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The phase view is a generic canvas on which to create and connect phases, which are instructions for the solver. Each phase can have one or more inputs, and one output, each shown as a small triangle ('pin'). Inputs are normally on the top with the output on the right, though a preference can change this so that inputs are on top, and the output at the bottom.
You can tell if a phase has been solved yet by looking at the triangular tab at top right corner of the phase. It is either red (unsolved) or green (solved). You can double- click to solve the phase (and any phases its inputs require).
There can be multiple independent collections of phases in the phase view. One of the phases is special: the 'root.' During a solve, the root phase is the one that is queried to produce the new solve. The root has an extra-wide right or bottom edge, ie Phase2 above. Any phase downstream of the root is ignored, as are any independent phase collections. Phases that will be unused are darkened and marked with a red X, ie Phase3. Phase1 is selected.
When a scene is solved that has no root, the phase subsystem, and all your phases, are intentionally ignored. The scene is solved 'as-is.' This is an error only if it is not what you had in mind, otherwise, it is a feature!
New phases are added using the right-click menu; the phases are grouped into categories alphabetically at the bottom of the menu.
When you add a new phase, it is placed at the location you (right) clicked, and it is wired in after the currently-selected phase, ie the selected phase's output is wired to the new phase's input, and the selected phase's outputs are connect to the new phase instead. If the selected phase was the root, the new phase becomes the root instead. Note that you cannot create circular loops in the wiring.
Selected phases can be copied to the clipboard, producing textual XML. They can be pasted back into SynthEyes, pre-wired and pre-configured. The clipboard text can be 'seen' by other apps.
The phase configuration can be written to a file on disk as well, and later retrieved, typically for insertion into a different shot. To support the creation of libraries of phases, there is a Folder Preference (Phases) set up so you can easily save and reopen phase configurations. In enterprises, you can move that folder preference to a shared location.
©2024 Boris FX, Inc. — UNOFFICIAL — Converted from original PDF.