[Feature Request] Collapsing nodes

[sanec9999]

Hello! In my opinion, that would be really helpful for canvas organisation to have a feature to collapse bunch of nodes in to collapsed one, like in UE4 blueprints (Collapsing Graphs in UE4)

I work as a level designer at a semi-AAA(more like AA) studio and at work we use node collapsing all the time, because our level blueprints often became very-very heavy on the nodes amount. At my home project i use flow canvas for the same like level scripting routine and i’m pretty happy about almost everything except lack of that collapsing group of nodes feature.

Is there any plans to add something like this for FlowCanvas in the future?

[Gavalakis]

Hello and welcome 🙂

In a sense, a bunch of nodes can be “collapsed” into a macro (through the right-click menu when multiple nodes are selected), but of course this is not exactly the same as “just visually collapsing” those nodes which is what you are suggesting here I suppose?
I could potentially implement your request by giving “Canvas Groups” the ability to collapse/expand. Would collapsing/expanding Canvas Groups be adequate for you?

Please let me know what you think.
Thanks!

Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/97q2Rjh

[sanec9999]

Gavalakis wrote:

Would collapsing/expanding Canvas Groups be adequate for you?

Would there be an ability to add inputs/outputs for a collapsed canvas group (Like in UE4)? If yes, then it would be definitely what i am looking for!

Here, i recorded how nodes collapsing works in UE4:

https://youtu.be/xw7TKQmF820

[Gavalakis]

Hello again,
The way I was thinking it, not really, since that is what Macros are for in FlowCanvas in my opinion (albeit different than what you ask). I was thinking it more like a collapsed group with incoming and outgoing connections (without ports). More as a visual organization feature.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks 🙂

Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/97q2Rjh

[sanec9999]

Gavalakis wrote:

I was thinking it more like a collapsed group with incoming and outgoing connections

Actually, just like this would be OK too.
But just from my work experience, sometimes that could be really handy to have a few ports for collapsed groups (which are not externally saved macros) too. At work we are using this kind of groups with ports for rapid prototyping, and then, when we really sure that one of these node groups could be used by other designers, promote it to externally saved Macros.

[Gavalakis]

Hello again and thank you for the follow up and extra information.

What you said does indeed make sense 🙂 I will give it a try and see what I can come up with in regards to this feature request soon after summer vacation. Thank you!

Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/97q2Rjh

[sanec9999]

Thank you too!

[Author]

Posts