In POPs there is Position POP which I would set with Path option. But, all particles from previopus POP in the net, would be collapsed into a single point. Now my questiuon, which NOONE has ever answered, is how to to make the stream look like its flowing along the curve.
To illustrate do the following.
Create path geo object.
Create POP net.
In pop net create Location POP.
Append Position_POP with Path option and choose path curve.
Now playback. All the particles, regardless of position, or time of creation at sourcr is place on same place along the curve making it look like a single point moving along path. I never understood or found documentation (SESI's bad!) on how to make a curve flow effect! And no one seems to know!
DR
Found 431 posts.
Search results Show results as topic list.
Technical Discussion » How to make particles flow along a spline? Old question.
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Technical Discussion » How to make particles flow along a spline? Old question.
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Thats for moving objects along the path, not for making particles flow along a curve path. Which is what I want.
THX
DR
THX
DR
Technical Discussion » How to make particles flow along a spline? Old question.
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
This is an old question of mine, for which I have never found an decent answer. Its like in whole Houdini community, noone knows how to make particle flow conform to a spline inside POPNET. So that a volumetric (i.e. tube shaped) stream conforms to a spline. How is this done?
I have tried the following approach. First I created a straight flow on POP.
Then fed the POP through POP_SOP into Geometry. Then deformed the flow using Lattice_SOP with lattice target being conformed to desiredf curve shape. It deforms the POP_SOP, except that motion vector of the particle remains unchanged. The streak particlel's orinentation does not change but remain pointed forward insted of along the spline. THat would work for metaball stream, but not for particle instancing.
Thank you.
DaveR
I have tried the following approach. First I created a straight flow on POP.
Then fed the POP through POP_SOP into Geometry. Then deformed the flow using Lattice_SOP with lattice target being conformed to desiredf curve shape. It deforms the POP_SOP, except that motion vector of the particle remains unchanged. The streak particlel's orinentation does not change but remain pointed forward insted of along the spline. THat would work for metaball stream, but not for particle instancing.
Thank you.
DaveR
Technical Discussion » Poly Bevel in 6.1.208?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Thanx.
Funny thing. I can't find it in menus (TAB). But if I hit ‘P’ key and all the SOP that start with ‘P’ pop-up, I do see it.
Otherwise its a great SOP. Works very well. I use it for rounding in same fashion as I do edge poly edge rounding in MAX 6.
Funny how NURBS have been put on backburner and how poly and sub-d tools have become pre-eminent in production.
Dave R
Funny thing. I can't find it in menus (TAB). But if I hit ‘P’ key and all the SOP that start with ‘P’ pop-up, I do see it.
Otherwise its a great SOP. Works very well. I use it for rounding in same fashion as I do edge poly edge rounding in MAX 6.
Funny how NURBS have been put on backburner and how poly and sub-d tools have become pre-eminent in production.
Dave R
Technical Discussion » Poly Bevel in 6.1.208?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Hi all.
It has been some time.
Where is the Poly Bevel tile? When I am in Geometry, I cannot find it anywhere.
Dave R
It has been some time.
Where is the Poly Bevel tile? When I am in Geometry, I cannot find it anywhere.
Dave R
Technical Discussion » metaball modeling
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Well if you gonna pursue isosurfaces then you should be intimately familiar with anatomical musculature layouts. Thats where you get out the ol' copy of Gray's Anatomy. Look at the curves that muscles follow and draw the stamp curves to conform. Then you need to write a script that alters the radius of stamped metaball so that the rad. of starting and ending ball is small and large in center, and intermediate balls have their radii properly set. As I said, its more trouble then its worth, and you spend to much time mucking around with raddii then thinking about shape.
Now for muscle rigging. You have to have a normal bone skeleton. The stamp splines have their end points tracking the attachment point on bones, as in real muscles and ligaments. So by normallly animating the skeleton the muscle curves deform properly (i.e. priocedurally). The metaballs are stamped onto those curves. Finally the MagnetSOPs read use the muscle isosurfaces to deform the skin.
Dave Rindner
Now for muscle rigging. You have to have a normal bone skeleton. The stamp splines have their end points tracking the attachment point on bones, as in real muscles and ligaments. So by normallly animating the skeleton the muscle curves deform properly (i.e. priocedurally). The metaballs are stamped onto those curves. Finally the MagnetSOPs read use the muscle isosurfaces to deform the skin.
Dave Rindner
Technical Discussion » metaball modeling
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Isosurface modeling is really passe method. I never liked it, and do not reccomend. Its more trouble then its worth. You have to set up these complex spline networks then Copy(SOP) metaballs into them, using splines as stamp surfaces.
