Houdini Operators

Architectural Overview

• Node Organization
  Overview of node organization.
• OP_Director and CH_Manager
  Overview of the global OP_Director and CH_Manager classes.
• Class Hierarchy
  Overview of the node class hierarchy.

Working with Nodes

• Paths
• Creating Nodes
• Casting Nodes
• Traversing Nodes
• Flags
• Selections
• Grouping Nodes in Bundles
  • Standard Bundles
  • Globbing
  • Parameter Bundles

Working with Parameters

• Basics
• Multi-Parms
• Ramp Parameters

Thread Safety

• General
• Evaluating parameters and nodes

Operator Contexts

• OBJ Concepts
• SOP Concepts
• POP Concepts
• DOP Concepts
• COP Concepts
• CHOP Concepts
• VOP Concepts

Building Custom Operators

• Registration
  Registering a custom operator.
• Parameters
  Defining parameters for operators.
• Cooking
  The cooking mechanism.
• Local Variables
  Defining local variables for operators.
• Dependencies
  How dependencies work in Houdini.
• Help
  How to create help for your custom operator.
• Icon
  How to create an icon for your custom operator.
• Writing an OBJ
  • Object Transform Model
    Dealing with object space transformations.
  • Implementing a New Operator
    Creating a new OBJ operator
  • Hiding Inherited Parameters
    Hiding the parameters inherited from the base geometry class.
  • Using Creation Scripts
    Using creation scripts and default geometry.
• Writing a SOP
  • Creating Geometry
    Creating a SOP that creates geometry.
  • Changing Geometry
    SOPs that transform their input
  • Local Variables in SOPs
    Enabling $CR style local variables for incoming attributes.
  • Adding Guide Geometry to SOPs
    Adding guide geometry to SOPs
  • Manipulating Attributes inside SOPs
    Manipulating attributes inside SOPs.
  • Abusing SOP Cook Mechanism
    Handling blind data to your own data structures, along with rendering thereof.
  • The Many Ways To Create A SOP
    A comparison of the different methods of building SOPs.
• Writing a POP
  • Creating a custom modifier POP
    Creating a POP that modifies an existing particle system.
  • Creating a custom generator POP
    Creating a POP that births new particles in a particle system.
  • Parameter evaluation caching
    Using the built-in macros for efficient parameter evaluation.
  • Vector parameters
    Adding a parameter to evaluate vector expressions.
  • Adding guide geometry
    Working with guide geometry in a POP.
  • Generating Events
    Working with events in a POP.
  • Special attributes
    Special attributes in POPs.
  • Local variables
    Working with local variables in a POP.
  • Creating a custom POP expression function
    Creating a custom expression function for POPs.
  • Transform spaces
    Working with geometries across multiple objects.
• Writing a DOP
  • Auto DOP Nodes
    Creating DOP nodes for creating and manipulating custom data and forces.
  • Defining Custom Simulation Geometry
    Creating an alternative geometry representation for use with a custom solver.
  • Writing Solvers for DOPs
    Writing a custom solver.
  • Building DOP Microsolvers from GAS_SubSolver"
    Using the GAS_SubSolver to make a microsolver that manipulates SIM_ScalarField, SIM_VectorField, and SIM_MatrixField.
  • Storing and Manipulating Physical Fields
    Using the SIM_*Field classes.
• Writing a COP
  • Creating a custom generator COP
    
  • Creating a custom pixel filter COP
    
• Writing a CHOP
• Writing a VOP
  • Creating a Switch VOP
    Shows how to created a basic custom Switch VOP.
• Writing a ROP
  • Creating Custom ROP Nodes
    Creating a custom ROP operator.
  • SOHO Output Drivers
    Scripted Output of Houdini Objects