🧠 Graph System

Before diving into node interactions, let’s digest the interface layout: Kente Inteface This layout gives you a full overview of your composition pipeline — from node selection to live rendering.

Interactions

You can interact with nodes in the following ways:

🖱️ Select a node to tweak its attributes in the Inspector panel
⌨️ Delete a node by pressing the Delete key
🧮 Multi-select nodes by holding Shift while clicking or by dragging a selection box with the mouse
🧲 Move multiple selected nodes by holding Shift and dragging any one of the selected nodes
🔗 Disconnect nodes by clicking either of the connected ports
📋 Duplicate a node by holding Ctrl and dragging it, or by using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V
🏷️ Rename a node by changing the name field in the Inspector

⚠️ Node names are case-sensitive and must be unique
🧵 Rename ports by left-clicking and dragging away from the node

⚠️ Port names must also be unique and provide clarity when viewed in the vTask Switchboard
👁️ Hover over a port to view its current value in real time

Each node has two small white rectangles in its header:

◻️ The left rectangle activates a preview of that node’s output in the left viewer
◻️ The right rectangle is used to collapse or minimize the node for a cleaner workspace

⚙️ Runtime Execution

Kente includes a hidden timeline that starts automatically when the graph is active.
By default, it loops over 5000 frames, driving time-based nodes and animations.
The timeline can be extended or customized using the scripting system — see Set timeline range dynamically for details.
You can stop the timeline by pressing the Stop button, which halts all execution and data flow.

Kente operates as a real-time graph engine, meaning every node processes and passes data continuously as long as the last connected node is an output or result node.

🔄 Execution Flow

Nodes execute in topological order, based on their connections.
Each node processes its inputs and emits outputs every frame.
Changes to node parameters or connections are reflected instantly in the live output.

🐞 Debugging Tips

🧠 Connect port values to a Text node and preview it to monitor the value in realtime.
⚠️ Nodes with errors are helighted with a red border.
👁️ Hover over ports to inspect live data values or error logs.
🧹 Isolate issues by temporarily disconnecting nodes or bypassing sections of the graph.
🧭 Name ports clearly — this improves visibility in the vTask Switchboard and helps trace logic.

⚠️ Keep node and port names unique to avoid conflicts and ensure accurate routing.

🧩 Nested Graphs & Grouping

The graph system in Kente supports nesting or grouping of nodes to help organize complex compositions.

🗂️ Working with Nested Graphs

By default, Kente starts in the Root Graph.
The breadcrumb menu at the top shows the name of the graph you're currently in.
To create a group:
Drag a Graph Node into the canvas.
Double-click the Graph Node to open it.
The breadcrumb menu will update to reflect the current graph path.
You can click the Root Graph name in the breadcrumb to return to the top level.

🔌 Port Exposure & Behavior

All Input and Output nodes inside a nested graph are exposed as ports on the Graph Node itself.
The input port type automatically adapts based on the data supplied to the graph.
This allows nested graphs to behave like reusable modules with dynamic interfaces.

🏷️ Graph Naming & Loading

When you rename a Graph Node, the name must be unique across your project.
A .Graph suffix is automatically appended to the node name to distinguish it as a graph container.
You can load a saved graph to replace the contents of a Graph Node by clicking the Browse button in the Inspector.
Supported file extensions: .kente and .graph

🧠 Custom Node Integration

You can extend Kente by creating and integrating your own custom nodes using .graph files.

📁 File Placement

To make a custom node appear in the Node Browser, place your .graph file in one of the following directories:

C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Vfxblend\vTask\{version}\graphs
C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Vfxblend\Kente\{version}\graphs (for Kente standalone mode)

These folders already contain custom nodes created by the Kente team — feel free to explore them and learn from their internal graph structures.

🔍 Discovery & Usage

You do not need to restart the app.
Simply search for your custom node in the Node Browser, and Kente will automatically scan for new .graph files.
Custom nodes are visually indicated with yellow dots, while core nodes use grey dots.

🧠 Tip: Use custom nodes to encapsulate reusable logic, simplify complex graphs, or share modular tools across projects.

🧠 Kente Node Reference

See Node Reference to explore detailed documentation for each node type used in Kente.