Sverchok Syntax API

sverchok-syntax-api

Quick Reference

What This Skill Covers

Programmatic (external) control of Sverchok node trees via Python scripts — creating, modifying, querying, and batch-processing node trees from outside the node editor. This skill covers the external API surface for automating Sverchok.

• Tree access: bpy.data.node_groups filtered by bl_idname='SverchCustomTreeType'
• Node creation: tree.nodes.new(bl_idname) with location and property assignment
• Link creation: tree.links.new(output_socket, input_socket)
• Update control: tree.force_update(), tree.update_nodes(), tree.sv_process
• Data extraction: node.outputs[name].sv_get() for reading computed results
• Batch processing: Parameter sweeps with setattr() + force_update() loops
• Performance: tree.init_tree() context manager for suppressing intermediate updates
• Data utilities: match_long_repeat, fullList, repeat_last from sverchok.data_structure

Cross-reference: This skill builds on bpy.data knowledge covered by the blender-core-api skill. See that skill for general Blender data-block access patterns.

Critical Warnings

NEVER add nodes or links without tree.init_tree() context manager — every tree.nodes.new() and tree.links.new() call triggers a full tree re-evaluation without it, causing O(n²) performance.

NEVER call node.process() directly — ALWAYS use tree.force_update() or tree.update_nodes() to trigger evaluation through the update system.

NEVER mutate data returned by sv_get(deepcopy=False) — this corrupts the upstream node's cached output and poisons all downstream nodes.

NEVER forget to call tree.force_update() after programmatic property changes — setattr() on node properties does NOT automatically trigger the update system.

ALWAYS set tree.sv_process = True before expecting tree updates — trees with processing disabled silently ignore all events.

ALWAYS use 'SverchCustomTreeType' as the tree type — using 'ShaderNodeTree' or other Blender tree types will fail to create Sverchok nodes.

ALWAYS wrap socket data in nested lists — sv_set([[(0,0,0), (1,0,0)]]) not sv_set([(0,0,0), (1,0,0)]).

Decision Tree

Need to automate Sverchok from Python?
├── Create a new node tree
│   ├── tree = bpy.data.node_groups.new(name, 'SverchCustomTreeType')
│   └── ALWAYS wrap construction in: with tree.init_tree():
├── Access an existing tree
│   ├── tree = bpy.data.node_groups.get('TreeName')
│   └── Verify: tree.bl_idname == 'SverchCustomTreeType'
├── Add nodes to a tree
│   ├── node = tree.nodes.new('SvBoxNodeMk2')
│   ├── Set location: node.location = (x, y)
│   └── Set properties: node.property_name = value
├── Connect nodes
│   ├── By index: tree.links.new(node_a.outputs[0], node_b.inputs[0])
│   └── By name: tree.links.new(node_a.outputs['Vertices'], node_b.inputs['vertices'])
├── Trigger evaluation
│   ├── Full tree: tree.force_update()
│   ├── Specific nodes: tree.update_nodes([node_a, node_b])
│   └── First ensure: tree.sv_process = True
├── Read output data
│   ├── data = node.outputs['Name'].sv_get()
│   ├── Read-only: sv_get(deepcopy=False)
│   └── Data is ALWAYS nested: [[obj1_data], [obj2_data], ...]
└── Batch parameter sweep
    ├── Loop: setattr(node, prop, value) → tree.force_update() → sv_get()
    └── Disable viewers for speed: tree.sv_show = False

Essential Patterns

Pattern 1: Create a New Node Tree

# Blender 4.0+/5.x with Sverchok v1.4.0+
import bpy

# Create a new Sverchok tree (uses bpy.data: see blender-core-api skill)
tree = bpy.data.node_groups.new("MyParametricTree", 'SverchCustomTreeType')

# ALWAYS use init_tree() to suppress updates during construction
with tree.init_tree():
    # Add nodes by bl_idname
    num = tree.nodes.new('SvNumberNode')
    num.location = (0, 0)

    box = tree.nodes.new('SvBoxNodeMk2')
    box.location = (200, 0)

    viewer = tree.nodes.new('SvViewerDrawMk4')
    viewer.location = (400, 0)

    # Create links: output socket → input socket
    tree.links.new(num.outputs[0], box.inputs['Size'])
    tree.links.new(box.outputs['Vertices'], viewer.inputs['vertices'])
    tree.links.new(box.outputs['Edges'], viewer.inputs['edges'])
    tree.links.new(box.outputs['Faces'], viewer.inputs['faces'])

# Force initial evaluation after construction
tree.force_update()

Pattern 2: Access and Query Existing Trees

# Blender 4.0+/5.x with Sverchok v1.4.0+
import bpy

# List all Sverchok trees (bpy.data.node_groups: see blender-core-api skill)
sv_trees = [
    ng for ng in bpy.data.node_groups
    if ng.bl_idname == 'SverchCustomTreeType'
]

# Access a specific tree with validation
tree = bpy.data.node_groups.get("MyTree")
if tree is None or tree.bl_idname != 'SverchCustomTreeType':
    raise RuntimeError("Sverchok tree 'MyTree' not found")

