Thank you Stalkerx777,
I've looked at your file and I think it will help me. It is tricky indeed, but at least there seems to be a way and maybe we can automate it or make an easier workflow for it.
Thank you for sharing your method
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SI Users » Custom Kinematics Solver
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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Technical Discussion » Tool distribution with Main Menu
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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Thank you Rafal for your answer.
For future reference, here's how I needed to set my HOUDINI_PATH environment variable to work:
HOUDINI_PATH=“CPathToToolA;CPathToToolB;&”
It worked either by adding the environment variable in the houdini.env or by creating the windows environment variable.
The hconfig -ap tool was a great help.
I find that setting the houdini.env file works better for me because it is more portable if I copy my user folder. Also it is easier to debug with the hconfig tool since I do not have to restart it everytime to see the change as it is the case when modifying the windows environment variable.
Cheers
For future reference, here's how I needed to set my HOUDINI_PATH environment variable to work:
HOUDINI_PATH=“CPathToToolA;CPathToToolB;&”
It worked either by adding the environment variable in the houdini.env or by creating the windows environment variable.
The hconfig -ap tool was a great help.
I find that setting the houdini.env file works better for me because it is more portable if I copy my user folder. Also it is easier to debug with the hconfig tool since I do not have to restart it everytime to see the change as it is the case when modifying the windows environment variable.
Cheers
SI Users » RIG of Alien
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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Thanks so much Keith,
I was going crazy trying to figure out what was causing that behavior.
I was going crazy trying to figure out what was causing that behavior.
Houdini Learning Materials » viewer Path tool
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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Houdini Learning Materials » viewer Path tool
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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Simple question,
I'm trying to create a path with pathCVs. In the documentation it is written:
http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini13.0/nodes/obj/path [sidefx.com]
My question is: where is the “viewer Path tool”?
I think I've seen it before, but I can't find it anymore…
I'm trying to create a path with pathCVs. In the documentation it is written:
The Path object is a regular Geometry object with default geometry operators that define an oriented curve (path). This object should be created using the viewer Path tool. If it is created in Network View, then one needs to manually setup the paths inside this object’s points_merge geometry node.
http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini13.0/nodes/obj/path [sidefx.com]
My question is: where is the “viewer Path tool”?
I think I've seen it before, but I can't find it anymore…
Technical Discussion » Tool distribution with Main Menu
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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Hi Rafal,
I'm on windows 7, running Houdini FX non-commercial.
In Houdini, when I print my environment variables, there is no entry for HOUDINI_PATH.
When I look in windows environment variables it is not there neither. So I create one, but Houdini gives errors when starting and does not work.
Alternatively, I've tried modifying the houdini.env file to add the environment variable there, but same result.
Any idea?
Here's the errors I get:
ERROR: Couldn't open resource file “resources” (No such file or directory)
UT_Interrupt: Couldn't find idialog.exe
Color name ‘TextboxBG’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListEntry1’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListEntry2’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListTitleGradHi’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListTitleGradLow’ is missing from the theme.
Can't load font ‘Proportional’ - Using default.
Color name ‘CheckBG’ is missing from the theme.
ERROR: Couldn't open “hkey13.0.447/hkey.ui” for reading: No such file or directory
I'm on windows 7, running Houdini FX non-commercial.
In Houdini, when I print my environment variables, there is no entry for HOUDINI_PATH.
When I look in windows environment variables it is not there neither. So I create one, but Houdini gives errors when starting and does not work.
Alternatively, I've tried modifying the houdini.env file to add the environment variable there, but same result.
Any idea?
Here's the errors I get:
ERROR: Couldn't open resource file “resources” (No such file or directory)
UT_Interrupt: Couldn't find idialog.exe
Color name ‘TextboxBG’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListEntry1’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListEntry2’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListTitleGradHi’ is missing from the theme.
Color name ‘ListTitleGradLow’ is missing from the theme.
Can't load font ‘Proportional’ - Using default.
Color name ‘CheckBG’ is missing from the theme.
ERROR: Couldn't open “hkey13.0.447/hkey.ui” for reading: No such file or directory
Technical Discussion » Tool distribution with Main Menu
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Hi Rafal,
Thanks for your answer
For some reason I was thinking that HOUDINI_PATH could only have one path, but now I understand and it makes sense.
The subdir improvement that you are talking about would be awesome I think
Thanks again
Thanks for your answer
For some reason I was thinking that HOUDINI_PATH could only have one path, but now I understand and it makes sense.
