An overview of using Templates.
Templates are a reusable and shareable format for storing sections of a Node Graph without tying them to a specific ArtEngine project. You can find all existing Templates in the Templates window.
A Template can store any set of nodes, their properties, their connections, and their relative positions on the Node Graph. Any Template can be used in any ArtEngine project. Multiple Templates can be chained together or extended with additional nodes.
A Template does not store any texture assets used in the original set of nodes it was created from. Instead, it creates placeholders for those assets, which you can then replace with any other textures. A placeholder is identified as a node with a checkerboard pattern.
To use an existing Template in your Node Graph:
ArtEngine comes with a selection of built-in Templates, created by our artists for common material processing workflows. You can use Built-in Templates to speed-up and kickstart your work in ArtEngine.
You can find them in the Templates window, under the Built-In Templates section.
To create a new Template from the nodes in your Node Graph:
Click Save again.
ArtEngine stores Templates as .XML files in the location that you choose to save them to.
In order for any Template to show up in the Templates window, you must store it in the following location on your machine:
%UserProfile%\Documents\Artomatix\Templates |
If there are any textures within a Template at the moment you create it, ArtEngine automatically creates placeholders for them.
Templates are stored as .XML files. You can share your Templates or import other users’ Templates by exchanging these files.
To import a Template from an .XML file:
If your user folder already contains a Template with the same name, ArtEngine renames the new Template and assigns it a copy number.