This has changed in later versions. As of Houdini 19 (and maybe some earlier versions), it is now found here:
Windows > Asset Manager
then inside this window, you will see two tabs at the top: Operators | Configuration
Click on Configuration tab.
Near the bottom of this tab, you will see "Asset Definition Toolbar:"
Select "Show Always."
Found 9 posts.
Search results Show results as topic list.
Houdini Lounge » Showing asset name and path
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Creating a group from selected points
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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I found a solution that seems to work for now. After selecting the points and then choosing the old Group SOP from the tab menu, as mentioned before, it doesn't automatically make the selected points a new group of their own and place that point data into the pattern field of the group node as it seemed to in the tutorial. However…
If I then select that group node and then marquee select the points again over in the perspective window, and then right-click and choose “Accept Selection” from the pop-up menu, it will then create a second group node that correctly contains all of the points I just selected and properly adds that point data to the pattern field of this new group node.
I then just have to delete the useless first group node and now I've achieved in a few more steps what the instructor of the tutorial seemed to be able to do in just one step with Houdini 15. Maybe somebody will be able to suggest a better way of achieving the same result with Houdini 16.
If I then select that group node and then marquee select the points again over in the perspective window, and then right-click and choose “Accept Selection” from the pop-up menu, it will then create a second group node that correctly contains all of the points I just selected and properly adds that point data to the pattern field of this new group node.
I then just have to delete the useless first group node and now I've achieved in a few more steps what the instructor of the tutorial seemed to be able to do in just one step with Houdini 15. Maybe somebody will be able to suggest a better way of achieving the same result with Houdini 16.
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Creating a group from selected points
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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Hi. I'm following a tutorial on dynamics where the instructor selects several points in a constraint (roughly the bottom 1/3 of the points) and then in the tab menu, selects Group. This then places just the selected points into a group.
Unfortunately, the tutorial was made in Houdini 15 and I am using the Apprentice version of 16 and it no longer seems to work this way.
I was able to turn on the old Group node using “opunhide Sop group” in the Textport and it still isn't working the way that it does in his tutorial.
I opened up his finished project and everything is working as it does in his tutorial. I just cannot seem to recreate it. Neither the old group node nor any of the new ones seem to allow me to select a group of points and then have that data automatically plug into a group node just by creating a group node after selecting the points. If additional steps are required, I have no idea how to do that as a relative noob to the program (I'm revisiting Houdini again after trying it a couple of years ago).
Unfortunately, the tutorial was made in Houdini 15 and I am using the Apprentice version of 16 and it no longer seems to work this way.
I was able to turn on the old Group node using “opunhide Sop group” in the Textport and it still isn't working the way that it does in his tutorial.
I opened up his finished project and everything is working as it does in his tutorial. I just cannot seem to recreate it. Neither the old group node nor any of the new ones seem to allow me to select a group of points and then have that data automatically plug into a group node just by creating a group node after selecting the points. If additional steps are required, I have no idea how to do that as a relative noob to the program (I'm revisiting Houdini again after trying it a couple of years ago).
Edited by kevin_ess - May 21, 2017 22:11:22
Houdini Learning Materials » Stuck in the Getting Started tutorial
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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skaven
I had some problems with the sim in H13 too when I tested this tut, but this comment helped:
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=172&page=viewtopic&t=26668&highlight=&sid=12605a478d8a6d277de789dffe6f4da9 [sidefx.com]
Thanks Skaven. The suggestion in that link to change the solver from Bullet to RBD solved the problem of the columns collapsing under their own weight before the ball ever hits them.
But to my point about the tutorials being ineffective for current versions of Houdini, that's still an issue. Nowhere in the tutorial is that ever mentioned, neither by the instructor, nor as a title-over addendum for the user since something is clearly being set differently as the default in later versions. A novice user would never know to look for RBD vs. a Bullet solver to fix their problem and move on.
Anyhow, thanks. At least the user community is effective in helping to train users who are new to the software even when Houdini's own training material isn't.
Houdini Learning Materials » Stuck in the Getting Started tutorial
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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I replaced the column I constructed using the tutorial and made my own out of a simple tube that I could easily cap. Upon starting the simulation, the bottom of each column still immediately crumbles under its own weight.
