9.5.2

1064 • CHAPTER 22
XPRESSO EDITOR • 1065
XGroups
XGroups are containers for nodes, other XGroups and their wires. Like real containers, XGroups
help you to put related items ‘in the same box’ for better organization. You’ll then nd it easier to
understand, navigate and modify the expression. In addition to acting as a container, an XGroup can
be connected to nodes and other XGroups. You can save and load XGroups to reuse them in other
projects.
Use XGroups to organize nodes into groups.
You can navigate the contents of an XGroup in a similar way to the CINEMA 4D viewport. To move or
zoom the contents, drag the move or zoom icon in the top right corner of the XGroup. You can also
move the contents by pressing the cursor keys. To add ports to the XGroup, choose the desired ports
from the XGroup’s inputs menu (blue square) and outputs menu (red square).
To minimize an XGroup to its title bar, double-click the title bar. To restore an XGroup window to full
size, double-click the title bar again. To move an XGroup, drag its title bar. To re-size an XGroup, drag
a side or corner.
When creating your own expressions, you’ll often need to select an XGroup to, among other things,
load its settings into the Attribute manager so that you can edit them. To select an XGroup, click the
XGroup’s title bar. To select multiple XGroups, drag a marquee over them, or select one of the XGroups
then Shift-click the other XGroups that you want to select; selected XGroups have red borders.
Inputs First
On the Attribute manager’s Node Properties page, you’ll nd an option called Inputs First. If this
option is enabled, nodes that are outside the selected XGroup are evaluated rst. This is especially
important when the XGroup receives values from the nodes, to ensure that the XGroup receives up-
to-date values.
Active
This option allows you to switch the XGroup on (active) or off. The nodes inside the XGroup will only
be processed if the XGroup is active. You can also switch the node on by passing a Boolean value of
True or the value 1 to its Enable port.
Protect / Unprotect
You can password protect XGroups using this button, which will hide the contents of the XGroup
until the password is entered.