Introduction
We've built GraphN to solve a fairly common issue in computer graphics: it's extremely hard to automate your workflow as a 3D artist, and you often have to hope that some coder somewhere automated your specific problem, locate the coder's tool on some marketplace, buy it, and hope for the best.
The GraphN ecosystem can be split into two distinct tools: GraphN Library, a plugin that sits right into your 3D package, and gives you access to ready-made tools to instantly accelerate your 3D workflow, and GraphN, the standalone node-based software that lets you build new tools and automate workflow tasks.
GraphN Library
GraphN Library is at the core of Polygonflow: it's a library of tools that you can use right away. Short term, we're adding more and more tools to this library, with the goal of automating the most common workflow tasks by the end of 2022. Long term, we're working to transform it into a specialized tools library marketplace, where anyone can create, share and sell their tools.
Let's break down a simple yet common challenge: you want to fill your ground with vegetation, while carving a path with curves:
GraphN exported tools work in Unreal Engine and Maya without any compatibility issues; which makes it ideal for artists who might prefer doing world building in one software, and lighting/rendering in another.
GraphN
GraphN is a node-based standalone software that connects to your 3D package, and allows you to visually automate any 3D task you have in mind. GraphN's primary focus is on automating world-building tasks, and we're expanding that horizon by the day to include pipeline automation, object creation, data processing, and so much more.
In GraphN, you composite your nodes to create your graph. In the GIF below, we're querying a curve from our Maya scene, converting it into a GraphN curve type, then instancing wooden posts along the curve. There's one node to resample the curve, which basically gives us a uniform points distribution along the curve, and then another node to slice the curve, which allows us to cut it from its start and end points.
In this other example, we have a graph that allows us to scatter plants by proximity. The setup here is also fairly straightforward: we scatter a bunch of points on our rock, instance a plant on each point, then hide all plants that aren't close to the cylinders.
GraphN is built for artists first, and we're still a long way from making it as simple as we want it to be, but with every new version, you can expect further improvements in the user experience. Long term, we hope this will be the go-to application for anyone wanting to automate some task. GraphN also happens to have a Python API, which makes it very flexible and easy to extend. We've built our own math, curves, geometry, and raytracing libraries to give you blazing fast tools that work in any 3D package that we support.
Closing
You can go to polygonflow.io and download GraphN. The software is available under a $10/month subscription for individuals and $90/month for studios. You can also start a trial of GraphN, which gives you access to GraphN Library and GraphN for a limited time, then continue to use GraphN for free for non-commercial projects or subscribe to a commercial license which also gives you access to GraphN Library.
We have a discord server that's just waiting for you; in there you'll find passionate artists and technical artists having fun with GraphN and GraphN Library, and learning from each other by the day. Come say hi!
