Are we customers paying to beta test Houdini 20.5?

Hi all,

I'm facing an issue where the hbatch executable cannot be found while trying to execute jobs via a Tractor blade. The environment is set with the PATH variable, but attempts to run hbatch with specific commands for rendering operations fail, reporting that the executable is not located. Is there a way to make sure hbatch is correctly recognised, so Tractor won't bug out?

My render blade is on Windows 10. My project path is on a NAS device, with $JOB set to Y:\templates\template_tracor. Also, is the fact that windows uses backslash instead of forward slashes in the path problematic for hbatch?

Thanks
Steve

It would be great to get an answer to this.

@SideFX can we please make these functions hotkey-able, pie menu-able and so on for the sake of consistency in making custom UIs?

I basically want to run Houdini with many custom keys, and pie menus and so on, but I find random commands are not available to be customised.

For example, I spent a long time putting together a custom modelling and a groom setup that keeps being frustrated by many functions not being available to customise.

It makes for a very annoying experience.

Hi all,

I've spent a little time trying to customise Houdini in a way that should promote maximum flow and minimal impedance to tasks like modelling, groom, look-dev. I'm customising the UI, pie menus and, hot-keys, shelves, and using.

My customisation project has been a bit frustrated lately as I found some things in Houdini can't be customised. I was thinking it would be extremely useful if everything in Houdini's GUI could be exposed in such a way that it can be hot-key able and or scriptable with python.

Thanks
Steve

(Funny this thread is going from rumors, to wishes to feature requests)

Can SideFX please make everything hotkeyable or pie menuable? Even stuff in the File, Edit, Render, Assets, Windows......blah, blah, blah......everything should be easily made into a hotkey and or radial menu. All those accoutrements in the Scene view window....I would love to be able to pick out some of those an put them into a radial menu.

Also please consider upgrading the radial menu to 'grow a beard'...meaning we get a stack of commands below the radial menu. Like this

What worries me is that there are a lot of various demands and SideFX would have to be extremely careful where they put resources to develop the software. So in the meantime, consider supporting Alexey Vanzhula, he is making a direct modelling solution for Houdini which you can pick up now. He also has a Houdini to ZBrush app called Z.
https://alexeyvanzhula.gumroad.com/ [alexeyvanzhula.gumroad.com]

The native grooming tools are a bit weird and confused between versions. I recommend GroomBear
https://kwac.gumroad.com/l/groombear [kwac.gumroad.com]

Also for NURBS, look at Plasticity.
https://github.com/nkallen/plasticity [github.com]

CAMERAS
Cameras need to be made intuitive for general use, camera matching and animation. Every usable control and feature of real cinema cameras should be available in Houdini, including custom film back sizes. Ability to control Houdini scene camera with external device such as iPhone, VR set. A natural way to shoot a scene, inspect a model or walk around a digital set.

REALITY CAPTURE
RC to Houdini. Cameras, image planes, un-distorted images and model export to Houdini with single click. Useful for modelling, groom, texture baking. Includes ability to look through cameras and see back-plate image align with scan-data model.

CAMERA MATCHING
Footage matched/ tracked in Houdini. Quick and slick way to match cameras, add models, set extensions, FX to footage.

HOUDINI TO ZBRUSH (Much more than GoZ)
An advanced Houdini to ZBrush workflow. leverage Houdini for it's strengths in proceduralism, object and asset management, object versions, posing models with KineFX,and leverage ZBrush for its sculpting tools. A FACS workflow and ability to sculpt animated models. It would make it possible to create a Houdini scene for exporting displacement maps using Houdini instead of ZBrush, which is more production friendly. Houdini would carry everything and only fingers ZBrush's brain for sculpting. (I cant tell you how frustrating ZBrush is in production, particularly when working on assets between artists and particularly in ensuring standards when exporting displacements). Bringing most of that work to Houdini will make it manageable in a studio environment.

