The MDL Graph
As you will notice, the MDL graph is pretty similar to a standard graph, yet has some features & differences that makes it unique:
- The nodes used in a MDL graph are specific.
- a MDL graph can only have one single output called "root".
- MDL graph introduces a new way to select & create nodes (see Contextual Node Creation below)
- Exposing parameters differs from Standard Graph (See the Exposing a Parameter page)
MDL Graph Creation
In order to create an MDL Graph, follow these steps:
- Create a new Substance package, or open an existing one.
- In the explorer: right click on the package and click on new/
You can also click on the icon on the main toolbar:
You will then be prompted to choose a MDL preset:
Once you have chosen your template and named your graph, just click OK on the top right of the window: the MDL graph will be generated according to the selected template:
MDL Graph Parameters
Like a standard graph, there is 2 ways to access the graph parameters:
- Click on the graph name in the Explorer view
- Double-click on an empty space in the graph view
Parameters are subdivided in 3 sections:
- Attributes
- MDL Annotations
- Graph Inputs
Attributes
Attributes are information used by Substance Designer itself
Identifier
Name displayed in the library
Category
Category where the MDL should appear in the library
Show in Library
Defines if the MDL Graph should be seen in the Library or not
Icon
You can select a specific icon to display into the library.
MDL Annotations
Annotations provides extra meta information to the MDL:
Graph Inputs
This is the section where the parameters exposed by the user will appear:
In this page: