User:OmarSquircleArt/GSoC2019/Documentation/Mapping Node And Vector Socket

Mapping Node And Vector Socket

Users have asked for a more dynamic Mapping node, that is, the node should have explicit sockets for its transformation data. This allows variable transformations of texture coordinates to perform deformations and the like. While the idea is simple, it have certain implications on the user experience. In this document, I shall mention some of those implications and propose solutions to them.

Vector Socket

Currently, when a vector socket is not linked, the vector socket is drawn using a component menu. This means the user have to click on a button to open a menu that allows the vector to be edited. This behaviour is bad for certain nodes that require a high level of interactivity, such as the Mapping node. This extra click (or two clicks) required to edit the vector hinders the user experience. And this problem will be apparent when the Mapping node gets sockets.

A solution would be to draw the vector socket using a column layout like most of the Blender interface. However, a column layout would take significantly more space. And some sockets may not need that space because they are not edited interactively or they are linked almost all the time, this includes the Input Vector of the Mapping node. So, another solution would be to introduce a SOCK_COMPACT socket flag, which if set, a more compact representation of the socket is drawn if available. This could be used for any socket and not just vector sockets.

Mapping Node Interface

Introducing sockets would mean the node will get slimmer and taller. Consequently, it is best that the Vector Type be converted to a drop-down enum.

Moreover, the Min and Max vectors could be removed altogether from the node, where their job is provided by one or two Vector Math nodes. Those options never belonged to the node and were nearly never used as most users relied on the extrapolation option in the Image node to perform standard clipping.