Selecting Nodes In The Channel Box

[rgkovach]

I've got two objects, each with an identical set of polyColorMod and polyBlendColor nodes...
Now, sometimes, when I select the two objects, of course I only see the active objects list of inputs in the Channel Box, but if I select a node it will select that node on both objects and let me adjust the attributes together. However, this isn't always the case....more often than not, when two objects are selected with identical inputs, and I select one of them, I don't also select the corresponding node on the other object.

I suppose the proper way to ensure grabbing both nodes is to graph both objects in the hypergraph so i can actually select both nodes, but sometimes Maya will assume I want the corresponding nodes and sometimes it won't...

here is what i'm trying to do...

1. Make a polySphere and a directional light.
2. Create a vertex color set and apply Pre-lighting with default settings.
3. Create a second vertex color set and fill it with a solid color.
4. Delete history.
5. Add a polyColorMod to each color set (easiest way is from the color set editor, Modify button).
6. Select the two sets in the color set editor and click Blend.

Now you should have a sphere with two polyColorMod inputs, a createColorSet node and a polyBlendColors node.

NOw if you make another object, like a cube and repeat the above steps, or just duplicate the sphere with input graph, select both objects, and graph them in the hypergraph - if I select the polyBlendColor node in the channel box, both nodes get selected, but if i select a polyColorMod from the channel box, only the lead objects node gets selected.

[rgkovach]

After some more digging, i found that my problem is being caused by having nodes of the same type multiple times in each object's history.

Because there is only one polyBlendColor node in the history, Maya will select the polyBlendColor nodes across multiple objects. But since each object has two polyColorMod nodes in it's history, Maya will only select the lead object's node.
If I only have one polyColorMod node in each object's history, then Maya will select them across multiple objects.

As a test, I used the Insert Intermediate Shape from the Bonus Tools in between the polyColorMod nodes and I was able to select each set of nodes across the objects.

So now my question is, besides using Intermediate Shapes is there any kind of utlity node that can act as a spacer?

Again, the end result i'm going for is a vertex lighting solution broken into separate layers, each with its own polyColorMod node, and then blended into each other, across multiple objects using the Channel Box as a GUI for global modifications to HSV attributes.
My problem is Maya won't select the multiple polyColorMod nodes across multiple objects if they feed directly into each other, from the Channel box.

[joojaa]

Sure just about any deformer