Hey guys, is it possible to choose for horizontal lay outs in the network view? I've been educated since birth to naturally read from left to right and me brains handle horizontal lay outs better. Is it possible to do so in Houdini?

Cheers,

A.

Just lay out your nodes going horizontal.

Use “alt + click” on wire so you can keep it clean, since wires only go via top/bottom of a node.

One small feature I haven't requested but would be nice is to have a ‘ring’ around all nodes so that wires can go directly in at any angle.

As you like horizontal, I like to be able to lay out my network symbolically/spatially - the network representing the scene layout.

BabaJ
Just lay out your nodes going horizontal.

Use “alt + click” on wire so you can keep it clean, since wires only go via top/bottom of a node.

One small feature I haven't requested but would be nice is to have a ‘ring’ around all nodes so that wires can go directly in at any angle.

As you like horizontal, I like to be able to lay out my network symbolically/spatially - the network representing the scene layout.

yeah, anything that allows to choose to connect nodes in an horizontal or diagonal fashion would be great. I'm not a fan of “alt+click” if anything it makes the network harder to read. I'm not trying to draw of map of New York's subway, just wnat to keep things organized in a more customizable fashion. I'm surprised this is not default. I'm thinking of getting a third screen and orienting is vertically just for my network view atm.

Cheers,

A.

select the nodes and press ‘a’ key and drag horizontally to align

fuos
select the nodes and press ‘a’ key and drag horizontally to align

Thanks, been using that for a while, not what i'm after. Side connections would be though.

Cheers,

A.

I ‘m against this idea. Vertical connection saves alot of space for my portrait monitor.

But let’s be fair, assume you have a SQUARE monitor, I would still prefer vertical connection because it's far more logical (for me anyway) to scroll up/down than sideways. And the default shape of the nodes is horizontal rectangle so you fit way more vertical than sideways.

Yes I have used both systems, MCG in Max goes sideways, Houdini goes vertical…Vertical gets my vote.

vusta
I ‘m against this idea. Vertical connection saves alot of space for my portrait monitor.

But let’s be fair, assume you have a SQUARE monitor, I would still prefer vertical connection because it's far more logical (for me anyway) to scroll up/down than sideways. And the default shape of the nodes is horizontal rectangle so you fit way more vertical than sideways.

Yes I have used both systems, MCG in Max goes sideways, Houdini goes vertical…Vertical gets my vote.

Thing is, it doesn't have to be one or the other, and your vote is irrelevant here because you already have what you seem to prefer. So absolutely no point in voting against an extra feature. “Hell, no, i do not want to be able to do that as well!” (??!!)

I grew up in the 80s, which means scrolling down to read makes less sense than turning pages. But the point is not even to use just a single direction for all networks, it's to be able to choose for what works best in specific context. Some projects, many of them actually, i wish i could grow networks from the center out, that means up, down, left, and right, and often in the very same network view… and i know for a fact MANY would appreciate to be able to do that much.

And as for the shape of the node, not sure it is relevant as the name of it resides beside the icon (outside of it) :$ I hope those icon will evolve into customizable (resizable proportions) while being able to fit the name and info into it, not beside it, I don't care much for an empty little icon if it contains no info.

Cheers,

A.

Horizontal works best with many-to-many relationships, ala VOPS and shaders. The networks tend to be submarine shaped, and therefore fit on wide-aspect displays well.

Sop networks are a many-to-single network. Every network ends in one output node (primarily). Therefore, like a tree, the root (output) flows upwards to the leaves (inputs).

Object networks are more ambiguous. I tend to use horizontal groupings of nodes when there are no parent relationships. For rigged networks, the branching tends to follow the opposite rules of a sop network, as in one-to-many. But I feel vertical still works well for rigs. Especially if there are many short chains, the horizontal spacing of vertical chains fits well on widescreen displays.

As for it being a choice, I disagree. Some may live in a one-man-band bubble and can work with whatever wacky world they like, most work with others and need to have some common ground to be able to share work and setups with each other.

jsmack
As for it being a choice, I disagree. Some may live in a one-man-band bubble and can work with whatever wacky world they like, most work with others and need to have some common ground to be able to share work and setups with each other.

Wow. So if you work as a freelancer or independant you live in a bubble and work in wacky ways? :$ Interesting. I wonder for whom those Indie licenses are meant for then, if the ways of Houdini are to conform users by restricting them the ways to organize their work.

Now i don't care much for standards that's for sure, especially if they're corporate and someone else than me decided 5 years ago in a rigid pipeline this was going to be the way to organize networks. It should be in motion, and it should be up to the artist in charge of creating the file (assuming he's an experienced professional and not a completely Ftard).

Anyway, all i can say is “i”'d really appreciate being able to grow networks from the center out without drawing a spider in the process. The majority may find it absolutely ridiculous, but then again… when was the majority ever right in the history of mankind… ah yes, Never, that's when

Cheers.

A.

Adriano

vusta
I ‘m against this idea. Vertical connection saves alot of space for my portrait monitor.

But let’s be fair, assume you have a SQUARE monitor, I would still prefer vertical connection because it's far more logical (for me anyway) to scroll up/down than sideways. And the default shape of the nodes is horizontal rectangle so you fit way more vertical than sideways.

Yes I have used both systems, MCG in Max goes sideways, Houdini goes vertical…Vertical gets my vote.

Thing is, it doesn't have to be one or the other, and your vote is irrelevant here because you already have what you seem to prefer. So absolutely no point in voting against an extra feature. “Hell, no, i do not want to be able to do that as well!” (??!!)

