Import

The Import node is used to reference geometry in the graph - this can be anything that has been specified as an input in the Maya node. The node can represent Geometry, Grooms or Guides and once specified can be connected to the appropriate node inputs to control the flow of the graph. An Import is generally the very first node used as without one there is no base mesh to create the fur.

The Selection parameter is extremely important, and is used to search for the name of geometry being read into the graph. This association is by name only thus if for some reason an object in Maya changes the Import node will fail to resolve the reference. There are many instances where part of a name may change, like when caches are applied Maya adds Deformed to the name, so it's recommended to use wildcards to make sure any variation on the name is successful.

For example, if you are referencing a mesh named myHerosHead01Shape it might be more flexible to use Head - this means not only can the Groom be applied to myHerosHead01Deformed but also anotherHerosHead02Deformed which makes it easy to reuse the Groom for crowds etc.

Parameters

Parameter	Description
Selection	The name of the geometry you want to represent, this can be an explicit name or a name with wildcards.
Type	What type of geometry this is going to represent, a mesh, guide curve set, groom, feather or braid.