I tried moving the cylindrical portion of the column to sit just slightly above the base, rather than slightly inside it but it makes no difference.
I officially declare this tutorial mostly useless with v. 14 in so far as being able to follow along step by step. I'm learning more about other parts of the program than I expected, though, so I guess that's the silver lining But climbing that steep learning curve of a program like Houdini is tough enough without constantly being knocked off of it. Better (updated) tutorials would be most welcome.
I tried moving the cylindrical portion of the column to sit just slightly above the base, rather than slightly inside it but it makes no difference.
I officially declare this tutorial mostly useless with v. 14 in so far as being able to follow along step by step. I'm learning more about other parts of the program than I expected, though, so I guess that's the silver lining But climbing that steep learning curve of a program like Houdini is tough enough without constantly being knocked off of it. Better (updated) tutorials would be most welcome.
Houdini Learning Materials » Stuck in the Getting Started tutorial
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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I started working through the Getting Started tutorial on here a few weeks back and got stuck at one point trying to create a poly cap on the column (around 22:44 in the tutorial). It just never successfully caps it. It basically just screws up the geometry (or at least the normals) of the cylinder's polygons beneath where it should cap. I started the whole thing over from scratch and painstakingly checked that my settings matched the tutorial's.
Has anybody successfully completed this tutorial with version 14? I tried updating to the latest (14.0.258) and it still doesn't cap it properly.
I just decided to move forward with the tutorial without the caps but then something strange happens when I begin the dynamics portion. When I start the simulation after making the objects breakable, the columns seem to collapse under their own weight before the ball ever strikes them. I have no idea if capping the columns makes a difference in causing/preventing that or not.
Has anybody successfully completed this tutorial with version 14? I tried updating to the latest (14.0.258) and it still doesn't cap it properly.
I just decided to move forward with the tutorial without the caps but then something strange happens when I begin the dynamics portion. When I start the simulation after making the objects breakable, the columns seem to collapse under their own weight before the ball ever strikes them. I have no idea if capping the columns makes a difference in causing/preventing that or not.
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » why not double-click for edge loop?
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
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hmm… that discussion is a little discouraging. I fear it's the age-old battle between long-time “hardcore” users of a product and new users who come at it with frustration and the seeming lack of an intuitive way of doing things.
I saw this in the Blender community - a program that is extremely difficult to use until you've memorized hundreds of commands because they lack graphical icons for nearly every function. It was especially rough in areas where there was inconsistency with the way you would perform a similar function but in different areas of the program. It felt slapped together and hodge-podge (which, I'm sure, it was).
It was interesting to see a long-time user of Blender (blenderguru.com) come around and realize one day that as he was getting frustrated with the inconsistencies and difficulties using it himself, he realized he had always just dismissed new user complaints about it as lack of experience that they would eventually come to like. That's not the case. He ended up making a two-video discussion on his youtube channel about all of the inconsistencies and difficulties for Blender that, if they weren't addressed, would continue to push away any new users and they would be left with no bigger user base than those “hard core” long time users who essentially grew up with the program.
I've always been a fan of software developers cherry picking the best, most intuitive method of doing things. For me, I can't imagine how double clicking an edge would not be considered easier, more intuitive and superior to the current method for a first time user trying to figure out how to expand his selection beyond just one edge. But… there we are. I saw one guy in that thread thinking it was unimaginable that the current method isn't considered superior to double-clicking (meanwhile, I'm thinking “WTF?!!” to that). So, only solution seems to be allowing us to somehow customize it with hot keys so those who think the current way is easier can have their way, and those of us who prefer the double-click method can have ours.
I saw this in the Blender community - a program that is extremely difficult to use until you've memorized hundreds of commands because they lack graphical icons for nearly every function. It was especially rough in areas where there was inconsistency with the way you would perform a similar function but in different areas of the program. It felt slapped together and hodge-podge (which, I'm sure, it was).
It was interesting to see a long-time user of Blender (blenderguru.com) come around and realize one day that as he was getting frustrated with the inconsistencies and difficulties using it himself, he realized he had always just dismissed new user complaints about it as lack of experience that they would eventually come to like. That's not the case. He ended up making a two-video discussion on his youtube channel about all of the inconsistencies and difficulties for Blender that, if they weren't addressed, would continue to push away any new users and they would be left with no bigger user base than those “hard core” long time users who essentially grew up with the program.
