Building Chalice Networks

You compose cinematic special effects in Chalice by building a graphical network of nodes, wherein each node represents a step or process involved in the composition of the effect.

Creating a Network

You create a Chalice file (also called a grail file), select a node from the Node menu, and place the node in the large on-screen workspace. Then you assign parameter values to the node to control its functions. Next, you create a subsequent node, assign parameters, and link the previous node to it.

You repeat this basic operation over and over, building a network that represents a logical schematic of all the processes required to create the scene you desire. Monitors and other interactive tools are available at each node to examine and adjust the imagery at any point in the network.

Because each node represents a separate step in the image processing dataflow, you can easily pinpoint the precise places at which you may need to make adjustments to the node parameters or modifications to the dataflow.

The nodes you select, the parameter values you assign to them, and the order in which you connect them all influence the resulting scene.

Note:
For a detailed discussion of the dataflow process, refer to "Dataflow Mechanics of the Chalice System " in chapter 4, "Key Concepts ."

The following sections introduce the Chalice interface and explain in detail how to work with grail files, build networks of nodes, and use the features common to most nodes:

Launching Chalice
Overview of the Chalice Screen Layout
Working with Grail Files
Creating Node Networks
Overview of the Node Layout
Setting Node Display Options
Previewing Node Output



Table of Contents | Index



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