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  • Published 16 Jun 2021

Extrude reroutes

Sometimes, connecting and splitting using shift+RC is annoying. The node graph would be cleaner if we could quickly get the reroutes where we need them. A really easy way, that would fit the rest of blender, would be a way to extrude reroutes. When E is pressed in the node editor, and a reroute is selected, a new reroute is created at the clicked position. This new reroute is connected to the previous one.

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Development Status: Open

Upvote 15 Downvote 0
zorro.weaver
16 Jun 2021

4 Comments

dfer

Hey I was thinking the same thing. I actually tried it, thinking it might be there already! It's so natural to expect the hotkeys for connecting nodes to be consistent with the controls for connecting vertices, and some of them are already ( F connects to vertices or nodes, for example). I think this would be great!

Adding a branched reroute to an existing node tree currently takes many actions. the fastest workflow I know of is :

  1. shift + RMB drag across existing connection to add a reroute
  2. LMB click on the reroute
  3. shift + D to duplicate it
  4. move mouse
  5. LMB click to drop the new reroute
  6. LMB drag to select both reroutes
  7. F to join the two nodes

with the E workflow it could be:

  1. shift + RMB drag across existing connection to add a reroute
  2. LMB click on the reroute
  3. E to "extrude it
  4. move mouse
  5. LMB click to drop the new reroute

although it's a minor time saving, this would actually save me loads of brainpower, normally you're in the middle of doing something else and just need to branch a node, and having to stop what you're doing and do this rather fiddly complex operation really breaks you out of the flow imho!

Anyway, great suggestion, gets my vote :-)

1
IIIFGIII

I can propose a bit different "smoother" way.

When u drag node from output, while holding LMB , you press some "modifier button" to place in current cursor position reroute connected to output and automatically start drag node from it. Then press RMB to cancel dragging so you get just reroute node. Practically it will work like you create reroute on node way without stop dragging node.

You can drag node from any output > fastly "pin it" where you want > connet it whre you need. Fast & smooth.

1
joshjunon

Had the exact same idea today. With the newest Alpha (3.2 I believe, currently running nightly) dragging paths and dropping them 'nowhere' (not on a port) causes the Add Node menu to appear, which slightly improves the time.

But having either E or Shift+Click while a reroute is selected - preferably, both - would be a massive improvement. I was surprised this wasn't already functionality, to be honest.

thinsoldier

What you describe sounds more like ctrl+right click does in edit mode, not E.