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Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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No dice, with both Redshift and Arnold plugins and delegates turned off I still can't move points around. Again prims are fine, this only happens with pure point objects. I have no way of removing Karma that I know of, but Karma still works for movement without the other delegates. The fact that it doesn't work for me in Houdini GL is worrisome. If it was just the delegates I'd think it was a bug to take up with them.
Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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Playing around again I noticed it does move in Karma for me. Is that what you guys are using. In the video below you can see it doesn't move in Houdini GL or Arnold.
Image Not Found
Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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In build 18.0.318 I've tested it and I'm still getting no effect from the Transform or Edit LOPs on the /sand/points_0 object in the test scene. The sand pig head stays at the center of the world regardless of how I move the transform handles.
Edited by eldiren - Dec. 16, 2019 00:37:28
Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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In Houdini 18.0.287 I couldn't move points around with the Edit or Tranform LOP. Maybe it's fixed in 315. I have to check on some computer.
Edited by eldiren - Dec. 14, 2019 10:10:54
Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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Technical Discussion » Using results of lighting and look dev work outside of LOPs
- eldiren
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Any other company would have stuck to their guns and just let the Indies eat it. I agree, with Alembic, FBX already being open anyway, and with most other software that support it not having it closed it would have been a travesty to fostering growth. SideFx has again showed me they are not any other company. The released the restrictions as of the new build.
Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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Here's the repro scene. I have two branches, one with a transform, and one with the Edit. In both cases I'd expect the points to move, but they stay anchored.
Technical Discussion » Transforms and LOPs
- eldiren
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Occasionally using LOPs I have issues using the transform LOP to move around things in the scene. I discovered 9 times out of 10 that if I drag the exact xform I want into Primitives I can usually get the object to move. It doesn't work on everything though, here I have a vellum grain sim that produces points in a SOPcreate. If I import that into LOPs I get a transform but no matter how much I move it the points don't change position. Since the majority of my scene is in LOPs I'd like to be be to move things around after the fact for layout.
PDG/TOPs » __PDG_DIR__ not resolving
- eldiren
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That worked. I was visualizing my results via the FilePattern TOP and @pdg_output was working fine. I guess the way the ROP works it pushes its input into SOPs land instead of grabbing the processed SOP after the FilePattern?
PDG/TOPs » __PDG_DIR__ not resolving
- eldiren
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Here's the simplest network I could put together given the environment variables are specific to our production network. This has a FilePattern TOP, and a Alembic ROP TOP. running cook on the Alembic ROP should generate alembic versions of the assets in the alembic folder, but it fails on my machine.
PDG/TOPs » __PDG_DIR__ not resolving
- eldiren
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I have a setup where I have some environment varible defined that reference pathes. Say @ASSETS_DIR is H:\Documents\asset_library. I'm opening a new Houdini scene and dropping down a TOPnet, then I'm dropping down a filepattern TOP, and SOPnet, and a Alembic ROP TOP. I want to do some modification in the SOPnet and have the Alembic ROP TOP export them. This has worked in the past without too much trouble, but lately whenever I make new scene and go through this workflow the __PDG_DIR__ environment doesn't resolve. My filepattern cooks ok, but it has __PDG_DIR__ list as @directory instead of the proper location, the Alembic ROP simply fails on cook. In the file SOP inside the SOPnet I'm using `@pdg_output` to grab the filename generated form the filepattern TOP. The Alembic TOP doesn't seem to pick this up during cooking saying file is invalid. Using `@directory`\`@filename` in the file SOP produces an error as the @directory resolves to __PDR_DIR__.
Technical Discussion » xmlinput TOP
- eldiren
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I loaded a file, a MaterialX file and want to do some processing on it using TOPS. It loaded but I noticed I only get one task when I cook it. The the help example for the node I noticed it's the same. I was expecting it to be similar to the csv top where you get multiple items and some attributes based on the parameters.
