Geometry Nodes: Convert four nodes to use rotation socket #111482

Convert the vector socket from four nodes to a rotation socket, adding
versioning to insert the conversion nodes and change the default values
where necessary.

Distribute Points on Faces
Instance on Points
Rotate Instances
Transform Geometry

Using rotation sockets disallows implicit conversions from vectors,
which helps avoid some common mistakes. It can also be faster,
since converting to and from Euler rotations is slow. For best
performance, the automatically added nodes should be removed.

Note that this change is not forward compatible with 3.6.

Convert the vector socket from four nodes to a rotation socket, adding versioning to insert the conversion nodes and change the default values where necessary. - Distribute Points on Faces - Instance on Points - Rotate Instances - Transform Geometry Using rotation sockets disallows implicit conversions from vectors, which helps avoid some common mistakes. It can also be faster, since converting to and from Euler rotations is slow. For best performance, the automatically added nodes should be removed. Note that this change is not forward compatible with 3.6. --- ![image](/attachments/f6c295b3-a59f-4108-9216-895247367f28)

image.png

164 KiB

@blender-bot build

Attached file is crash when opened.

aaaaa.blend

854 KiB

stack.txt

39 KiB

I think the most recent commit should fix the issues with your file, thanks.

@blender-bot build

I think we can only do this once we have the ability to create random rotations in one node, and to combine rotations (or if we actually do allow the implicit conversion between vector and euler).

Without those things, we make some very common workflows harder (like initializing every instance with a random rotation). Not to mention that this also breaks a very large number of tutorials that are meant for beginners.

I think we can only do this once we have the ability to create random rotations in one node, and to combine rotations (or if we actually do allow the implicit conversion between vector and euler). Without those things, we make some very common workflows harder (like initializing every instance with a random rotation). Not to mention that this also breaks a very large number of tutorials that are meant for beginners.

I think we can only do this once we have the ability to create random rotations in one node[...]

There is an open PR that does just this, but it's rolled into the existing Random Value node. Do we want it changed to be it's own "Random Rotation" node? #109846

> I think we can only do this once we have the ability to create random rotations in one node[...] There is an open PR that does just this, but it's rolled into the existing Random Value node. Do we want it changed to be it's own "Random Rotation" node? https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/pulls/109846

Agree with Jacques, the patch would be fine on its own but it needs a better plan for compatibility and ease of use with existing nodes.

I'd be ok with implicit conversions interpreting any vector as an euler and convert that to a quaternion. The alternative would be a straightforward (x,y,z) -> (x,y,z,0) conversion plus normalization, but that doesn't give very intuitive rotations and the normalization makes it rather useless for math purposes ("Combine Rotation" must be used for that).

Agree with Jacques, the patch would be fine on its own but it needs a better plan for compatibility and ease of use with existing nodes. I'd be ok with implicit conversions interpreting any vector as an euler and convert that to a quaternion. The alternative would be a straightforward `(x,y,z)` -> `(x,y,z,0)` conversion plus normalization, but that doesn't give very intuitive rotations and the normalization makes it rather useless for math purposes ("Combine Rotation" must be used for that).

 @ -423,0 +427,4 @@
   socket.type = SOCK_ROTATION;
   STRNCPY(socket.idname, "NodeSocketRotation");
   auto *old_value = static_cast<bNodeSocketValueVector *>(socket.default_value);
   auto *new_value = MEM_new<bNodeSocketValueRotation>(__func__);

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Geometry Nodes: Convert four nodes to use rotation socket #111482

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