - [x] Refresh previews when shape/engine is changed - [x] Unexpected behavior with PrincipledBSDF and eevee - [x] Hide previews with workbench </details> Designs: | Task | Status | What's inside | | - | - | - | | #110651 | Agreed | Refresh shader node previews per updated nodes | ### Here are the other things to do after the main functionalities are merged (roughly sorted by importance): - [ ] Crash with muted node groups (#121032) - [ ] Redraw when toggling the node preview so that the job can start - [x] Fix bugs with AOV #109683 - [ ] Stop preview job when disabling node previews (last one disabled) and when exiting a node-group #111041 - [ ] AOV display scene at back - [ ] Toggling shader node previews should not affect the material preview nor the compositor previews - [x] Decide the design for the max UI size of the previews #111040 - [ ] Add ability to use lazy allocation for render when using `R_BUTS_PREVIEW` (maybe add another flag) - [x] AOV output node has a preview button, but doesn't work because there is no output socket. Hide it like Material Output, or use the input socket? #110945 - [ ] Remove the ugly uses of `BKE_ntree_update_main_tree`, and try to use more appropriate functions - [ ] Rename some callback handles in `render_types.h:166` - [x] Hide the preview button when the overlay settings have the previews disabled (`node_is_previewable`) #110949 - [x] Improve the socket detection of the previewed nodes (`is_default_link_socket `) #110945 - [x] Use a default 2D shape for preview, and add a toggle for using the material preview scene #110958 - [ ] Darken the preview when it is outdated for more than X ms - [ ] Fix texture coordinates (e.g. gradient texture node) Non code TODOs: - Update the [user documentation](https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/compositing/introduction.html#saving-your-composite-image) [images](https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender-manual/src/branch/main/manual/images) - Prepare some doc for [this](https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/shader_editor.html) page too Known limitations: - Volume nodes are not supported yet, and will probably not be in the future. - Non-shader node previews dont show up with a background, it will be the case in a future patch. - There are still some confusing behaviours when toggling node previews (will be fixed in a future patch changing a bit the event structure). - When enabling the preview, it doesn't show immediately due to the need of a redraw. - When disabling all nodes, preview rendering is still running in the background.

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Node previews in the shader editor #110353

Here is the task for the Google Summer of Code 2023.

Here are the other things to do after the main functionalities are merged (roughly sorted by importance):