Connecting Nodes

Connections define how data flows between processing steps. Each connection maps specific outputs of a source tool to specific inputs of a target tool.

1. Draw a connection between two nodes (or double-click an existing edge) to open the Edge Mapping Modal.
2. The left column shows all available outputs from the source node. The right column shows all available inputs on the target node.
3. Click an output on the left, then click an input on the right to create a mapping. A connecting line appears between them.
4. Click on a connecting line to remove that mapping.
5. You can create multiple mappings per edge to pass several outputs to different inputs simultaneously.

Link Merge Strategy

When multiple edges feed the same input on a node, you must choose a merge strategy. Set this in the node's parameter modal (double-click the target node):

• merge_flattened — combines all upstream outputs into a single flat array, e.g. [a, b, c]
• merge_nested — preserves grouping per source, e.g. [[a], [b, c]]

Type Compatibility

• niBuild validates type compatibility (File vs. non-File, array vs. scalar) and file extension compatibility between outputs and inputs.
• Incompatible mappings are highlighted with warnings. Only valid mappings can be saved.