ShaderFX marking menu

-click in the work area of the ShaderFX editor for the marking menu.

Hw Shader Nodes

Create new nodes from this menu. You can select among texture nodes, math nodes, lighting nodes, and so forth. If you select Settings > Toggle Advanced Mode from the ShaderFX menu bar to toggle on the advanced mode, a larger selection of nodes is available to you; for example, advanced math nodes and Graph Nodes.

Tools

Toggle Advanced Mode

(Maya LT 2015) Select this menu item to toggle on and off advanced mode. In advanced mode, a larger selection of nodes is available to you for creation. In addition, you can perform tasks such as replacing the default material (by deleting the default TraditionalGameSurfaceShader node and Material node, and creating your own).

In Extension for Maya LT 2015, select Settings > Toggle Advanced Mode for this option.

Toggle Connection Draw Style

Select this option to toggle between drawing your connection line as solid or dashed. Having different style connection lines can help organize a larger node network. For more information regarding customizing your connection lines, see Customizing the look of your graph.

Reset connection

Select this option to revert back to the default connection draw style. You can create a visually different connection line by + + dragging on a connection line. To revert back to the default draw style, select the line and then select this option. For more information on customizing connection lines, see Customizing the look of your graph.

Save Selected Swatches to Files

Select your node, then select this option to bake your preview swatch to a 2kx2k texture. A tooltip appears in the ShaderFX editor, indicating the location to which your swatches are saved. You can also select multiple nodes at the same time and save their swatches simultaneously.

Save Selected Swatches to Images

Select your node, then select this option to bake your preview swatch to a 2kx2k texture. A tooltip appears in the ShaderFX editor, indicating the location to which your swatches are saved. You can also select multiple nodes at the same time and save their swatches simultaneously.

Save Selected Swatches to UV-unwrapped Image

Select your node, then select this option to bake the unwrapped UVs of your geometry to a 2kx2k texture. A tooltip appears in the ShaderFX editor, indicating the location to which your swatches are saved. You can also select multiple nodes at the same time and save their swatches simultaneously.

Set Swatch Geometry

Select your geometry in the scene view, then select this option to visualize your viewport geometry in the ShaderFX swatches. You can even bake the UV unwrapped image to a texture by selecting Save Selected Swatches to Files. See Baking in ShaderFX for more information.

Set Swatch Camera

Use in conjunction with Set Swatch Geometry. After you have selected Set Swatch Geometry to visualize your geometry in swatches, you must select this option to update the swatches if you rotate your camera. After rotating the camera, select View > Select Camera in the Maya panel menu, then select this option to update the swatches in ShaderFX. See Baking in ShaderFX for more information.