Patching¶

SPARCK Nodes can be connected in several ways, depending on what you need to achieve. This page explains the different connection mechanisms available.

Connection Types Overview¶

1. Patch cords — for passing textures between SPARCK nodes
2. Linking — Transform, shader & material parenting for hierarchical relationships
3. Render groups — for controlling which content is rendered where and when
4. File selection — for nodes that load external assets

Patch Cords (Textures)¶

The most familiar way to connect SPARCK Nodes is with patch cords.

Between SPARCK nodes, patch cords are primarily used to pass textures. Other inlets and outlets are usually for interacting with the broader Max environment (control values, triggers, etc.).

Use patch cords when: You want to send a texture from one SPARCK Node to another.

Linking¶

Transformations¶

Nodes can be linked via their transformation hierarchy. In the example above, the Model node is parented to a TfmNode, which in turn is parented to a TfmPathNode.

Cameras, Shaders & Materials¶

The same linking mechanism is used to attach:

• Shaders — apply visual effects
• Materials — apply surface properties to model nodes
• Cameras — apply camera properties to capture nodes

Use transformation parenting when: You want one node's position, rotation, or scale to be relative to another,

Use shader and material linking when you want to apply shaders/materials to content nodes.

Use camera linking to tell capture nodes (see also below) from where to look at the 3d scene.

Render Groups¶

Render groups control how content nodes and capturing nodes work together to create rendered output.

Content Nodes¶

Content nodes place objects in the 3D scene to be rendered. These include:

• Model
• Canvas
• Grid
• CornerPin
• SkyBox
• MeshWarp

For content nodes, the render group interface indicates where the content is drawn. This property is called drawto.

Capturing Nodes¶

Capturing nodes render 3D scenes from a specific viewpoint (defined by a camera node). These include:

• SceneCapture¹
• BoxMapCapture²
• Beamer

For capturing nodes, the render group interface indicates which groups are rendered. This property is called capture.

Other Render Group Uses¶

Some nodes use render groups for different purposes. For example, SceneCamera has a gizmo render group that controls where the camera gizmo is drawn in the 3D viewer.

Files¶

Some nodes load external files such as textures, models, or videos. If valid files are available in the expected folder, they appear in the node's file menu.

Use files when: You need to load assets like 3D models, images, videos, or shaders.

Connecting Jitter Objects to SPARCK¶

It's possible to render existing Jitter patches inside the SPARCK ecosystem. Use the Hook node for this purpose — it ensures your Jitter objects are drawn into the correct context and render group.