Description

The Batch Output node can be used in conjunction with Batch Input to quickly process multiple Bitmaps or Materials through the same set of node operations, and output the results from ArtEngine to your hard drive. Executing a Batch Output node requires a Batch Input node to be at the beginning of the execution chain.

You can check out our video on Batching here.

Usage

To Batch Output a set of Bitmaps or Materials imported with a Batch Input node, follow these steps:

Create a Batch Output node on the Node Graph. It can be found in the Output category of the Node Library.
Connect the last node in your batch processing chain to the input port of Batch Output. A batch processing chain always begins with a Batch Input node.
Navigate to the Properties window of the Batch Output node.
Click the Browse button next to the Output Path property, and point to a folder where you want to export your Bitmaps or Materials to.
Configure the output file naming preferences, as well as file extension and bit depth, using the properties of the Batch Output node. All properties of this node are detailed in the Node Reference section below.
Execute the Batch Input node at the start of the batch processing chain.
You will see a progress window during the operation. Wait for the batch operation to complete. You can also Cancel the batch operation during this step.
Once the process is complete, there are three options available to you in the batch operation window:
- OK: close the batching window and return to the Node Graph.
- Open Folder: open the output destination folder with your files.
- Log: display a log of the batching operations, which is useful for troubleshooting.

Bitmap export folder structure

When Batch Output exports Bitmaps, all Bitmaps are placed in the root folder specified in the Output Path property.

The file names follow the naming convention defined in the File Structure field.

Material export folder structure

When Batch Output exports Materials, each Material creates a sub-folder with the title identical to the one it was imported with by the Batch Input node.

The texture maps of each material are placed within that material’s sub-folder, and titled according to the naming convention defined in the File Structure field.

Node Reference

Node category	Output
Node execution style	Manual

Ports

Input Type	Description
Bitmap / Material	The set of Bitmaps or Materials which Batch Output exports to your hard drive.

Properties

Property/Setting	Description
Input Type	Choose whether this node accepts Bitmaps or Materials as input. This property will adjust automatically depending on the type of the Batch Input node at the start of the execution chain.
File Structure	Define the structure of the output file names of this node. You can propagate the following information into the output: input_name adds the name of the original input processed by the Batch Input node into the output file names. map_type adds the specific type of each Bitmap to the output file names, such as Albedo or Normal. resolution adds the texture resolution to the output file names. project adds the name of the current ArtEngine project to the output file names.
File Type	Choose the file extension and bit depth of the outputs of this node. The file extensions available are JPG, PNG, EXR, TIF, and TGA. For the bit depth, choose between 8bit, 16bit, or matching the input bit depth instead.
Preview	This field displays a preview of the output file name, depending on the File Structure you have chosen.
Overwrite Existing	Enable this option to automatically overwrite any existing files with matching file names in the specified output path.
Output Path	Specify the output folder path where files will be saved. You can enter the path manually, or use the Browse button on the right to navigate to the desired output folder.

Bitmap Naming Preferences

The Bitmap Naming Preferences button brings up a new window which allows you to individually adjust file names for each Bitmap type in the input.

In this window, the Bitmap types are listed on the left, and the corresponding output file names - on the right. Click any of the fields on the right-hand side to change the name for all output textures of that type.

You can also use the Reset button to the right of each file name to revert it to the default.

When you are done changing the Bitmap Naming Preferences, click the OK button at the bottom of the window, or the Cancel button if you want to discard the changes.