# Query tree state
print(f"Processing: {tree.sv_process}")
print(f"Animation: {tree.sv_animate}")
print(f"Draft: {tree.sv_draft}")
print(f"Nodes: {len(tree.nodes)}, Links: {len(tree.links)}")

Pattern 3: Read Node Output Data

# Blender 4.0+/5.x with Sverchok v1.4.0+
import bpy

tree = bpy.data.node_groups["MyTree"]
tree.sv_process = True
tree.force_update()

node = tree.nodes["Box"]

# sv_get() returns nested lists: [[object1_data], [object2_data], ...]
try:
    vertices = node.outputs['Vertices'].sv_get(deepcopy=False)  # Read-only
    for obj_idx, verts in enumerate(vertices):
        print(f"Object {obj_idx}: {len(verts)} vertices")
except Exception:
    print("No data — node may not have been processed")

# ALWAYS use deepcopy=True (default) if you will modify the data
vertices = node.outputs['Vertices'].sv_get()  # deepcopy=True is default

Pattern 4: Modify Node Properties

# Blender 4.0+/5.x with Sverchok v1.4.0+
import bpy

tree = bpy.data.node_groups["MyTree"]
tree.sv_process = True

# Set node properties via setattr or direct assignment
node = tree.nodes["Formula"]
node.formula1 = "sin(x) * R"

# Set properties on SNLite script nodes
snlite = tree.nodes["Scripted Node Lite"]
snlite.script_name = "my_script.py"

# ALWAYS force update after programmatic property changes
tree.force_update()

Pattern 5: Batch Parameter Sweep

# Blender 4.0+/5.x with Sverchok v1.4.0+
import bpy

def batch_sweep(tree_name, param_sets):
    """Run a parameter sweep across a Sverchok tree.

    Args:
        tree_name: Name of the Sverchok node tree
        param_sets: list of [(node_name, prop_name, value), ...]

    Returns:
        list of extracted output data per parameter set
    """
    tree = bpy.data.node_groups[tree_name]
    tree.sv_process = True
    tree.sv_show = False  # Disable viewport display for speed

    results = []
    for params in param_sets:
        # Apply all parameter values
        for node_name, prop_name, value in params:
            setattr(tree.nodes[node_name], prop_name, value)

        # Force full recalculation
        tree.force_update()

        # Extract results
        output_node = tree.nodes["Output"]
        data = output_node.outputs[0].sv_get(deepcopy=False)
        results.append(data)

    tree.sv_show = True  # Re-enable viewport display
    return results

# Usage:
# results = batch_sweep("MyTree", [
#     [("NumberNode", "int_", 5), ("ScaleNode", "factor", 2.0)],
#     [("NumberNode", "int_", 10), ("ScaleNode", "factor", 3.0)],
# ])

Pattern 6: Trigger Updates Correctly

# Blender 4.0+/5.x with Sverchok v1.4.0+
import bpy

tree = bpy.data.node_groups["MyTree"]

# ALWAYS ensure processing is enabled first
tree.sv_process = True

# Full tree recalculation (ForceEvent)
tree.force_update()

# Update specific nodes and their downstream dependents only
tree.update_nodes([tree.nodes["NodeA"], tree.nodes["NodeB"]])

# Enable animation updates (tree reacts to frame changes)
tree.sv_animate = True

# Enable scene change updates
tree.sv_scene_update = True

Pattern 7: Data Matching Utilities

# Sverchok v1.4.0+
from sverchok.data_structure import match_long_repeat, fullList, repeat_last

# match_long_repeat: extend shorter lists by repeating last element
verts = [[(0,0,0), (1,0,0)], [(2,0,0), (3,0,0), (4,0,0)]]
scales = [[2.0]]  # 1 object, but 2 objects of verts

matched = match_long_repeat([verts, scales])
# scales becomes [[2.0], [2.0]]: repeated to match 2 objects

# fullList: in-place extend a list to minimum length
my_list = [1.0, 2.0]
fullList(my_list, 5)
# my_list is now [1.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0]

# repeat_last: infinite iterator that repeats the last element
gen = repeat_last([10, 20, 30])
values = [next(gen) for _ in range(6)]
# values: [10, 20, 30, 30, 30, 30]

Common Operations

Tree Properties

Tree Methods

Socket Data Methods

Key Data Structure Functions

List Matching Modes

Access via: from sverchok.data_structure import list_match_func

Core Architecture Files

Reference Links

• references/methods.md — Complete API signatures for tree, node, socket, and data structure methods
• references/examples.md — Working code examples for tree automation, batch processing, data extraction
• references/anti-patterns.md — What NOT to do when scripting Sverchok, with WHY explanations

Official Sources

• https://github.com/nortikin/sverchok
• https://github.com/nortikin/sverchok/blob/master/node_tree.py
• https://github.com/nortikin/sverchok/blob/master/data_structure.py
• https://sverchok.readthedocs.io/