Octane UI: collapse / expand internal node groups (small Blender add-on)
Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2026 9:57 am
Hi everyone,
I’m sharing a small Blender add-on that lets you collapse / expand the internal UI groups of Octane nodes (Transmission, Base Layer, Specular, etc.) with a single click.
This does not hide the node itself.
It operates on the UI foldouts of Octane nodes, using the same mechanism Blender uses when you manually collapse a group (show_group_sockets).
Features
Works on any Octane node that uses grouped UI sockets
Collapse, expand, or smart toggle (if anything is open → collapse all)
Available from:
The add-on is provided as a single .py file (attached to this post)
Install via Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install…
Why
On complex materials, especially layered or Universal setups, collapsing UI groups helps keep node graphs cleaner and easier to navigate.
Notes
Feedback and suggestions are welcome.
I’m sharing a small Blender add-on that lets you collapse / expand the internal UI groups of Octane nodes (Transmission, Base Layer, Specular, etc.) with a single click.
This does not hide the node itself.
It operates on the UI foldouts of Octane nodes, using the same mechanism Blender uses when you manually collapse a group (show_group_sockets).
Features
Works on any Octane node that uses grouped UI sockets
Collapse, expand, or smart toggle (if anything is open → collapse all)
Available from:
- Right-click menu in the Node Editor
- N-panel > Octane > UI Collapse
The add-on is provided as a single .py file (attached to this post)
Install via Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install…
Why
On complex materials, especially layered or Universal setups, collapsing UI groups helps keep node graphs cleaner and easier to navigate.
Notes
- This is a UI helper only; it does not modify any shading parameters
- Not limited to the Universal Material — it works across Octane nodes that expose grouped UI sockets
Feedback and suggestions are welcome.