Templates and groups

A group shows many nodes as one node. A template is a node or a group that you save with your own settings. Your org can add it from the node list, like any other node.

Make a group

1. Select two or more nodes.
2. Click Group on the canvas bar, or press ⌘G on Mac or Ctrl+G on Windows or Linux.

The nodes become one group node. The links from outside go to the ports of the group.

A group can hold other groups. When you run a group, tabletop runs the nodes in it. Each node in a group has its own results, versions and lock.

Set what a group shows

Click the group. The inspector shows:

• Ports: a switch for each port of the nodes in the group that has no link inside the group. Turn a port on to show it on the group node. A port with a link from outside stays on.
• A section for each node in the group, with its settings and two switches:
  • Show preview: shows the result of the node on the group node.
  • Show parameters: shows this section on the nodes of a group template.

Make a template from a node

1. Select the node.
2. In the inspector, turn on Template. The node gets a dashed border and the label “Template”. It does not run.
3. Type the Name, the Description and the Category.
4. Set each setting to the value that the template starts with.
5. To hide a setting, turn off Show. Each run then uses the value that you set.
6. To add hidden text before the text of the user, turn on Prefix on a text setting. Type the Hidden text, a Label and a Description.

tabletop saves the template at once. The node list shows it in its category, marked as your template. Every member of your org can use it.

Use a template

Add the template from the node list, like any other node. The node shows only the settings that the template shows.

When you change a template, every node of that template changes too, in every workflow.

Add fields to a prompt

A field is a word in double braces, such as {{creature}}, in a text setting of a template. Each field becomes a box that the user fills in.

1. Make a template from a Plain Text node, for example “Creature Views”.
2. Set the text to A {{creature}} creature. Views: {{views}}, then turn off Show. The inspector shows “Fields: Creature, Views”.
3. Add the template to a workflow. The node shows a Fields section.
4. Type dragon in Creature and front, side, back in Views.

The run uses “A dragon creature. Views: front, side, back”. If a field is empty, the node shows “Fill in” and the name of the field.

Make a group template

1. Turn on Template for each node in the group.
2. Turn on Template for the group.
3. Set the name, the description, the category, the ports and the switches of each node.

The Template switch of the group stays off until each node in it is a template. Hover the switch to see which nodes are not.

You can open a node of a group template, but you cannot add, remove or link nodes in it.

Some built-in group templates show a setting once for several nodes in them, such as Subject height of Generate Sprite (Video). It sets the same value in each of these nodes, and their own sections do not show it.

Change or delete a template

Built-in templates

tabletop comes with some templates. You cannot change them.

See them in Nodes.