Reuse nodes across multiple MASH networks?

[Steve Davy]

Is it possible to connect a MASH node into multiple MASH networks?

I have four networks in my scene and would like to connect one Random node, one Offset node etc. to all four just for simplification purposes. I don't specifically recall ever seeing this done in any of the tutorials I've seen (though have maybe just forgotten).

I'm also using Maya 2016.5 which doesn't have some of the functionality, or the editor, present in 2017. It's kind of messy working with MASH in this version of Maya.

[Hernan S]

You can not have just one offset or random, etc node that control everything but what you can do is to have the same nodes in the 4 mash networks and I just have one network control all the nodes, you need to connect them through the Node Editor, depending what parameter you want to change.

So let say that you have an offset and you want to change the Offset position,  you add the same node offset in all your networks then you will connect the offset inputs into the rest of the nodes, then you will have a main one which will drive the rest. 

[Steve Davy]

I wonder why it isn't possible to connect some of these nodes directly. MASH in general is all about plugging things in, and it seems intuitive to expect some of these nodes to behave like dynamic fields that can be reused (even though I know they are procedural). Something to do with complex maths I'm sure!

Making A drives B connections in the way you describe would definitely be a way to simplify making edits after a system is set up. What I was really hoping for though was a way to streamline setting up networks that require a lot of redundant repetition. Creating one "neutral" network that is then saved and imported with namespaces, then has its input geometry switched out, is one way to do this successfully. But it's a bit cumbersome and doesn't allow for designing a shot with multiple MASH networks on the fly.

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From: maya...@googlegroups.com <maya...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Hernan S <hernan.s...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 7, 2017 5:39 PM
To: maya_he3d
Cc: stevi...@hotmail.com
Subject: [maya_he3d] Re: Reuse nodes across multiple MASH networks?

 

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[Hernan S]

Not sure what you want to do exactly, but you also could have the repro node on your first network and Mash that and you can drive one network with settings. You can clone a falloff and  have it drive many different nodes in Mash as well. You could probably use the Python Node as well to drive different things.

You can change the input geometry any time and will grab all the animation that you might have, randomization, any settings that was previously set up,  etc, you can export your networks with name spaces, you can name your networks, etc. So Im not quite sure what you mean there.

Now if you are saying having just one network control all the parameters on the rest of your networks, maybe is plan for a future release. But again I would like to see what you are trying to achieve and see if that's even necessary.

[Ian Waters]

If I’m understanding you right, you could just set up your master network, then on the secondary ones, use a Merge node to bring in the animation from the other networks. Then go to town on network specific stuff.

That should do it.

Best,

Ian