The subdir improvement that you are talking about would be awesome I think
Thanks again
Technical Discussion » Tool distribution with Main Menu
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Hello everyone,
I'm new to Houdini and I hope my question makes sense and is appropriate.
I'm wondering what is the best strategy to distribute tools with menus.
For example, let's consider python scripts that implement a tool. I would like this tool to have a submenu in Houdini's main menu bar.
According to the documentation I've found, I need to create an XML file to modify the main menu :
http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini13.0/basics/config_menus [sidefx.com]
It is my understanding that if I ask the user to copy MainMenuCommon.xml from my tool distribution to his HoudiniPath, then he might be overwriting his own MainMenuCommon.xml.
How to deal with various tools that would each need to be in the main menu bar? I do not want to ask the user to modify his own MainMenuCommon.xml by hand… Is it possible to have multiple MainMenuCommon.XML files (one per tool)? Where to put them?
Is it possible to add submenus programmatically (in python)?
Thanks in advance for any pointers.
I'm new to Houdini and I hope my question makes sense and is appropriate.
I'm wondering what is the best strategy to distribute tools with menus.
For example, let's consider python scripts that implement a tool. I would like this tool to have a submenu in Houdini's main menu bar.
According to the documentation I've found, I need to create an XML file to modify the main menu :
http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini13.0/basics/config_menus [sidefx.com]
It is my understanding that if I ask the user to copy MainMenuCommon.xml from my tool distribution to his HoudiniPath, then he might be overwriting his own MainMenuCommon.xml.
How to deal with various tools that would each need to be in the main menu bar? I do not want to ask the user to modify his own MainMenuCommon.xml by hand… Is it possible to have multiple MainMenuCommon.XML files (one per tool)? Where to put them?
Is it possible to add submenus programmatically (in python)?
Thanks in advance for any pointers.
SI Users » Pre-Transform vs Neutral Pose
- Carioca
- 16 posts
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SI Users » Pre-Transform vs Neutral Pose
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Thank you Jeff.
I was not sure of the behavior of the “Read Only Pre-Transforms”, but now I get it and it will surely help me
I usually favour nulls over “pre-transforms” to zero out the transforms of the controllers because they are easy to visualise, manipulate and animate if needed.
I do understand they add overhead if they are not used, so I will try your strategy to optimize rigs if they get too heavy.
I've always been sceptical about pre-transforms and neutral poses since they first appeared in DCCs because to me, it sounds like now we've added a matrix multiplication to each object, even when not needed. But I guess this overhead is less than the overhead of a null object and all it's attributes and properties when we do want to use it as a “pre-transform”.
Thanks again for your instructive reply I will use your strategy.
I was not sure of the behavior of the “Read Only Pre-Transforms”, but now I get it and it will surely help me
I usually favour nulls over “pre-transforms” to zero out the transforms of the controllers because they are easy to visualise, manipulate and animate if needed.
I do understand they add overhead if they are not used, so I will try your strategy to optimize rigs if they get too heavy.
I've always been sceptical about pre-transforms and neutral poses since they first appeared in DCCs because to me, it sounds like now we've added a matrix multiplication to each object, even when not needed. But I guess this overhead is less than the overhead of a null object and all it's attributes and properties when we do want to use it as a “pre-transform”.
Thanks again for your instructive reply I will use your strategy.
SI Users » Pre-Transform vs Neutral Pose
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Arctor, thanks for your reply
I've never been a big fan of neutral poses or pre-transforms and like you said, I'm trying to stay away from them as much as I can. But for some reason in Houdini I always find some pre-transforms that where set for me. Sometimes it happens when parenting objects, but other times I think it has to do with some shelves tools that I'm using. I haven't figured that out yet.
I would like to be able to easily visualise the pre-transform parameters to at least see if they are clean or not, but I didn't find an easy way. I would also like to lock them so they stay clean.
Sometimes however they do are useful and being able to put expressions on them would be awesome.
Maybe we could make a suggestion to sideFx to expose those parameters. I think it would make life easier for everyone…
I've never been a big fan of neutral poses or pre-transforms and like you said, I'm trying to stay away from them as much as I can. But for some reason in Houdini I always find some pre-transforms that where set for me. Sometimes it happens when parenting objects, but other times I think it has to do with some shelves tools that I'm using. I haven't figured that out yet.
