Houdini 20.0 Nodes Geometry nodes

Labs Skinning Converter 3.0 geometry node

Skinning Converter is a SOP that can convert any non-changing topology deforming mesh sequence into a bone based animation.

Skinning Converter is a SOP that can convert any non-changing topology deforming mesh sequence into a bone based animation. This is an important conversion if you need to bring a certain animation to a Game Engine. Game engines typically don’t support vertex based animations, and require bones instead. https://www.sidefx.com/tutorials/game-tools-skinning-converter/

Tip

To export the result of the skinningconverter, just plug the three outputs into the corresponding inputs on the ROP FBX Character Output sop from KineFX.

Tip

To preview the result of the skinning decomposition, plug the three output connectors into a Bonedeform.

Parameters

Static Primitives

This can be used to specify a group that should be separated from the animated geometry conversion. This will be added back to the result as static geometry.

Visualize Error

Toggling this on will visualize the skinning error as the vertexcolors.

Error Visualization

Converted Output

This links to the generated skinning conversion on OBJ level. (Set automatically by the tool after conversion)

Error Method

This allows you to control what method is used for the error visualization. Accumulated will calculate the sum of the error over all frames, while Max Error will show you the maximum error found.

Accumulate E Tolerance

This scalar controls how much error you deem reasonable in the visualization.

Max E Tolerance

This scalar controls how much error you deem reasonable in the visualization.

Bias

The bias allows you to offset the visualization error.

Conversion Settings

Frame Range

Allows you to set the frame range which needs to be converted.

Capturing Method

This menu allow you to pick the method used for calculating the skinning attributes. Biharmonic Capture typically has better results, but takes significantly longer to calculate.

Capture Frame

This sets the capture frame used to calculate the skinning weights on.

Max Bone Influences

This controls the maximum number of bone influences a vertex can have when using Proximity Capture.

Bone Placement Control

Mode

Allows you to set the mode of generating bones. Uniform Placement does a basic scatter without taking the deformation into account. Adaptive Placement lets you place bones somewhat more intelligently.

Method

This controls the method used to determine where the bones should be placed.

Guide Scale

Sets the scale of the guides that are representing generated bones.

Number of Bones

This controls the number of desired bones that should get generated.

Seed

This controls the seed for the internal scatter that is used to place the bones uniformly.

Number of Bones Scalar

This allows you to add some secondary bones that will fill the gaps left behind from the primary bones.

Input Bones

Use Input Bones

When this toggle is on, any points fed into the secondary input will also generate bones.

Drawn Bones

Number of Strokes

This multiparm allows you to add additional bones to the conversion manually. To use this functionality, activate the tool handle and click on the geometry.

Geometry nodes