I grew up in the 80s, which means scrolling down to read makes less sense than turning pages. But the point is not even to use just a single direction for all networks, it's to be able to choose for what works best in specific context. Some projects, many of them actually, i wish i could grow networks from the center out, that means up, down, left, and right, and often in the very same network view… and i know for a fact MANY would appreciate to be able to do that much.

And as for the shape of the node, not sure it is relevant as the name of it resides beside the icon (outside of it) :$ I hope those icon will evolve into customizable (resizable proportions) while being able to fit the name and info into it, not beside it, I don't care much for an empty little icon if it contains no info.

Cheers,

A.

I grew up in the Middle Ages hence vertical ‘scrolls’ were in vogue….am still stuck in the Middle Ages.

The node names, some may be long/descriptive (independent of custom shapes here)…..all the more reason I would want my nodes vertical as it fits far more in a column than say 5 really loooooooooooong node names…across the page.

If you create a yellow sticky note, you type in descriptions/instructions to help other understand what's going on here…do you type a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong sentence across ? or do you type short, sharp multi sentences down/vertical ? Same as programming…who programs in long line(s) across the page, it's short/modular, down the page.

Long live…ooops…if I say that it goes against the vertical doctrine..so instead, I'll say….

Down with the King !!!

(ps: I have my 2nd screen in portrait mode coz to me….a portrait mode screen is faaaaar more useful than a landscape screen)

I'd be curious to see how far one could get by authoring custom node shapes. There have been some HDAs posted to the forum somewhere that make it fairly easy to create these (just google “houdini custom node shapes”). The biggest problem I can think of with simply creating horizontally flowing node shapes is that the node name, badges, and extra text like comments, descriptive parms, etc, will still show up to the right of the node, which will overlap with the wiring. And there would no doubt be some issues with layout, initial node placement, etc. Though most of that code is written in python and would therefore be replaceable. And VOPs are horizontal so there is some support already for horizontal layouts, at least in principle.

mtucker
I'd be curious to see how far one could get by authoring custom node shapes. There have been some HDAs posted to the forum somewhere that make it fairly easy to create these (just google “houdini custom node shapes”). The biggest problem I can think of with simply creating horizontally flowing node shapes is that the node name, badges, and extra text like comments, descriptive parms, etc, will still show up to the right of the node, which will overlap with the wiring. And there would no doubt be some issues with layout, initial node placement, etc. Though most of that code is written in python and would therefore be replaceable. And VOPs are horizontal so there is some support already for horizontal layouts, at least in principle.

Just like Jsmack mentioned it already, horizontal lay outs are already functional in Houdini, so i don't think the text would be an issue, just like it isn't one in the shader networks.

And some lay outs are horizontal in Houdini already i can't imagine it would be much trouble to implement it into the Network view.

But I didn't see many request anyway on this matter around the forum, so i doin't really anyone will put that on a priorty list any time soon. I'm enjoying working with Houdini anyway just the same, and again will most likely buy a dedicated extra screen for vertical lay out, some have it for Python… so why not just for the network view

Thanks for the tip about the HDAs, I'll have a look out of curiousity for sure.

Cheers,

A.

vusta

Adriano

vusta
I ‘m against this idea. Vertical connection saves alot of space for my portrait monitor.

But let’s be fair, assume you have a SQUARE monitor, I would still prefer vertical connection because it's far more logical (for me anyway) to scroll up/down than sideways. And the default shape of the nodes is horizontal rectangle so you fit way more vertical than sideways.

Yes I have used both systems, MCG in Max goes sideways, Houdini goes vertical…Vertical gets my vote.

Thing is, it doesn't have to be one or the other, and your vote is irrelevant here because you already have what you seem to prefer. So absolutely no point in voting against an extra feature. “Hell, no, i do not want to be able to do that as well!” (??!!)

I grew up in the 80s, which means scrolling down to read makes less sense than turning pages. But the point is not even to use just a single direction for all networks, it's to be able to choose for what works best in specific context. Some projects, many of them actually, i wish i could grow networks from the center out, that means up, down, left, and right, and often in the very same network view… and i know for a fact MANY would appreciate to be able to do that much.

And as for the shape of the node, not sure it is relevant as the name of it resides beside the icon (outside of it) :$ I hope those icon will evolve into customizable (resizable proportions) while being able to fit the name and info into it, not beside it, I don't care much for an empty little icon if it contains no info.

Cheers,

A.

I grew up in the Middle Ages hence vertical ‘scrolls’ were in vogue….am still stuck in the Middle Ages.

The node names, some may be long/descriptive (independent of custom shapes here)…..all the more reason I would want my nodes vertical as it fits far more in a column than say 5 really loooooooooooong node names…across the page.

If you create a yellow sticky note, you type in descriptions/instructions to help other understand what's going on here…do you type a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong sentence across ? or do you type short, sharp multi sentences down/vertical ? Same as programming…who programs in long line(s) across the page, it's short/modular, down the page.

Long live…ooops…if I say that it goes against the vertical doctrine..so instead, I'll say….

Down with the King !!!

(ps: I have my 2nd screen in portrait mode coz to me….a portrait mode screen is faaaaar more useful than a landscape screen)

Well, I'm an old rusty dinosaur, that is becoming more and more true everyday, so perhaps i don't want to change my ways too much. I hated working in ParticleFlow (3ds Max) and enjoyed Thinking Particle a whole lot more. So i noticed that i'm having a harder time making sense of (even my own) networks when they are vertical, and work faster with VOPs/Shaders. And beside simply being a preference, i feel having the choice would also help people coming from other packages like me to transition more easily.

Cheers,

A.