You are better off using sub-d's to model your character then use spline metaball networks as magnets for muscle rigging. THis has been my R&D subject for past 8 months.
Dave
You are better off using sub-d's to model your character then use spline metaball networks as magnets for muscle rigging. THis has been my R&D subject for past 8 months.
Dave
Technical Discussion » Hello everyone. Been some time
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Technical Discussion » Hello everyone. Been some time
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Well, if you go to Best Buy, take a look at those huge video walls they have.
We did a TV spot, that also get played there, for the new McDonalds and BestBuy Monopoly game. I was part of the team, and was lead modeler onm the project, and did some animation work. The modeling I did in Houdini, animation was MAX. That was imaged in hidef.
Second hidef job we just finished is for MTV/Verizon for their new Slider/V5 cell phone. Once again I was lead modeler on the project. My task was to create a photoreal model of the phone. The shots ranged from close-ups to far away crowd shots with multiple phone. I used subdivs in Houdini to model the phone. Unrolled the UV's. Then ported the cage to MAX, and set it up with animation controls for freelance animator to keyframe. Another freelancer created VRAY shaders, as the shop uses VRAY for rendering. So check it out, should you catch it on TV. It will also be shown at Times Square anibillboards.
Right now we are finishing up a funny holiday season peice for Cartoon Network. So once the holiday season kicks off, you should see a bunch of our work.
Dave Rindner
We did a TV spot, that also get played there, for the new McDonalds and BestBuy Monopoly game. I was part of the team, and was lead modeler onm the project, and did some animation work. The modeling I did in Houdini, animation was MAX. That was imaged in hidef.
Second hidef job we just finished is for MTV/Verizon for their new Slider/V5 cell phone. Once again I was lead modeler on the project. My task was to create a photoreal model of the phone. The shots ranged from close-ups to far away crowd shots with multiple phone. I used subdivs in Houdini to model the phone. Unrolled the UV's. Then ported the cage to MAX, and set it up with animation controls for freelance animator to keyframe. Another freelancer created VRAY shaders, as the shop uses VRAY for rendering. So check it out, should you catch it on TV. It will also be shown at Times Square anibillboards.
Right now we are finishing up a funny holiday season peice for Cartoon Network. So once the holiday season kicks off, you should see a bunch of our work.
Dave Rindner
Technical Discussion » character modelling!!!!
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
You can attempt top go NURBS route, but IMHO, sub-divs offer the best way. In any program, especcially Houdini, where sub-divs are SO DAMN GOOD.
My reccomendations are;
1. Start by creating front, side, and 3/4 pencil shades. Set the sketches as backround images (in approproate views) correctly scaled.
2. Determine what you want the dragon to do in animation. Using poly tools create a rough animatic style model of the dragon, where all limbs are not connected to the body, and body itself is segmented, with each segment being a separate object.
3. Create an animation of sample motion. If it is easy to do with above animatic then you have a good 3d template to build around. If not then refine the composition of the model until it is animatable. Basically, first build a rig/animatic, then do the beauty geometry. Kapish!
4. Start with head. Keep in mind what kind of facial animation it will have.
My approach is to confine entire head and facial rig to its own object. Then merge the result with body rig.
5. Use animal anatomy books and build the sub-d cages to flow similar to musculature.
Dave Rindner
animator/TD
eyeballNYC
My reccomendations are;
1. Start by creating front, side, and 3/4 pencil shades. Set the sketches as backround images (in approproate views) correctly scaled.
2. Determine what you want the dragon to do in animation. Using poly tools create a rough animatic style model of the dragon, where all limbs are not connected to the body, and body itself is segmented, with each segment being a separate object.
3. Create an animation of sample motion. If it is easy to do with above animatic then you have a good 3d template to build around. If not then refine the composition of the model until it is animatable. Basically, first build a rig/animatic, then do the beauty geometry. Kapish!
4. Start with head. Keep in mind what kind of facial animation it will have.
My approach is to confine entire head and facial rig to its own object. Then merge the result with body rig.
5. Use animal anatomy books and build the sub-d cages to flow similar to musculature.
Dave Rindner
animator/TD
eyeballNYC
Technical Discussion » Hello everyone. Been some time
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Hello to my fellow Houdini users. My apologies for being absent from SESI forum. I have been extremely nose-into screen sence coming back from Taiwan, where I worked with Diginoise FX. Winning the Challenge Contest (best model category) was great. I am currently working as animator/TD at EyeballNYC. One of the top 10 advertising design and effects shops in Manhattan. I started in August (right after SIGG03) and have sence worked on multiple spots (all in HD). Though the shop is MAX based, I have used Houdini to suppourt MAX pipeline, and XSI pipeline in near future. I worked with MAX before at previous employer so I found it easy to convert my Houdini techniques into MAX.
