The Network Editor

The Network Editor is the main canvas where you build, connect, and manage your Operator networks. Almost everything you do in TouchDesigner happens here.

macOS notes:

• Alt = the Option key.
• Ctrl shortcuts on Windows translate to Cmd (Command) on Mac keyboards.
• MMB = middle mouse button. On a trackpad: two-finger scroll to zoom, two-finger swipe to pan.
• RMB = right-click. On a trackpad: two-finger tap.

Navigation

Action	How
Pan	LMB drag in empty space (primary); two-finger swipe on trackpad
Zoom	Scroll wheel / two-finger scroll; or MMB drag left/right
Home view (fit all nodes)	H key
Frame selected nodes	F key
Toggle Viewer Active (selected node)	A key
Go into a COMP	Double-click it
Go up one level	U key, or Esc
Jump to root	Shift + U

Creating Operators

• Press Tab anywhere in the Network Editor to open the OP Create Dialog.
• Start typing the node name to filter. Click or press Enter to place.
• Alternatively, right-click in the empty network area.

The Node Flags

Each node has small flags in its corners that control its behaviour:

Flag	Icon position	Effect
Viewer	Bottom-left	Shows a live preview thumbnail inside the node
Cook	Bottom-right (orange)	Forces the node to always cook, even if nothing downstream needs it
Display	Right side (blue)	Determines which SOP/TOP/COMP is rendered to the viewer
Bypass	Top-left	Passes input through unchanged (like a mute)
Lock	Top-right	Freezes the output so it stops updating
Clone Immune	Top-left (on COMPs)	Prevents the node from being overridden by a master clone

Bookmarks

Right-click (two-finger tap on trackpad) on empty space → Add Bookmark to save the current view position and zoom level. Access bookmarks from the Bookmarks menu or with Ctrl + 1–9. Essential for large networks.

Comments and Notes

• Shift + C — Add a Comment annotation (floating text label).
• Shift + S — Add a colored background Subnet box to group and document nodes visually.
• Right-click a node → Add Comment to attach a note directly to a node.

The Info OP

Middle-click (MMB) while hovering over any node to open the Info popup. This shows:

• Cook time (ms)
• Resolution (for TOPs)
• Channel count and sample rate (for CHOPs)
• Error messages

This is your first debugging tool.

Wiring Tips

• Ctrl + click + drag an output wire to fan it out to multiple destinations.
• Hold Alt (⌥) while connecting a wire to an existing connection to insert the new node between two existing ones.
• Wires can be hidden by right-clicking (two-finger tap) a connector → Hide Wire.

Common Gotchas

• “Why isn’t my node cooking?” — Check the Cook flag and make sure something downstream is actually requesting the output.
• “I can’t see my changes” — Make sure the Viewer flag (bottom-left) is turned on.
• “My network is huge and slow” — Use / to search within the network. Collapse modules into COMPs with Ctrl + Shift + C (Network Box).

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