Is there a way to display ALL input/output ports for Arnold shading nodes???

[aaronfross]

Hi,

I just spent an hour and a half trying to figure out how to use a basic RGBA file in an aiImage node. This is due to the inconsistent and dysfunctional display of Arnold node ports in the Hypershade window.

The Out Alpha port is hidden in all node display modes except "Show Custom Attributes" which is engaged by pressing the <4> hotkey. In all other node display modes, including "Show Primary Attributes", the Out Alpha port is hidden. Instead, I see a port labeled "Out Transparency". But this Out Transparency port does not work. It sends out the RGB data, not the transparency data.

I tested this extensively with a Utility shader. The only way to use an RGBA file is to know that "Out Alpha" port is hidden unless the node is in "Show Custom Attributes" display mode. Now, apparently this is the default display mode for new nodes, but if the user has ever pressed the <3> hotkey, then it's exceptionally difficult to figure out what is going on.

So, is there a way to display ALL of the node ports for Arnold shading nodes? "Show Primary Attributes" does not show all node ports, but rather shows a subset of ports which are not commonly used. "Show Custom Attributes" shows a subset of node ports which apparently ARE commonly used. But this is not at all clear to the user. It's super mysterious and completely at odds with native Maya conventions. For native Maya nodes, "Show Primary Attributes" displays all available ports, and "Show Custom Attributes" shows the commonly used ports. But Arnold nodes work completely differently, and this is unexpected, inconsistent, confusing, and time-wasting.

Please revise MtoA so that "Show Primary Attributes" behaves the same way for Arnold nodes as it does for native Maya nodes... display all available inputs and outputs. Don't hide the most commonly used ports in "Show Primary Attributes" mode. Surely it's just obvious common sense that "Primary Attributes" would DISPLAY the most common ports, not HIDE the most common ports.

Please address this issue because it is a barrier to entry to new users, and even to experts. I have been using Maya since 2001, and this is not my first rodeo. I should not have to spend half my day doing detective work due to a poor design decision that makes no sense and does not even respect the interface conventions of the host application.

Thank you,

Aaron

[Stephen.Blair · Accepted solution]

I use Show All Attributes from the node marking menu

or I click the output master port and then click Other

[aaronfross]

Thank you Stephen, that is very helpful.

However, I still think it's deeply problematic that "Show Primary Attributes" does the opposite of what it's designed to do. For Arnold, it actually ***hides*** the most common attributes rather than display them.

"Show Primary Attributes" should display the most commonly used attributes, if not ALL attributes.

"Show Custom Attributes" should display a minimal subset of the most commonly used attributes.

"Show Connected Attributes" should display *only* the attributes that are connected to other nodes. Currently, this mode exposes attribute ports that are not connected to anything, but rather have some option internal to the node enabled. E.G., in the aiImage node, Color Management ports are exposed in "Show Connected Attributes" mode, even though nothing is connected to these ports.

To reiterate, "Show Connected" should show connected, "Show Primary" should show primary, and "Show Custom" should show a subset of primary attributes.

Also, the fact that "Out Transparency" in the aiImage node does not actually output transparency, but rather outputs the RGB channels, is an issue that needs to be addressed.