Specifically I'm trying to process materialassign elements and their geom attribute. From the xmlinput cook I would have expected many tasks with a geom attribute that I could quickly run through a vex TOP or Python TOP.
Specifically I'm trying to process materialassign elements and their geom attribute. From the xmlinput cook I would have expected many tasks with a geom attribute that I could quickly run through a vex TOP or Python TOP.
Technical Discussion » Blending Keyframe and sim animation
- eldiren
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I found a potential solution for anyone who might stumble across this. With Vellum Configure Cloth you can pass it a group in its Pin to Animation section for the areas you don't want to sim, and turn on Match Animation. Areas outside the group will then simulate. Attributes can then be painted to influence falloffs and what not.
It worked ok, but ultimately it wasn't a perfect solution for me. The side effect is it does give me the knowledge to affect the cloth more cleverly. My workflow is to Vellum Drape the cloth, skin it to bones, and then use Vellum Configure Cloth to have the troublesome areas stick to the animation.
It worked ok, but ultimately it wasn't a perfect solution for me. The side effect is it does give me the knowledge to affect the cloth more cleverly. My workflow is to Vellum Drape the cloth, skin it to bones, and then use Vellum Configure Cloth to have the troublesome areas stick to the animation.
Technical Discussion » Object level fetch, object merge, and alembics
- eldiren
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I'm doing character rig work and I just needed some clarification on why an alembic network object merged into a geo container won't move when parented to a fetch node. If I load the alembic itself into the geo container and then parent it to the fetch it works just fine.
As an alternative I'm curious if there's some node trickery I can do to drive the alembic transforms in SOPs.
In more detail I have an alembic with multiple character parts (body, eyes, teeth), and I'm using a delete to separate the eyes out. The material node happens before the delete so I can have the shading in one place. I'd like to drive the eyes based on a head bone located a level outside the current container. The only way I currently know how to do it Object Merge/Load the eyes into a separate geo container and use a Fetch node/the Head bone itself to do parenting. I prefer the fetch since the network is cleaner.
As an alternative I'm curious if there's some node trickery I can do to drive the alembic transforms in SOPs.
In more detail I have an alembic with multiple character parts (body, eyes, teeth), and I'm using a delete to separate the eyes out. The material node happens before the delete so I can have the shading in one place. I'd like to drive the eyes based on a head bone located a level outside the current container. The only way I currently know how to do it Object Merge/Load the eyes into a separate geo container and use a Fetch node/the Head bone itself to do parenting. I prefer the fetch since the network is cleaner.
Technical Discussion » Modeling characters in Houdini?
- eldiren
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It's possible, it's the same as in other programs, box modeling (knife, polyextrude, polybevel), follow by a subdivide at the end of the chain to smooth the object. Follow any of hard surface modeling tutorials on the GoProcedural Vimeo. for characters any box modeling tutorial from any other program will work, you just have to translate the knowledge.
That being said organic modeling tends to be done more and more in something like Zbrush and less in programs like Houdini, Maya, and Max because sculpting is like play with clay and you can be a lot more free form with your design. Houdini unfortunately still has a very underwhelming sculpting tool set. Cinema 4D and Maya have a lot better ones.
Long story short it's not impossible, you'd just use very classic techniques, which Houdini is perfectly capable of, and you might have to look at an older tutorial on Youtube about box modeling characters from some other program like 3DS Max and translate it. I'd highly recommend looking into Zbrush though to save yourself some time. Model there and then use Houdini for stuff it's great for, rigging, capturing, and adding accessories like clothes, hair, dangly bits, etc.
Also you'll have to retopo coming out of Zbrush and Houdini's new retopo tools will be great for that.
That being said organic modeling tends to be done more and more in something like Zbrush and less in programs like Houdini, Maya, and Max because sculpting is like play with clay and you can be a lot more free form with your design. Houdini unfortunately still has a very underwhelming sculpting tool set. Cinema 4D and Maya have a lot better ones.
