Feature Request: A "Pass through" node

[treddie]

I guess the best way to explain this is by example. Let's say you have twenty objects connected to the same material. Then you have twenty connectors going from the material, out to each of those objects. But let's say you have an alternate material that will be used in some renders but not others. Or you want to play with different materials. Then you have to reconnect all twenty of those objects to the new material.

A sort-of "Pass-Through" node would be great, in that instead of connecting all twenty object to a material directly, you attach them to the Pass-Through node. Then, on the top edge of the Pass-Through node is where you attach your material. So twenty mouse operations are replaced by one, whenever you want to make a material change.

The node can be smart enough to work in all cases...Textures, materials, images, values, etc. In other words, if Octane detects that a material is connected at the top of the Pass-Through node, but the user is trying to connect its bottom to a material's bump connection, it won't let you. The Pass-Through node's input has to be consistent with the user's attempted output target.

Another way to do the same thing without having to build code for a new node, would be to just have some keyboard/mouse combination that allows you to grab all of the connectors going out from a node, and move them all at the same time to some other node.

[treddie]

I suppose another way to do this, but only possible with materials, is to use a Material Mix node as the "Pass-Through" node, by only using one of its inputs and leaving the other two unoccupied. It's bottom then connects to however many objects you need it to connect to.

[riggles]

Yea, the mix material is what I was I thought of. Just toggle the amount between 0 and 1 to switch between materials you want to test.

[treddie]

Your toggle is a great idea! That means you can "stack" Mix nodes and do more than two, if you don't get confused by which ones to turn on and off (0 or 1).

[riggles]

Your toggle is a great idea! That means you can "stack" Mix nodes and do more than two, if you don't get confused by which ones to turn on and off (0 or 1).

Exactly.