QtNodes

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Introduction

QtNodes is conceived as a general-purpose Qt-based library aimed at developing Node Editors for various applications. The library could be used for simple graph visualization and editing or extended further for using the Dataflow paradigm .

The library is written using the Model-View approach. The whole graph structure is defined by a class derived from AbstractGraphModel. It is possible to create or add Nodes and Connections. The underlying data structures could be of any arbitrary type or representation.

An instance of AbstractGraphModel could or could not be attached to specialized QGraphicsScene and QGraphicsView objects. I.e. the so-called "headless" modus operandi is possible.

Documentation

Read the Docs for QtNodes

Warning: Many classes were changed in the version 3.0. If you had a large project based on 2.x.x, make sure you read the documentation first and see the examples before checking out the new code.

Branches

There are branchses v2 and v3 for versions 2.x.x and 3.x respectively. The branch master contains the latest dev state.

Navigation

Data Flow Paradigm

The extended model class DataFlowGraphModel allows to register "processing algorithms" represented by nodes and is equipped with a set of Qt's signals and slots for propagating the data though the nodes.

The node's algorithm is triggered upon arriving of any new input data. The computed result is propagated to the output connections. Each new connection fetches available data and propagates is further. Each change in the source node is immediately propagated through all the connections updating the whole graph.

Supported Environments

Platforms

Linux (x64, gcc, Qt 5.15.2)
OSX (Apple Clang, Qt 5.15.2)
Windows (MSVC, Qt 5.15.2)
Windows (MSVC, Qt 6.3.0)

Dependencies

Qt >5.15
CMake 3.8
Catch2

Current State (v3)

Model-based graph
Headless mode You can create, populate, modify the derivative of AbstractGraphModel without adding it to the actual Flow Scene. The library is now designed to be general-purpose graph visualization and modification tool, without specialization on only data propagation.
Automatic data propagation built on top of the graph-model code The library could be used for both pure graph visualization purposes and for originally implemented data propagation.
Dynamic ports
Datatype-aware connections
Embedded Qt widgets
One-output to many-input connections
JSON-based interface styles
Saving scenes to JSON files
Custom Node Geometry
Vertical and Horizontal graph layouts
Undo/Redo, Duplication (CTRL+D)

Building

Set this option to false if you want to build with Qt5 version instead of Qt6:

USE_QT6

mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. -DUSE_QT6=on
or
mkdir build && cd build && cmake .. -DUSE_QT6=off

Linux

git clone git@github.com:paceholder/nodeeditor.git
cd nodeeditor
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j && make install

Qt Creator

Open CMakeLists.txt as project.
If you don't have the Catch2 library installed, go to Build Settings, disable the checkbox BUILD_TESTING.
Build -> Run CMake
Build -> Build All
Click the button Run

With Cmake using vcpkg

Install vcpkg
Add the following flag in configuration step of CMake

-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=<vcpkg_dir>/scripts/buildsystems/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake

Help Needed

Python wrappring using PySide.
QML frontend.
Wirting a ClangFormat config.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Contribution

Be polite, respectful and collaborative.
For submitting a bug:
1. Describe your environment (Qt version, compiler, OS etc)
2. Describe steps to reproduce the issue
For submitting a pull request:
1. Create a proposal task first. We can come up with a better design together.
2. Create a pull-request. If applicable, create a simple example for your problem, describe the changes in details, provide use cases.
For submitting a development request:
1. Describe your issue in details
2. Provide some use cases.
I maintain this probject in my free time, when I am not busy with my work or my family. If I do not react or do not answer for too long, please ping me.

Citing

Dmitry Pinaev et al, Qt Nodes, (2022), GitHub repository, https://github.com/paceholder/nodeeditor

BibTeX:

@misc{Pinaev2022,
  author = {Dmitry Pinaev et al},
  title = {QtNodes. Node Editor},
  year = {2017},
  publisher = {GitHub},
  journal = {GitHub repository},
  howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/paceholder/nodeeditor}},
  commit = {877ddb8c447a7a061a5022e9956a3194132e3dd9}
}

Support

If you like the project you could donate me on PayPal _

If you send more than $100, I'll forward $100 to some fund supporting sick children and report to you back.

Thanks

The version 3 was released with a generous help of Davide Faconti

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paceholder / nodeeditor