What are functions?

- [Joel] With our look at MDL shader graphs taken care of,…it seems kind of sensible at this point in the course…to go ahead and look at another set of tools,…namely, functions, that can really help push our use…of Substance Designer beyond the basics,…and so, in turn, help us get the best…out of this very powerful piece of software.…What exactly, though, is a function,…in Substance Designer terms,…and how exactly can we put them to work on our projects?…Well, functions tell the parameter…they are attached to, how to behave.…

These can be assigned to many of the options…found on Substance Designer's atomic nodes.…When such a function is assigned to a parameter on a node,…the user gains access to a unique function graph…inside of which an entirely new set of nodes…are made available, nodes that mimic the kinds of logic…that you would normally find inside written code,…so, float nodes, variables, vectors, and so on.…Now, if you are not a coder,…don't start running for the hills just yet,…because, just as with a standard substance graph,…