Using a group input node

If you create a group input node for a shader and then duplicate the shader to make variations of the shader, do the values within the group node change across all shader variations. I.e. all uses of the group node in different shaders.

I’ve got an issue where I’m altering the procedural textures mapping nodes on one shader and it making the other materials change to the same pattern, where I want different patterns. At first I thought it was that I’d linked the materials wrongly across all objects (wrong button pressing) and producing an usual effect. But looking at it is it likey to be the group node?

If you change any thing inside the node group, all the instances of that node group will reflect the same change. But if the change is outside the group, then each instance will perform differently.

So, in order to have different values in instances of the same node group, you have to expose the values through an input socket.

I see what you mean. Thanks. I’ve basically removed the node as a group and put it in the main shader as individual nodes, but that should work. Nice to know, thanks.

you can still create copies of a node group (not instances)… By clicking in the users number, next to the nodegroup name, it will create a new copy of that node group.

After a copy, your node group will be independent, and any change after it will be exclusive to the new node group.

This poses the small inconvenient… if you want to change the common behaviour of all the ‘similar’ node groups, you need to do it in everyone individually.

But the good news is that you can have nodegroups inside nodegroups! and carefully grouping your nodes, will give a lot of control.