I would like to be able to easily visualise the pre-transform parameters to at least see if they are clean or not, but I didn't find an easy way. I would also like to lock them so they stay clean.
Sometimes however they do are useful and being able to put expressions on them would be awesome.
Maybe we could make a suggestion to sideFx to expose those parameters. I think it would make life easier for everyone…
SI Users » Pre-Transform vs Neutral Pose
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Thank you for your answer pezetko
This node allows me to “extract” a pre-transform from an object at chop level right? I can then do some math with it and export results.
Could I export to an object's pre-transform?
Is there a way to drive the pre-transform directly on an object?
This node allows me to “extract” a pre-transform from an object at chop level right? I can then do some math with it and export results.
Could I export to an object's pre-transform?
Is there a way to drive the pre-transform directly on an object?
SI Users » Pre-Transform vs Neutral Pose
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Am I right in thinking that the Houdini Pre-Transform is the equivalent of Softimage's Neutral Pose?
Is there a way to see the Pre-Transform values (not extracting them) and modify their values? Can we put expressions on them? Can we lock them?
Thanks is advance
Is there a way to see the Pre-Transform values (not extracting them) and modify their values? Can we put expressions on them? Can we lock them?
Thanks is advance
SI Users » RIG of Alien
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Hi Max,
I have a question about your scene. When I grab a controller and translate it “screen up” it goes “screen up” as in Softimage (using the center of the gnomon). But when I try to do the same in a new scene, it just translates in the XZ plane (which feels really weird…)
How did you manage to have this behavior? Is is a preference? Is is an object attribute?
Thanks in advance.
I have a question about your scene. When I grab a controller and translate it “screen up” it goes “screen up” as in Softimage (using the center of the gnomon). But when I try to do the same in a new scene, it just translates in the XZ plane (which feels really weird…)
How did you manage to have this behavior? Is is a preference? Is is an object attribute?
Thanks in advance.
SI Users » Custom Kinematics Solver
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Here is a file containing the IK solver exercise I was trying to implement. Should be easier to understand my question with an example
SI Users » Custom Kinematics Solver
- Carioca
- 16 posts
- Offline
Hello everyone,
I am a Softimage rigger trying to transfer my skills to Houdini. I have read animation and rigging tutorials and also read Jordi's rigging transition guide.
However, I still consider myself very new to this software and am struggling with some concepts.
My first question to this forum would be to know what would be your workflow to write a custom kinematic solver (similar to ICE Kinematics).
For example, I tried to write a custom IK solver as an exercise. I considered using a chop network, in which I wanted to do a vopchop to do the math I could not do at chop level. But I could not figure out how to pass inputs and outputs.
After some research on the Internet, it looked like the approach would be to create a geometry in which I would “object merge” my inputs (Chain root, Up Vector, Effector), then pass those to a vopsop and do the math there. I succeeded building my solver that way, but I am really not sure this is the good way of doing it. I find it very strange to “object merge” my control objects to gather their point positions “P” from their child geometry. How could I gather their whole transform (scaling, rotation, translation). Also, how should I deal with more than 4 control objects fed to my vopsop which seems limited in the number of inputs?
Bascically I am looking for the best way to get objects transforms, do some math with them and then output tranforms to other objects. This would let me write my own constraints and solvers.
Thanks in advance for any advice on that subject
I am a Softimage rigger trying to transfer my skills to Houdini. I have read animation and rigging tutorials and also read Jordi's rigging transition guide.
However, I still consider myself very new to this software and am struggling with some concepts.
My first question to this forum would be to know what would be your workflow to write a custom kinematic solver (similar to ICE Kinematics).
For example, I tried to write a custom IK solver as an exercise. I considered using a chop network, in which I wanted to do a vopchop to do the math I could not do at chop level. But I could not figure out how to pass inputs and outputs.
After some research on the Internet, it looked like the approach would be to create a geometry in which I would “object merge” my inputs (Chain root, Up Vector, Effector), then pass those to a vopsop and do the math there. I succeeded building my solver that way, but I am really not sure this is the good way of doing it. I find it very strange to “object merge” my control objects to gather their point positions “P” from their child geometry. How could I gather their whole transform (scaling, rotation, translation). Also, how should I deal with more than 4 control objects fed to my vopsop which seems limited in the number of inputs?
Bascically I am looking for the best way to get objects transforms, do some math with them and then output tranforms to other objects. This would let me write my own constraints and solvers.
Thanks in advance for any advice on that subject
Edited by - Oct. 15, 2014 09:56:35
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