Edit surface node

Edits points, edges, or faces interactively.

All Parameters Inputs Example files

See also: Transform, Sculpt, Soft Transform, Peak 2 more , Soft Peak, Point

The Edit SOP allows you to transform or sculpt faces/edges/points on a curve/surface interactively.

Unlike most Houdini operators, Edit is cumulative. You can perform multiple edit operations (on multiple selections) in a single Edit node. An Edit node stores the final result of all the edits you perform in that node.

Edit supports two main ways of working: edit (using a manipulator ) and sculpt (using brush tools ).

Note

You cannot animate Edit nodes. To animate transformations, use the Point, Transform, Soft Transform, Peak, or Soft Peak operators, or other types of deformation.

Setup

  • You can only use Edit interactively in the viewer.

  • Keep the parameters for the Edit SOP visible in a parameter editor pane as you use the tool in the viewer pane. The parameters contain controls that modify the behavior of the tool in the viewer.

    In edit mode, the parameters affect the current selection. When you select new points/faces, the parameters reset. In sculpt mode, the parameters affect future strokes.

  • Before you try to select points, turn on the Points icon in the viewer pane’s display options toolbar (on the right side of the viewer). (If the display options toolbar is not visible, click the stowbar on the right side of the viewer pane to show it.)

Tasks

To... Do this

Transform points and/or faces

  1. In the parameters, click Edit and then Transform.

  2. Set the selection type using the toolbar on the left side of the 3D viewer, or the Select > Selection Type submenu.

  3. Select the points/faces you want to transform.

  4. Do any of the following:

Move points and faces along their normals

  1. In the parameters, click Edit and then Peak.

  2. Use the manipulator to move the selected items along their normals. See how to transform points and/or faces above for more information about how to interact with the Edit tool.

  3. See also the Extrude SOP.

Push, pull, or smooth points by brushing over them

  1. In the parameters, click Sculpt.

  2. The controls on the tabs control how the brush works. These controls are common to all brush-based tools in Houdini. See how to use brush tools .

Notes

  • Press while working in the viewer to get a menu of tool options. For example, you can assign different functions to the mouse buttons.

  • Use the soft radius options to do proportional modification of the surrounding points as you transform.

  • Edit has an optional second input for reference geometry. When the second input is connected, the Edit node transforms your edits relative to the differences between the geometry to edit and the reference geometry.

  • You can use the details pane to edit the position of each point or vertex in a piece of geometry.

Parameters

Group

The group to apply the edits to. If this is blank, the edits apply to all geometry in the first input. You can create a group and use this parameter to mask the edits so they only apply to the points or faces in the group.

Group type

The type of geometry to use in the group. If the group has only one type of geometry (for example, points), you can just use “Guess from group” and Houdini will figure out the geometry type from the contents of the group.

Edit

Transform

See the online help for the Transform SOP for information on the parameters on this tab.

Peak

See the online help for the Peak SOP for information on the parameters on this tab.

Soft radius

Distance within which other points/faces follow the points/faces you edit directly.

Soft type

The type of rolloff for soft modifications. This affects how much influence your direct edits have on other points/faces with the soft radius, based on their distance.

Linear

Linear falloff: the amount of influence decreases linearly with distance.

Quadratic

Slow falloff: direct edits affect distant points/faces more than with Cubic.

Cubic

Quick falloff: direct edits affect distant points/faces less than with Quadratic.

Metaball

Calculate falloff according with the metaball density function you specify in the Kernal function parameter.

Tangent angles

Angles of the cubic rolloff function’s tangents. The first value applies to the tangent farthest from the source point, the second applies to the tangent closest to the source point.

Kernal function

Density function to use when Soft type is “Metaball”.

Ignore point connectivity

Only soft-modify other points when they are connected to the points you edited directly.

Sculpt

See the online help for the Sculpt SOP for information on the brush parameters.

Use Orient Attribute

If set, all edits are applied relative to the orientation described by a quaternion point attribute named “orient”. This is most useful when the orient attribute is animated for use with the Wire Solver DOP.

Use Mirror

If set, all operations will be reflected along the plane of symmetry.

Axis

This defines the normal of the plane of symmetry for reflection.

Origin

This defines the origin of the plane of symmetry for reflection.

Distance

This is the distance of the plane of symmetry from the origin of symmetry.

Threshold

This is the maximum distance from a points mirrored position to search for the mirrored point.

Recompute Point Normals

Recomputes point normals if they exist.

Commit Transform/Peak Changes

Saves the current edit and resets the parameters to start a new edit.

Reset All Changes

Restores geometry to initial state.

Inputs

Geometry to edit

The geometry to apply the edits to.

Reference geometry

(Optional) When this input is connected, all edits take place relative to the difference between the geometry to edit and this geometry.

Example files

ReferenceGeometry

$HFS/houdini/help/examples/nodes/sop/edit/ReferenceGeometry.cmd

Load | Launch

This example creates an animation illustrating how the Edit SOP’s Reference Geometry input can be used to apply an edit on animated geometry.

Usages in other examples

Example name Example for
Fire Pit example

Material shader

Load | Launch

Down Hill Lava Flow

Material shader

Load | Launch

RayWrap

Ray surface node

Load | Launch

EdgeDivideBasic

Edge Divide surface node

Load | Launch

FurTextureMap

Fur surface node

Load | Launch

PasteConvertVariations

Convert surface node

Load | Launch

PasteCones

Paste surface node

Load | Launch