Long story short it's not impossible, you'd just use very classic techniques, which Houdini is perfectly capable of, and you might have to look at an older tutorial on Youtube about box modeling characters from some other program like 3DS Max and translate it. I'd highly recommend looking into Zbrush though to save yourself some time. Model there and then use Houdini for stuff it's great for, rigging, capturing, and adding accessories like clothes, hair, dangly bits, etc.
Also you'll have to retopo coming out of Zbrush and Houdini's new retopo tools will be great for that.
Technical Discussion » Blending Keyframe and sim animation
- eldiren
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I've looked at the help regarding the blend solver and it looks promising but I've ran into a few technical problems.
I'm running an animated character (alembic/capture), and because of the movements there's interpenetration in the shoulder regions, elbow regions, etc. Usual stuff. I had the bright idea to use FEM as a way to solve for these specific areas so when I run cloth it won't get caught in the character. Also I'd have the added benefit of those ares nicely squishing, a faux muscle deformation of sorts.
I don't know a good way to run a sim but also have it follow keyframes, The blendsolver technique listed in the help looks like it could work, but the vellumsolver doesn't hook into the blend solver. It's apparently the wrong type. The old FEM solver was quite slow. Mind I haven't gotten into the active attribute workflow yet, so maybe I could speed the FEM solver up a bit. The other thing was the FEM solver's result weren't all the great looking either topology wise. Is there a specific topology it favors?
I'm running an animated character (alembic/capture), and because of the movements there's interpenetration in the shoulder regions, elbow regions, etc. Usual stuff. I had the bright idea to use FEM as a way to solve for these specific areas so when I run cloth it won't get caught in the character. Also I'd have the added benefit of those ares nicely squishing, a faux muscle deformation of sorts.
I don't know a good way to run a sim but also have it follow keyframes, The blendsolver technique listed in the help looks like it could work, but the vellumsolver doesn't hook into the blend solver. It's apparently the wrong type. The old FEM solver was quite slow. Mind I haven't gotten into the active attribute workflow yet, so maybe I could speed the FEM solver up a bit. The other thing was the FEM solver's result weren't all the great looking either topology wise. Is there a specific topology it favors?
Technical Discussion » Houdni 17 USD Preview Surface
- eldiren
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I see there's a USD preview surface VOP in the Houdini 17 USD plugins compile. I've been working with USDZ of late for AR stuff and I'd be super efficient if I could shade them using the VOP and have that network export into the USD. Right now I'm using a Python/Arnold material conversion script driven by a button in a HDA. So it's a two step process of export the USD then hit the Add Shading button.
If this is possible in the current version of Houdini then I'd be keen to see a hip showing off the network to achieve this. Thanks
If this is possible in the current version of Houdini then I'd be keen to see a hip showing off the network to achieve this. Thanks
BYOC + Illume » Quixel Bridge / Houdini Live Link Integration
- eldiren
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The second solution in the settings.json file worked for me. Thanks. It might be a bit more technical, but some of the assets can be heavy. Arnold does have an Alembic procedural, so offering the option to export as .abc allows us Arnold folks to have a delayed load memory efficent object to instance/scatter/place. Octane automagically unpacks alembics as well, and they work nicely in Mantra. I think Redshift is the only odd man out.
Just a thought, right now we're converting them ourselves after get the initial looks down.
Just a thought, right now we're converting them ourselves after get the initial looks down.
BYOC + Illume » Quixel Bridge / Houdini Live Link Integration
- eldiren
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With Houdini 17.0.352 I'm getting black on Arnold assets with the Quixel Triplanar and Texture HDAs. Is there a bug in this version? Which versions of Bridge, Houdini, and HtoA are known to work together?
Technical Discussion » Compiling the Pixar USD Houdini plugin on Windows
- eldiren
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Yeah I'm on the Google group. They aren't much help to Windows Houdini guys it seems, but a recent post said it's possible to compile now that an incompatibility is gone in 16-16.5. Infernalspawn's post is a great help. Hopefully I should be able to crack this soon based on his insights.
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