Houdini 19.5 Nodes Dynamics nodes

Agent Look At Apply 3.0 dynamics node

Adjusts the agent’s skeleton to look at a target.

Since 19.5

This node is used together with Agent Look At, which defines the available look at targets. This node selects and tracks the agent’s look at target and adjusts the skeleton, so the head or eye joints look at the target.

Define the adjusted joints with Agent Prep. This node adjusts the spine from the Lower Back to the Head joint, and you can also rotate the optional Eye joints.

Parameters

Activation

Specifies if this node is activated.

Group

The group of agents to modify.

Guide

Displays guide geometry indicating each agent’s current target.

Minimum Target Score

When an agent needs to select a look at target, it selects the target with the highest interest score. The target scores calculate according to the Target Score parameters on Agent Look At. If the highest target score is below this value, the agent will not select a look at target. This ensures only important targets grab the agents' attention, or to avoid selecting targets that are about to become ineligible (for example, leaving the agent’s field of view).

Minimum Target Score Mode

Specifies how to determine the minimum target score for each agent.

Minimum Target Score Attribute

Overrides or multiplies the Minimum Target Score with the value of a point attribute on the agent.

Number of Joints

Limits the number of joints you can adjust in the IK chain. This number includes the head joint. When disabled, the default behaviour is to include all of the joints between the Lower Back and Head joints defined with Agent Prep.

Head Turn Stiffness

Controls how quickly the head adjusts to match the look at direction. This behaves as the stiffness of a damped angular spring.

Head Rotation Weight

Controls how much the head joint rotates relative to other joints in the IK chain based on the angle to the target. For example, reducing the head joint’s weight as the target angle increases allows the rest of the spine to be more involved for larger rotations.

Angle Range

Specifies the angles that match the start and end of the Weight Ramp. Outside this angle range, the ramp extends the first and last values.

Weight Scale

Scales the value of the Weight Ramp.

Weight Ramp

Sets the head joint’s rotation weight based on the angle to the target, multiplied by the Weight Scale. The Angle Range defines the ramp’s range (outside this range, the first and last values are extended).

Eye Turn Stiffness

Controls how quickly the eye joints adjust to match the look at direction. This behaves as the stiffness of a damped angular spring.

Eye Rotation Weight

Controls how much the eye joints rotate relative to other joints in the IK chain, based on the angle to the target. For example, reducing the eye joints' weights as the target angle increases allows the head and spine to rotate more.

Angle Range

Specifies the angles that match the start and end of the Weight Ramp. Outside this angle range, the ramp extends the first and last values.

Weight Scale

Scales the value of the Weight Ramp.

Weight Ramp

Sets the eye joints' rotation weights based on the angle to the target, multiplied by the Weight Scale. The Angle Range defines the ramp’s range (outside this range, the first and last values are extended).

Adjust Immediately on Initial Frame

Specifies you should adjust the head immediately on the initial frame (if necessary), instead of being limited by the maximum turn rate.

Reference Direction

The original facing direction of the agent. Used along with the Reference Up direction to define the agent’s field of view cone.

Reference Up

The original up vector of the agent. Used along with the Reference Direction to define the agent’s field of view cone.

Output Attributes

Outputs additional attributes with information about the agent’s current target (if the agent has multiple head joints, only the first joint is considered). These attributes can be convenient for controlling forces or other behaviors based on the agent’s current target.

Tip

You can use the Crowd Trigger DOP to transition between states based on the agent’s current target.

Target Name

Creates a string point attribute containing the name of the agent’s current target. The value is empty if the agent does not have a current target.

Target Position

Creates a vector point attribute containing the position of the agent’s current target.

Target Score

Creates a float point attribute containing the interest score of the agent’s current target.

See also

Dynamics nodes