Houdini 20.5 Nodes Geometry nodes

Visualize Properties geometry node

Lets you adjust display options and attach visualizers to geometry.

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Since 14.5

Overview

Adjusts the many attributes that affect how geometry is displayed in the viewport.

while the visualization interface lets you attach visualizations to specific nodes, sometimes you want the visualization to carry down the network and live with the geometry rather than the node.

This allows the visualization settings of this node to be baked into the geometry’s attributes, causing it to always visualize with those settings even later in the network.

Parameters

Update Visualizers

Regardless of this setting, any visualizers in the Visualizer tab will be shown when viewing this node. But if this is set, the visualizers are also added to the list of visualizers on the geometry so they are passed down to later nodes.

Clear Incoming Visualizers

Don’t show any visualizers that were already on the node the visualize node is wired to. (Technically, this clears the visualizers attribute on the incoming geometry.)

Wireframe

Normally geometry is displayed as wireframe or shaded according to the viewport options. The gl_wireframe detail attribute can override this, and this allows it to be overridden. Note that in the case of force shaded, normals are not recomputed so this is usually used with no lighting.

For guide geometry, which are normally only drawn as wireframe, this allows them to also be drawn as shaded when using any of the shaded viewport modes.

Lighting

Viewport lighting can be disabled on geometry with the gl_lit detail attribute. This is useful when geometry already has baked point colors and one doesn’t want the lighting to wash it out.

X-Ray

Geometry can be drawn in X-Ray mode by enabling the gl_xray detail attribute. This can be used to make geometry visible when it is hidden behind other objects.

Cusp Angle

Houdini auto-cusps polygons whose angle crosses the global cusp threshold. For some geometry (such as cloth or fluid surfaces) this can introduce unwanted creases. The vm_cuspangle will override how this geometry data is cusped.

Note

This applies to both Mantra and Houdini.

Show Points

Only unconnected points are normally drawn for point markers and sprites. But the gl_showallpoints detail attribute can be used to override and show all points.

Points as Spheres

Draw points as spheres rather than as sprites or markers. This matches the viewport Lit Spheres display option. The gl_pointspheres attribute is set to control this.

Sprite Blending

Controls whether blending is performed when drawing sprites, using the gl_spriteblend detail attribute. When disabled, no depth sorting or blending occurs, greatly increasing draw performance of sprites. Disabling blending is good for opaque sprites, like vellum grains.

Sprite Cutoff

Controls the alpha cutoff when Sprite Blending is disabled, using the gl_spritecutoff detail attribute. Pixels with an alpha value less than this cutoff value are discarded. 0 discards no pixels, while 1 only keeps fully opaque pixels. Values between 0.5-0.75 are generally good for opaque sprites with antialiased edges.

See also

Geometry nodes