As I stated to SESI before. I consider the model of centaur I did for Challenge, as property of entire Houdini community. It is free to anyone to use as they wish, as long as its not for commercial porpouses. Please contact SESI to get it. Its face and head are fully rigged and body is partially rigged. I want to collaborate with a Houdini savvy animator to bring this creature to life. If anyone wishes to attempt this CA (as a thesis project for example), you contact me at daverindner@yahoo.com or at my work e-mail which can be gleaned from studio's site.
Dave Rindner
Animator/TD
EyeballNYC ( www.eyeballnyc.com )
As I stated to SESI before. I consider the model of centaur I did for Challenge, as property of entire Houdini community. It is free to anyone to use as they wish, as long as its not for commercial porpouses. Please contact SESI to get it. Its face and head are fully rigged and body is partially rigged. I want to collaborate with a Houdini savvy animator to bring this creature to life. If anyone wishes to attempt this CA (as a thesis project for example), you contact me at daverindner@yahoo.com or at my work e-mail which can be gleaned from studio's site.
Dave Rindner
Animator/TD
EyeballNYC ( www.eyeballnyc.com )
Technical Discussion » Suppress Node Unlock Warning? How?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Technical Discussion » DVD creation in Houdini
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Looking at Sonic DVDitPro, MinervaDVD, and Apple DVD Studio Pro, it occurs to me that Houdini's (Halo's/COP's) base would make excellent envrionment for DVD authoring tool. I mean all that is needed is to call already compiled DLLs to access the DVD-R and MPEG-2 encoding. Minerva Systmes licences the DLLs which contain MPEG-2 encoding and DVD standard command calls. Really all that is needed is to make some tiles that load files, pass them to encoders, and give the DLLs some user controls. Then a DVD-ROP writes the directory structure onto the disk using DVD-R or writes the ISO file for duplication.
Having said that, as far as I know, hardware device control unde XPPro and Win2000Pro is handled through DLLs. I assume that Houdini SDK has ways to call DLLs so hardware devices (DVD-ROM, DLT) can be controlled from ROP.
P.S. Looking forward to playing with my own 6.1 with ATI X1 card that I won on App. Challenge. The computer magazines all highly rate the board but all site driver problems albeit with Maya and dedicated 3DS MAX drivers. Given the machine I currently have I am not sure how I can squezze a double space AGP board into it! Figures! But I am sure it will beat my current GeForce3.
Dave Rindner
Having said that, as far as I know, hardware device control unde XPPro and Win2000Pro is handled through DLLs. I assume that Houdini SDK has ways to call DLLs so hardware devices (DVD-ROM, DLT) can be controlled from ROP.
P.S. Looking forward to playing with my own 6.1 with ATI X1 card that I won on App. Challenge. The computer magazines all highly rate the board but all site driver problems albeit with Maya and dedicated 3DS MAX drivers. Given the machine I currently have I am not sure how I can squezze a double space AGP board into it! Figures! But I am sure it will beat my current GeForce3.
Dave Rindner
Technical Discussion » Houdini (windows) on WinXP Pro64 suppourting 64 bit?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
So heres a stupid question.
On AMD Opteron or AMD Athlon64 running WinXP Pro 64, is Houdini 6.1 (Windows) running in 64 bit (mode)?
Whats with 64 bit Linux on Opteron or Athlon64 CPUs?
Is Mantra 64bit?
Is it appreciably faster?
Sence Apple G5's are so fast and OSX 10.2 is for G5, so its 64 bit (right), any chance of Houdini Linux being ported to OSX? Which is a flavor or Linux (right).
Sorry if I am asking an NDA'ed question.
Finally superstupid question. Being a flight sim fanatic of sorts.
Do 32bit OpenGL or DirectX games (i.e. flight sims) run on 64 bit Windows, albeit in 32 bit mode.
Dave R
On AMD Opteron or AMD Athlon64 running WinXP Pro 64, is Houdini 6.1 (Windows) running in 64 bit (mode)?
Whats with 64 bit Linux on Opteron or Athlon64 CPUs?
Is Mantra 64bit?
Is it appreciably faster?
Sence Apple G5's are so fast and OSX 10.2 is for G5, so its 64 bit (right), any chance of Houdini Linux being ported to OSX? Which is a flavor or Linux (right).
