Houdini 20.0 Nodes Object nodes

Toon Character object node

(Deprecated) A ready-to-animate Toon Character.

This node type is deprecated. It is scheduled to be deleted in an upcoming revision of Houdini.

(Since version 19.5.)

The Toon Character is a full featured cartoon animation rig, which is animation-ready. The Toon Character rig comes with built-in deformation, facial shapes, as well as squash and stretch ability.

Note

To control the skin’s rendering parameters (Matte, Phantom, Shading Quality, etc.), attach a Properties SHOP in the Rendering Properties parameter on the Shading and Eyes tab.

Parameters

Skin LOD

Controls the mesh resolution of the character.

Display Skin

Displays the deforming geometry of the character.

Animation

Control LOD

Changes the level of display for all rig animation controls.

Set Animation Defaults

Sets all animation parameter values to their default values.

Switchers

The controls on this tab are for blending different spaces and control systems.

Head World Space Blend

Blend between local and world space for rotations.

FK/IK Blend

Blends between forward and inverse kinematic solutions.

Match FK to IK

Matches the FK rotations to the IK solver end positions.

Match IK to FK

Matches the IK solver end positions to the FK rotations.

Stretch Ratio

Controls the stretch ratio for IK body parts. A value of 0 is no stretch, and a value of 1 is full stretch. Stretch is a percentage of the distance between the end of the bone and IK control.

Wrist World Space Blend

Blend between local and world space for rotations.

Curved Arm

Applies an effect that causes the arm to appear curved at the mid joint.

Custom Control Space

Provides a custom control space to IK solutions. This allows you to lock the controls to an object in world space, independent of the rig space.

Custom Space Blend

Blend between the standard and any custom IK space.

Curved Knee

Applies an effect that causes the knee to appear curved at the mid joint.

Facial Controls

The controls on this tab are for modifying face shapes and expressions.

Spine

The controls on this tab are for animating the spine of the character.

Head and Neck

The controls on this tab are for animating the head and neck of the character.

Arms

The controls on this tab are for animating the arms and hands of the character.

Legs

The controls on this tab are for animating the legs of the character.

FK Stretch Controls

Applies stretch to an FK solution.

Character Placer

Hook Object

A parent object for the rig.

Rig Translate/Rotate/Scale

Transform parameters for the rig.

Shading and Eyes

Skin Material

The material to attach to the skin.

Light Mask

The light mask to apply.

Rendering Properties

The Properties SHOP to control rendering parameters.

Head and Neck

Use Custom Eye

None

Use default eyes.

From Scene

Use an object from the scene.

From File

Use a geometry object from a disk file.

Scene Object

Path to an object network from the scene.

File Path

File path to eye geometry.

Animation Data

Generate Mocap Rig

Generate a motion capture rig asset from the character.

Source File

Load Autorig animation data from a file.

Refit Tolerance

Tolerance to use when attempting to refit raw keyframes.

Read/Reload

Apply the animation in the specified file to the rig, with keyframes being refit using the tolerance.

File Path

File to write keyframe data to.

Write Keyframe Data

Convert the current animation to keyframes and write out to the specified file.

Preferences

Display Bones

Toggles the display of bones on the rig.

Display Parts

Toggles the display of individual body parts.

Body Part Sub-tabs

Display Animation Controls

Toggles the display of animation controls on the rig.

Control Scale

Modify the per-part control scale.

Control Color

Modify the per-part control color.

Control Level of Detail

Modify the level of detail level for individual controls.

Object nodes

  • Agent Cam

    Create and attach camera to a crowd agent.

  • Alembic Archive

    Loads the objects from an Alembic scene archive (.abc) file into the object level.

  • Alembic Xform

    Loads only the transform from an object or objects in an Alembic scene archive (.abc).

  • Ambient Light

    Adds a constant level of light to every surface in the scene (or in the light’s mask), coming from no specific direction.

  • Auto Bone Chain Interface

    The Auto Bone Chain Interface is created by the IK from Objects and IK from Bones tools on the Rigging shelf.

  • Blend

    Switches or blends between the transformations of several input objects.

