Hi

I have done some tracking using 3D Equalizer and I have exported using the ‘SideFX Houdini’ settings. How do I now import this into Houdini?

The file that the export creates is a plain text file, is this correct?

Bring the data in through Chops, with the File chop.

I've been meaning to bug Rolf(3DE programmer extraordinaire!) about this but it keeps falling off the end of my brain pan. I'll email him tomorrow, its Family Day in Ontario today - wtf?…but AFAIK the latest beta of 3DE isn't spitting out H9.1 friendly files. Doesn't mean you can't use it(I've been using it a fair bit the last few weeks), but it needs minor massaging.

Basically, 3DE spits out cmd files. Lots of parameter names have changed with H9, so a couple of the key ones are wrong. So export your file to Houdini format, add a .cmd suffix, then source it in a Houdini hscript textport. You'll find your camera there, but it's a sort of generic, mussed up camera. Make a new proper camera, parent it to the same node as the 3DE generated cam, edit your cmd file which is quite easy to read, and match up what's there to your new camera. Things you'll need are the image size(don't forget the pixel aspect ratio!), aperture and focal, and a sneaky one is to match up the transform order(as memory serves, the rotation is non-default). Then copy the xlate/rot channels from the 3DE cam to your new cam, and look through it, and it should match up, you can delete your 3de cam now.

I'm not sure about the File CHOP, though, Peter, unless there's a really new beta there that I haven't seen. That would suck since you need to match up camera information and the current information also gives you a nice point cloud…am I missing something there?

Cheers,

J.C.

No John, I was responding before my brain chose to start working. I had assumed the file would bring in channel data that could then be referenced.
I haven't used 3de for quite some time.

Actually, to clarify slightly, it appears the only problem with the cmd file from 3DE is that when it adds the camera, it disables running the creation script('opadd -n'), which in H9 means you need to do a lot more overhead. If you edit the cmd file for the camera creation line to remove the ‘-n’, everything seems to work fine.

Cheers,

J.C.

OK, thankyou for your help the camera looks a lot more ‘normal’ now.

It still looks like its not right still but I think thats due to my short comings in 3D equalizer rather than the technical issues of Houdini

Does anyone know of any forums where I can get help on 3D equalizer?

Thanks again

Chris