render tree nodes

[latrommi_suineg]

im only just beginning to use the rendertree and im feeling somewhat restricted by its input and outputs... coming from maya where the connection editor allows the selection of both the out attribute and the in attribute to be connected...

the easiest example would be this... in maya ive been using the facing ratio of smpler infonode into the v coord of a ramp texture... the resulting control over the 0 to 1 value across the ramp allowing me to drive a texture away from the eye of the camera... now ive found the colorFrontBack node... and both the gradient and the 2d gradient... but am without a clue as to finding a formula that will allow the same usage...

if i still have you with me... by all means, help a brother out... and additionally if you know of anything that resembles the connection editor in soft XSI 2.0 please point me to it...

thanks

[atyss]

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the easiest example would be this... in maya ive been using the facing ratio of smpler infonode into the v coord of a ramp texture... the resulting control over the 0 to 1 value across the ramp allowing me to drive a texture away from the eye of the camera...
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In this case what you're looking for is the Incidence node.

I don't think there is such thing as the connection editor. What are you looking for exactly?

Hope this helps
Salutations - Cheers
Bernard Lebel

[latrommi_suineg]

id like some way of selecting which attribute (out)will be connected to the in attribute... but am only getting a single connection option for each node (out)....
thanks for your help and if there is any rentree node overviews available can you please send me the link...

[atyss]

You will find many Render Tree tutorials by visiting those sites:

www.edharriss.com
www.xsifiles.com
www.softimage.com/Education/XSI/SelfPacedLearning/tutorials/default.htm

Hope this helps
Salutations - Cheers
Bernard Lebel