Do you know any tutorial for node material? I have not worked on any 3d stuff before, I have no idea about how this work at all, I still can’t understand it by only look at the document of babylon. I looked the node material editor but can’t understand what the meaning of each component and it’s property, any good suggestion?
@PirateJC can certainly help with that but did you check all the fantastic videos the team did on this very subject ?
Hi, wanted to add my input on this since NM, and NME is something I am personally working on trying to get better experience at too.
Like seb mentioned, we have lots of awesome videos that are really good for beginners.
Personally this toon shader demo is one of my favorites and it walks you step by step
If you are new to 3D lets start from the beginning with NM is. Think of your standard material. Node material is also a accept this one is composed of blocks. Think of like lego blocks. Each block is a node (hence the name node material) and when we put all those nodes together, using connectors, we are able to build a material.
Now there are 2 ways to create a node material. Option 1: you can type out all your blocks and connectors using code. In my opinion this is very tiring. 
Option 2: You can use this handy tool we have called the Node Material Editor! With this tool you can drag your blocks on the screen, modefy the values, and hook up the connects using the mouse.
As a beginner I’d recommend taking some existing node materials and playing around with values. Here’s a simple mist one for example: Babylon.js Node Material Editor
I would also read up a little bit on shaders knowledge in general cause it will explain what a lot of individual blocks will do. https://learnopengl.com/ From there you will be able to know how to better hook your blocks up to get the desired outcome. Also feel free to ask questions on our forum about a specific block or whenever you’re stuck.
I know PirateJC will have more to add too so can’t wait to read. 
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Thank you, I learned a lot by what you replied here, is there any way we can know what the meaning of each type of the block and how to use it, or we can only learn that by looking at playground code? For example, this is the basic when I open the NME, not sure what each block is for, also the parameter on it, what I am doing now is just look at playground and guess
Thank you! Looks like you get to know NME earlier and have the same question! This explanation is so clear to me even I do not have any 3d background, I really suggest adding what @PirateJC explains in the post to the document, and add more detail to document, for example, I’m looking at DotBlock, DotBlock | Babylon.js Documentation (babylonjs.com) , in the doc, it only says “Gets the left operand input component”, still not understand the meaning. Another example is ViewDirectionBlock, I see it has target (neutral, vertex, fragment) but can’t find anything in the doc ViewDirectionBlock | Babylon.js Documentation (babylonjs.com)
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Hey @pigga
First let me say how glad we all are to have you jump into the Node Material. This is one of the most versatile, powerful, and fun tools in all of Babylon. You’re in for a major treat by diving deeply into the Node Material Editor.
There’s a number of folks around here who have become experts in it. There’s a TON to learn, but the in my opinion, the very best place to start is where @sebavan suggests, with some of the video content we have available on this very subject. If you look at the bottom of the main Node Material Doc, I think you’ll find a plethora of helpful information.
I might be a bit bias on the subject, but there is one YouTube playlist in particular that I’d guide you towards as you’re starting your Node Material journey.
In this series, you’ll walk through a COMPLETE demo where the Node Material is heavily used to create a water caustics effect. This is a VERY in depth tutorial taking you step by step through the entire process and learning about how the Node Material works.
I hope these resources help you in your learning.
Best of luck and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions here in the forum!
Cheers!
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