Evan Robinson
evanrudefx
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freelance vfx
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Recent Forum Posts
Directly Editing Graphs non-destructively in APEX June 28, 2026, 3:39 p.m.
esttri
You need to give all the nodes you do not want to modify a tag called REFERENCE in the graph SOP. You can even delete them and it would still work. That way only you modifications get merged in and the upstream updates of your input graph properly show up..it also make the fuse step a loooot faster if you do that.
In other words we really only care on the edit graph SOP about the stuff you want to merge in not the rest. The rest is completely ignored, so it's not important if it's up do date or not of if you delete because it's not going to be used for the fuse process. And only the fuse process on the auto rig component node is the step that then takes the updated rig into account so you need to look there, not at the edit grap for the procedural update behavior!
Thanks, I really appreciate the replies. What you are saying makes perfect sense (and I previously didn't know that), but I feel like it does not address the original issue I was talking about. I will try to rephrase it.
1. Using component script (apex graph into second input of auto rig component) isn't an ideal way to work for every scenario (like fast prototyping or working on a small rig). If I need to multiply three vectors and wire the product into the rot of a transform object, it becomes the tedious task of graph add node, graph add node, graph add node, graph add node, find port, find port, find port, connect input, connect input, etc.
2. Apex graph allows me to directly edit the graph so I can work quickly. But this comes with the cost of stashing the graph. Example, I connect a vector into the rot of my two transform objects (that are my two joints). I decide to add a third joint and want to connect that vector into the rot like the other two. That third joint won't show in the apex graph sop because the initial graph that is stashed only had 2 joints. I can reset to fetch the new joint, but then I lose my work.
My question was whether or not there was a way to directly edit the graph like using the apex graph sop, but still be able to fetch changes to my original rig (like adding a joint).
What I have gathered is there isn't a way to do this. I should either use the component script method, or use the fuse graph method like you suggested (only care about stuff that is being merged).
Is that assessment correct?
Thanks
MPM Pin to Animation June 25, 2026, 11:28 a.m.
Sadly I don't think there is any way to do this currently. Looks like it's either on or off. Even though some pop nodes work with mpm, the mpm solver isn't based on the pop solver so not every pop node/attribute works. I was messing around with the targetv/airresist attributes to see if it works with mpm. That is usually my go-to for getting pop particles to appear partially pinned. targetv/airresist did effect the mpm simulation, but it didn't seem to work properly.
whitewater to ocean procedural displacement workflow June 25, 2026, 10:56 a.m.
Hello, you are exactly right. The white water needs the displacement from the ocean spectrum. You can do it at SOP level using the ocean sample layers in either vops or vex to displace the white water particles post-sim. It pretty much just grabs your spectrum file and displaces the geometry. You can flatten the edges to blend between simulated and the spectrum.
He talks about it in this playlist from sidefx youtube. He does it for the main flip sim, but he also talks about doing it for the white water in a different video later on in that playlist. Same process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIZnWTUfg3I&list=PLXNFA1EysfYntCVwF5GfrbWEj5nbz4-Tz&index=2 [www.youtube.com]
edit: you can also grab your existing mask and use it for white water particles.
He talks about it in this playlist from sidefx youtube. He does it for the main flip sim, but he also talks about doing it for the white water in a different video later on in that playlist. Same process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIZnWTUfg3I&list=PLXNFA1EysfYntCVwF5GfrbWEj5nbz4-Tz&index=2 [www.youtube.com]
edit: you can also grab your existing mask and use it for white water particles.