OpenGL Bypass Node

The OpenGL Bypass node can be used to define what is displayed in the OpenGL preview of the Camera view separately from what appears in the final rendered image. This can be used to help with performance when working on a scene or during playback. The OpenGL preview can be made to only display elements that are important to the animator as they are working on the scene, making the generation of the OpenGL preview a lot less demanding for Harmony, without affecting the rendered image.

Connection

The OpenGL Bypass node has two input ports and one output port. What is connected to the left input port displays in the OpenGL preview, and what is connected to the right input port appears in the rendered image.

  1. Identify a part of the scene's node system that adds a lot of unnecessary load to the OpenGL preview.
  1. If that part of the node system is not connected to a composite, add a Composite node and connect all the elements of that area to this composite. This will be the render composite.
  1. Connect the OpenGL Bypass node under the render composite through its right input port.
  1. Create another composite. This will be the preview composite.
  1. Connect only the parts of the node system that are useful to the animator to the preview composite.
  1. Connect the preview composite to the left input port of the OpenGL Bypass node.

In the following example the scene includes a background, a character (which is rigged to be cut by part of the background), a drop shadow, light and shadow effects, a node system deformed by a Quadmap to make a computer or television screen effect, a snowstorm particle system and an overlay. All of these elements are connected to a composite that is connected to the right port of the OpenGL Bypass. Connected to the left port of the OpenGL Bypass is a composite that is only connected to the character without the cutter, the background, and the content of the screen without the Quadmap deformation, which would typically be all the animator needs to work on the scene.

NOTE This example showcases the OpenGL Bypass node being used for the scene's main composite. It is also possible to use it for very precise areas of a node system, such as individual body parts of a character, as long as they are linked together by a composite.

Properties

Parameter Description
Name The name of the node as it appears in the Node View and the Timeline view. Each node must have a name that is unique to its containing group.