Is there way to get a more node-based workflow when using textures with the Mantra/Karma principled shader? For example, there is no plug for a texture into the displacement connectors: it looks for a string input for the filename and the texture node outputs a color. Basically what I'm looking for a more Arnold/Octane style workflow where you've got your texture node, feed that into a color correction, then invert, transform it a bit, etc, then finally pipe it into the shader.

The Principled shader is a wrapper around the Principled Shader Core. Those texture slots, etc, are purely
a function of how the wrapper was designed. You can right click "allow editing" and the shader will no longer
be compiled. That way you can dive in and see how it's built, and modify it if you want.


L

even with Principled Shader (not core) you can still connect color output from the texture node to any of the inputs for components like basecolor, metalic, transparency, ...

if you are talking specifically about displacement there is disp and vdisp inputs on the node which are used when Enable Input Displacement is 1

Thank you, gentlemen!