  • Blend Sticky

    Computes its transform by blending between the transforms of two or more sticky objects, allowing you to blend a position across a polygonal surface.

  • Bone

    The Bone Object is used to create hierarchies of limb-like objects that form part of a hierarchy …

  • Camera

    You can view your scene through a camera, and render from its point of view.

  • Common object parameters

  • Dop Network

    The DOP Network Object contains a dynamic simulation.

  • Environment Light

    Environment Lights provide background illumination from outside the scene.

  • Extract Transform

    The Extract Transform Object gets its transform by comparing the points of two pieces of geometry.

  • Fetch

    The Fetch Object gets its transform by copying the transform of another object.

  • Formation Crowd Example

    Crowd example showing a changing formation setup

  • Fuzzy Logic Obstacle Avoidance Example

  • Fuzzy Logic State Transition Example

  • Geometry

    Container for the geometry operators (SOPs) that define a modeled object.

  • Groom Merge

    Merges groom data from multiple objects into one.

  • Guide Deform

    Moves the curves of a groom with animated skin.

  • Guide Groom

    Generates guide curves from a skin geometry and does further processing on these using an editable SOP network contained within the node.

  • Guide Simulate

    Runs a physics simulation on the input guides.

  • Hair Card Generate

    Converts dense hair curves to a polygon card, keeping the style and shape of the groom.

  • Hair Card Texture Example

    An example of how to create a texture for hair cards.

  • Hair Generate

    Generates hair from a skin geometry and guide curves.

  • Handle

    The Handle Object is an IK tool for manipulating bones.

  • Indirect Light

    Indirect lights produce illumination that has reflected from other objects in the scene.

  • Instance

    Instance Objects can instance other geometry, light, or even subnetworks of objects.

  • LOP Import

    Imports transform data from a USD primitive in a LOP node.

  • LOP Import Camera

    Imports a USD camera primitive from a LOP node.

  • Labs Fire Presets

    Quickly generate and render fire simulations using presets for size varying from torch to small to 1m high and low

  • Light

    Light Objects cast light on other objects in a scene.

  • Light template

    A very limited light object without any built-in render properties. Use this only if you want to build completely custom light with your choice of properties.

  • Microphone

    The Microphone object specifies a listening point for the SpatialAudio CHOP.

  • Mocap Acclaim

    Import Acclaim motion capture.

  • Mocap Biped 1

    A male character with motion captured animations.

  • Mocap Biped 2

    A male character with motion captured animations.

  • Mocap Biped 3

    A male character with motion captured animations.

  • Null

    Serves as a place-holder in the scene, usually for parenting. this object does not render.

  • Path

    The Path object creates an oriented curve (path)

  • PathCV

    The PathCV object creates control vertices used by the Path object.

  • Python Script

    The Python Script object is a container for the geometry operators (SOPs) that define a modeled object.

  • Ragdoll Run Example

    Crowd example showing a simple ragdoll setup.

  • Reference Image

    Container for the Compositing operators (COP2) that define a picture.

  • Rivet

    Creates a rivet on an objects surface, usually for parenting.

  • Simple Biped

    A simple and efficient animation rig with full controls.

  • Simple Female

    A simple and efficient female character animation rig with full controls.

  • Simple Male

    A simple and efficient male character animation rig with full controls.

  • Sound

    The Sound object defines a sound emission point for the Spatial Audio chop.

  • Stadium Crowds Example

    Crowd example showing a stadium setup

  • Stereo Camera Rig

    Provides parameters to manipulate the interaxial lens distance as well as the zero parallax setting plane in the scene.

  • Stereo Camera Template

    Serves as a basis for constructing a more functional stereo camera rig as a digital asset.

  • Sticky

    Creates a sticky object based on the UV’s of a surface, usually for parenting.

  • Street Crowd Example

    Crowd example showing a street setup with two agent groups

  • Subnet

    Container for objects.

  • Switcher

    Acts as a camera but switches between the views from other cameras.

  • TOP Network

    The TOP Network operator contains object-level nodes for running tasks.

  • VR Camera

    Camera supporting VR image rendering.

  • Viewport Isolator

    A Python Script HDA providing per viewport isolation controls from selection.

  • glTF