Confused by procedural materials in Blender? Don't know where to start comprehending node trees? This is a guide on how to understand node-based materials and shaders, how to unravel them, and how to find the key nodes so you can modify them to your needs.

This is not a guide to create materials, but rather how to read them, decipher the node spaghetti with techniques to break them into their main parts, trace through the branches and see how the results are arrived at, and what the key points are to adjust them. Included are reference section on coordinate systems, math and converters, shaders, and texture nodes.