Collapsed node improvements
Current design for collapsed nodes wok only when there's a few input / output sockets. Some cases, like the Principled BSDF node, can get quite messy and difficult to read.
The proposed solution groups sockets by type and displays how many of them are currently in use. The rectangular layout is more consistent with the other nodes being displayed, decreasing cognitive load.
5 Comments
Good to note that the advantage of the current display is, for nodes with fewer sockets, you can still plug/unplug things in the right place. Example:
Though admittedly it doesn't excuse the current way of collapsing nodes, I find it cluttering as soon as >4 sockets 🥹
I would totally see your proposal as an optional display to toggle, much like those we have in the Node menu:
I was thinking a while ago we should perhaps have different "levels" of display, independently of the collaped state of the node, and all bound do 0 1 2 3 :
We could access these using the node menu, but also the number keys (above letters or numpad?), and why not also a 4-state button on the node that replaces the current fold icon?
I will add a search list of the input nodes when tring to connect and hover on the node collapsed, similar to the actual drag and hold that display an + sign. 3 collapsed proposal This way you can have a node collapsed with just one input, not sort by type, and you can still access all inputs. Also I would extend this feature to the non collapsed one as a way to not do precision when conencting nodes. Drag de output to one node to other, and a list displays with all inputs of that node.
Make "collapsed" show a maximum (3?) inputs. If there are more than 3, then all except 2 are merged into a single input dot
I don't know, I like the current system because you can still remove and add connections without having to uncollapse the node, and then collapse it again if you know which socket is which. Granted, this is more helpful for nodes that have fewer sockets, but even with nodes like the Principled BSDF node that you used as an example, I know where the most important sockets are such as the color and alpha and can change their connections without toggling the node's collapsed status.
I also don't really see the point in separating the sockets by type. That's not really information that I need, and if I did I could already tell by the colors of the noodles going into the socket. If they can't be used individually, then you might as well combine them all into one white socket as per -L0Lock-'s 3 proposal. Same functionality, more space saving.
I do agree that the way the "current" is done... that's just useless, to show the user 24 dots on the border. That tells me nothing except it has a ton of inputs going on, which is knowledge of basically not much value.