When you connect an output port to an input port of a different type, a small ("collapsed") node called a type converter is inserted.

Sometimes you might want to use a type converter node without it being collapsed, for example if trying to connect it to multiple output ports. This screen capture by @Bodysoulspirit (https://vuo.org/comment/2836) demonstrates with the Mix Audio Channels node as the type converter: Auto Shrink.mov.

So, instead of always collapsing a type converter when it becomes connected on both ends, only collapse ones that were automatically inserted from a cable drag, and never collapse ones that were manually added from the node library.

Workaround until this is implemented: Connect the type converter node's output port to multiple input ports before connecting its input port. This leaves it un-collapsed.

Component: 

Notes from Team Vuo

Vuo Pro: 

No — available with both Vuo and Vuo Pro licenses

Complexity: 

●○○○ — Up to a few days of work

Potential: 

●○○ — Appeals to current community

Comments

I've often used the

Pianomatic's picture
Submitted by

I've often used the workaround when wiring up a collection of outputs, then connecting inputs after, but what I like about that technique is that the collapsable nodes collapse automatically if possible. I really like the ability to collapse nodes, even when I've added them myself; I'd be disappointed to see this incidental functionality disappear.

Perhaps another solution would be to allow Vuo composers to collapse and uncollapse nodes as needed, maybe with just a right-click. Whether the current automatic collapse functionality is altered or not, it would be nice to have a little more control over these things.

Is there room to expand

Pianomatic's picture
Submitted by

Is there room to expand collapsable nodes outside of just type-converters? For instance:

  • Other nodes that have one input only (including lists)? For example, Add, Multiply, Spint Off Event/Value...
  • Nodes where only one input is being sent data? For example, Get Item from List where the List port gets sent data, but Which is entered manually...
  • Chains of nodes that match the above requirements? For example, say some text data comes into an Append Texts node (with a / separator) to compile the pieces of a URL for an image that will be fed into a Make Image Layer node. The first four nodes could be collapsed in this chain: Append Texts>Fetch Image>Invert Image Colors>Convert Image to Layer>Render Layers to Window (As it is now, only the second last node is collapsed automatically.)

@Philip, that's an

jstrecker's picture
Submitted by

Philip (@Pianomatic), that's an interesting idea. To avoid expanding the current feature request beyond its complexity of 1 dot / up to a few days of work, I've created a separate feature request covering items 1 and 2: Ability to collapse other nodes besides type converters.

For item 3, I think a good way to accomplish that would be with the separate feature request plus Ability to create composition-local subcompositions. You could group the nodes into a subcomposition and give it a meaningful name, which would be displayed when you collapse the subcomposition node.

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