Best practices using 32bit-Loader?

I am exporting 32-bit multichannel .exr files with lots of render elements.

One of the render elements is used over and over again - for example the cryptomatte for masking.

1) What's the best practice to use the loader?
2) Are you going to copy and paste the the loader multiple times where ever needed inside your comp?

I can't instance a loader and I was just wondering if there is any other option/feature that allows me to make Fusion understand, that this file is already cached - or so to speak. If I am going to copy a specific loader, it's actually always the same file and not a new or different one.

Or does Fusion automatically understand this, and it doesn't actually matter in terms of speed?

I am curious how you manage your comps, and what's the best practice when you need a render element over and over again.

I could connect the same node of course 100times with other nodes... hmmm... but the comp just get's super messy? Or am I missing something major here?

I hope my question makes kinda sense.

Thanks a lot for any input and your suggestions, appreciate that a lot!

and as always... happy pixeling!
cheers!

The best way is to pull connections from the single Loader everywhere you want to use it—duplicate Loaders don't cache together, and they'll all pull the footage through I/O independently, which as you might imagine is expensive.

If you object to the spaghetti, you could use a Wireless Link node, which takes the input in a text field in the control panel instead of a wire in the Flow.

I usually use a sort of visual 'channel' approach, like so:

Untitled.png (24.03 KiB) Viewed 1184 times

It doesn't always work nicely—sometimes requires reorganizing the flow—but it has the advantage of keeping all sources stacked neatly at the left edge of the comp, where they're easy to manage.

If you object to the spaghetti, you could use a Wireless Link node, which takes the input in a text field in the control panel instead of a wire in the Flow.

In addition to what Bryan mentions, you can also sort of turn off the links in the new Fusion 16 beta, by going into the 'settings' tab and check the 'hide incoming connections' which creates kind of a hybrid wireless link node. The connections are hidden *unless* the node is selected at which moment the link will appear so you can see where your connection is coming from. It's part of the beta, so it might be subject to change.

Hmmm....

I am also using the hos_Xplit_EXR_Ultra Script to shuffle-out the render elements I need.
Does the script create duplicates?

And I am sorry, but I couldn't follow you at all with the Spaghetti and Wire Link node?

Indeed, I would like to use just one Loader for my multichannel exr.
But how in heaven is this doable?

I am lost here...

SplitEXR will still work as desired because Fusion does (now) properly handle Multi-part EXR. That is, it will only load the portion of the file that is requested and not the entire EXR. So although each Loader is indeed loading the file, it's only getting a piece of it, so it's not actually duplicating work. At least, that's the theory; I haven't done any testing to see if it's true.

At the moment, it's not possible to pull more than 7 layers out of a multi-part EXR with a single Loader, and even doing that requires using channels for a purpose other than what they were designed for. A better Loader that can do it properly is something I'd like to make, but there are a lot of other projects in line ahead of it.

'Spaghetti' is a metaphor for the visual mess that a lot of wires/pipes creates. When they all cross one another, it can look like a pot of noodles.

Wireless Link is a Fuse that can be used to connect two nodes without a visible wire between them. I believe it's part of a vanilla install. The idea is that you put the Wireless Link node in the flow, then drag a Loader into its Input field in the control panel. Anything you plug the Wireless Link into will act as though the Loader is connected directly to it. It's a useful way of reducing clutter in your Flow View, but it does come with the disadvantage of removing the visual indication of a connection.