NODE Editor Add is all blank

Support Basics & Interface
1

Hi All,
I have seen a few posts that show the node editor view populated with all kinds of maya like goodies.
My question is how do you do that? I launch Blender and switch to Node editor and click the Add item in the menu and it is all blank. There is nothing I can add.
Is my blender install broken?
How do you use this screen?

Thanks

2

Atom,

There are two screen modes for nodes, material, and composite. Chances are, you are in material mode, and you haven’t assigned a material to anything yet, so there is nothing to add to. At the bottom of the node editor window, there are 2 buttons: the ball is for materials, and the face is for composite nodes.

Check out the following:

http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Node_Materials
http://mediawiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Compositing

Best of Luck!!

3

Switch on the use nodes button.