I've always been a fan of software developers cherry picking the best, most intuitive method of doing things. For me, I can't imagine how double clicking an edge would not be considered easier, more intuitive and superior to the current method for a first time user trying to figure out how to expand his selection beyond just one edge. But… there we are. I saw one guy in that thread thinking it was unimaginable that the current method isn't considered superior to double-clicking (meanwhile, I'm thinking “WTF?!!” to that). So, only solution seems to be allowing us to somehow customize it with hot keys so those who think the current way is easier can have their way, and those of us who prefer the double-click method can have ours.
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » why not double-click for edge loop?
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
- Offline
I've used Maya and, more recently, Blender. Maya works by double-clicking (left mouse button) on an edge, while in edge selection mode.
Blender is alt-click while in edge selection mode. I find the Maya way to be the most intuitive and wish that were standard in all 3D programs.
I'm sure it mostly comes down to preference and I'd be perfectly happy with it that way if I could somehow modify it in the hotkeys preference to work the way I prefer. But again, it doesn't seem possible to specify a double-click as a “hotkey” preference in Houdini.
Blender is alt-click while in edge selection mode. I find the Maya way to be the most intuitive and wish that were standard in all 3D programs.
I'm sure it mostly comes down to preference and I'd be perfectly happy with it that way if I could somehow modify it in the hotkeys preference to work the way I prefer. But again, it doesn't seem possible to specify a double-click as a “hotkey” preference in Houdini.
Houdini Indie and Apprentice » why not double-click for edge loop?
- kevin_ess
- 9 posts
- Offline
Hi. New user to Houdini here. Started with Apprentice and liked it enough to move on to Indie.
I'm sure this will eventually become motor-memory and not a big deal but one of the most frustrating user interface issues for me has been doing something as simple as selecting an edge loop. First of all, it changed from “L” in the getting started tutorials to A and Shift A with a middle mouse click. So I had to go to the internet for an answer. The worst part was trying to select the edge loop and then figure out how to select another edge loop. It must have taken me 3 or 4 tries to get the right combination of shifting and clicking and a scream of “arghhhh!” before I got it. I still occasionally mess it up and accidentally deselect all of my loops.
So my question is… is there any functional reason why I can't simply double click on an edge while in edge selection mode to have it select the entire loop? Same with primitives selection mode. As far as I can tell, double clicking currently does nothing. So, why not make double-clicking on an edge or face allow it to select the entire loop? It seems to me this would not only be more immediately intuitive but much easier for additional loop selections (just hold shift while double-clicking on another edge). Again, new user here so there may be some functional reason that I'm just not aware of yet that would prevent using a double-click for loop selection.
If there is a way for me to custom configure this in my Hotkeys preferences that would also be cool but I don't see anywhere that it's possible to assign a double-click as an option.
Thanks.
I'm sure this will eventually become motor-memory and not a big deal but one of the most frustrating user interface issues for me has been doing something as simple as selecting an edge loop. First of all, it changed from “L” in the getting started tutorials to A and Shift A with a middle mouse click. So I had to go to the internet for an answer. The worst part was trying to select the edge loop and then figure out how to select another edge loop. It must have taken me 3 or 4 tries to get the right combination of shifting and clicking and a scream of “arghhhh!” before I got it. I still occasionally mess it up and accidentally deselect all of my loops.
So my question is… is there any functional reason why I can't simply double click on an edge while in edge selection mode to have it select the entire loop? Same with primitives selection mode. As far as I can tell, double clicking currently does nothing. So, why not make double-clicking on an edge or face allow it to select the entire loop? It seems to me this would not only be more immediately intuitive but much easier for additional loop selections (just hold shift while double-clicking on another edge). Again, new user here so there may be some functional reason that I'm just not aware of yet that would prevent using a double-click for loop selection.
If there is a way for me to custom configure this in my Hotkeys preferences that would also be cool but I don't see anywhere that it's possible to assign a double-click as an option.
Thanks.
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