As for ideas; have simple sand emulation (comparable to fluid, but perhaps with simpler logic simple (grid based stacking, as to emulate sand).
I also think the examples should be in the form of Quick particle Flock, Quick particle rocket, Quick particle swirl, Quick particle fireworks (i wouldn’t mind if this list got 10 or more items, the more the better).
Maybe have a huge mega node with the most common current options no need to compile it but keep it as nodes so people can learn from it, on how thing.
Ah, I see! This is very reassuring, when described that way it just clicked. It quite reminds me of the module approach that some modern game engines use for their artist directed particle systems. If you can create your own influencers that can be re-used as building blocks on different systems that would be a huge win for modularity. I would be interested to see how that would grow to other types of simulations but it sounds very flexible. The current working design of the particle nodes system is rather concerning but this influences concept actually solves most of my complaints. 100% on-board with influences now.
This is a valid concern IMO. And a great example that of Principled BSDF.
Before it was added, an knowledgeable user could build a node network very similar to the Principled node, including manually things such as fresnel reflections, clearcoat or alpha and emission.
What the Principled node did was combine all this multiple funcionalities, and expose them in the form of inputs or sliders, with pre-defined ready-to-go values. A new user can add this single node and never touch the sliders, he will still have a functional product.
This same concept could be applied to everything nodes. Have pre-defined complex nodes that aggregate multiple parameters, which are exposed, but also have all the parameters as individual nodes, if someone wants to build his own custom node network with only the necessary parts.
Like mentioned, we could have a Bevel node that has all the default sliders and buttons already present and set at some defaults (but also with sockets for them all)
This way a new user could simply “Add Primitive>Cube” and “Bevel Mesh” with 2 simple nodes, just as easy as he can now do using Modifiers, and edit all the main bevel properties in the node itself.
Another more experient user could then add some dynamic nodes and connect it to the bevel sockets, etc, to control the parameters from outside the node.
An expert user could build a custom Bevel operation using a set of more abstract nodes that affect and control the mesh at the component level, such as: (Add Cube) Rips faces, Scale faces individually, Connect edges with new faces, Subdivide new faces with loops, Move loops according to a profile, Done, he has a beveled cube, done the hard way.