RIGGING
Auto rig presets including facial rigging and pose libraries.

LOFTY WISH
..this is very lofty and possibly stupid but I wish SideFX would buy out smaller companies that do tracking and compositing. just as Solaris is a competitor to Katana, I wish for video tracking and compositing out of the box. It doesn't have to be amazing but just good enough to do basic stuff. Id love to explore a very slick video track, match, add models and FX and light comp workflow without having to use so many other tools.

Also, to the comment about replacing pure ref.

- I already have done so using the above-mentioned workflow, and it's good enough
- I don't need to ask my workplace for software installations
- Pure ref is esoteric (for me)
- Simply after drag and drop features


I will also include the above-mentioned suggestions to have drag and drop extended to file formats.

Sorry for my late reply as well, I'm not used to this forum and thought I would get a notice.

All the best.

Thanks so much Matt

Hi,

May I place product suggestions in this forum? (is this the most appropriate way to make suggestions?)


I wish to drag and drop many images into Houdini as reference images rather than pressing shift + i and selecting 1 and repeating this process so many times.

I'm pushing to do everything in Houdini and dumping as many APPs and DCCs as possible, including pure ref. I like to make a geo node called "image_ref" and dumping ref in there. Can we please just do a drag drop or, if thats not possible, can we choose multiple images ?

Thanks
Steve

SOLVED

Middle mouse click and drag the slider

I love houdini but there are so many little gotchas

Hi all

Is there a way to allow more (20 for example), slots on to be available on the switch node?

Thanks

Hi guys,
I'm a new Houdini artist studying at Animal Logic Academy in Sydney.

At home I have 2 computers. I would like to do my hair grooming on computer A and then save the HDA for computer B to render.

How can I save a HDA to a shared location such that both computers can read the HDA?

I tried to do it and when I load the HDA onto computer B all the files are missing.

Is there a simple to follow guide on this kind of workflow?

Thank you.

Steve.

I'm a student making a 3D generalist demo reel, I'm making sets, models and characters. My digital sets must strike a mood and feel that can only be achieved with effects. Can there be a tutorial made directly for making the following;

1: Rain that falls on objects, drips and forms puddles
http://edge.alluremedia.com.au/m/g/2015/08/blade_runner_3.jpg [edge.alluremedia.com.au]
https://vimeo.com/89795601 [vimeo.com]

2: Steam puffs from hot food
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b4/53/c6/b453c6cb45729635a85383a0f7558758.jpg [s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com]

3: Steam billowing puffs from vents and street steam vents
http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2011/12/images/blade-runner1.jpg [eandt.theiet.org]
https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1255/1007098284_6a02840655_b.jpg [c2.staticflickr.com]


4: Still atmospheric fog or myst (subtle effect on lights like god rays and blooming
http://oneperfectshotdb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/blade-runner.jpg [oneperfectshotdb.com]

5: smoldering Smoke from cigarette or incense
http://cdn1-www.craveonline.com/assets/uploads/2013/06/Blade-Runner-Test.jpg [cdn1-www.craveonline.com]
http://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/04/02/19/Blade-Runner.jpg [static.independent.co.uk]

1-5 are a priority and are ordered by importance but if you can also make:

6: snow that falls and builds up.
7: subtle dust/dirt/leaves blowing in the wind.
8: a tool to quickly set dress scenes with leaves, rocks, litter.
9: Frost mist.
10: condensation water droplets for cold cans, bottles.

I will pay an FX artist if I have to (Must have 1-5 and make these tools easy for newbs, like presets I can adjust and render out quickly. I need my mid June/July.)

The training out there is too general for me, I don't have enough time. What is the best and quickest way for me to learn how to make my list of FX? Also, I'm new to Houdini, never used it….can all this be done in Houdini non commercial?

I'm using 3ds max and V-Ray, would I have to import these FX into max? or render this out as a pass? I dont know the correct workflow but if you can make all this exportable and compliant with 3ds max and VRay would be better.