Sorry if I am asking an NDA'ed question.
Finally superstupid question. Being a flight sim fanatic of sorts.
Do 32bit OpenGL or DirectX games (i.e. flight sims) run on 64 bit Windows, albeit in 32 bit mode.
Dave R
Technical Discussion » Simplifying SOP network into SOP Generator. How?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
I am wondering how can I simplify a SOP network into a new SOP Generator that appears under Generators (SOP)
For example, there is no beveled box generator but I would like to create one.
The SOP network is as follows
box-polyextrude-dissolve1-dissolve2-polysplit1-…….polysplit8-dissolve3-……dissolve10
The result is a beveled box. The SOP network has 20 SOP operators with only boxSOP and polyextrude inset fields being determining factors in size of the box, its position, and radius of bevel. Everything else should really happen behind the scenes.
So what I want to do is collapse the VEX code or Python script that is generating this network into a singe SOP Generator that is called Beveled Box and has entry fields from BoxSOP plus polyextrudeSOP inset field.
Please post ONE step by step method on how to do this.
Thank you
David Rindner
For example, there is no beveled box generator but I would like to create one.
The SOP network is as follows
box-polyextrude-dissolve1-dissolve2-polysplit1-…….polysplit8-dissolve3-……dissolve10
The result is a beveled box. The SOP network has 20 SOP operators with only boxSOP and polyextrude inset fields being determining factors in size of the box, its position, and radius of bevel. Everything else should really happen behind the scenes.
So what I want to do is collapse the VEX code or Python script that is generating this network into a singe SOP Generator that is called Beveled Box and has entry fields from BoxSOP plus polyextrudeSOP inset field.
Please post ONE step by step method on how to do this.
Thank you
David Rindner
Technical Discussion » v_BLurshadow renders very slow.
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
When I was working on VW spot (I did the creature model in Houdini), the lighting TDs at RADIUM used HDRShop to create MEL scripts for creating lighting solutions based on HDR probe image. HDRShop has output for Houdini. It generates a script file, that I would just copy/paste into Texport. Lights and shaders are created automatically but the script.
I usually set about 32 lights in an array then delete the ones below the floor plane, resulting in scene that has 16-20 lights. HDRShop's LightGen plugin creates Python script that places the lights in spherical array.
So the scene has 16 lights all of which have different colors and intensities. There is one ASAD light shader with color fields that have expressions that take their color intensities from Light intensity value.
The lights also source a single v_blurshadow shader, with shadow blut set to range from 20-32.
The problem is that rendertime is very slow. Not at all conducive to production. It is much slower then using area lights with v_globalillumination shader and v_rayshadow.
I am wondering, how can I speed up the blurshadow shader.
Dave Rindner
I usually set about 32 lights in an array then delete the ones below the floor plane, resulting in scene that has 16-20 lights. HDRShop's LightGen plugin creates Python script that places the lights in spherical array.
So the scene has 16 lights all of which have different colors and intensities. There is one ASAD light shader with color fields that have expressions that take their color intensities from Light intensity value.
The lights also source a single v_blurshadow shader, with shadow blut set to range from 20-32.
The problem is that rendertime is very slow. Not at all conducive to production. It is much slower then using area lights with v_globalillumination shader and v_rayshadow.
I am wondering, how can I speed up the blurshadow shader.
Dave Rindner
Technical Discussion » 3d pattern to 2d texture. how to?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
I am not sure if I am reading you right. Is the shader being applied to surface but not object(UV) space, rather in world space.
If that is the issue then you need transform to object space. Now the nuts and bolts of it I have to look into. Very likely using Convert with Matrix VEX. But before we spend time on this, I want to know if thats the problem we are discussing.
Dave R
If that is the issue then you need transform to object space. Now the nuts and bolts of it I have to look into. Very likely using Convert with Matrix VEX. But before we spend time on this, I want to know if thats the problem we are discussing.
Dave R
Technical Discussion » 3d pattern to 2d texture. how to?
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
Well one simple way is to simply render the shader(assigned to Fog object).
1. Load the i3d sequence into 3D TextureFog volume SHOP.
2. Create Fog object and set the volume SHOP to use the shader. Create the appropriate pre-viz Geometry using Isosurface SOP but don't render the Geometry
3. Create 3 point lighting using distant light SHOPs. Shadows are an option
4. Place camera so that the pre-viz geometry encompasses the view. Se the cam resolution to desired rez.
5. Render out the image sequence in your favorite format. image_$F4.pic
6. Use the image sequence as texture map. In VEX use Texture VEX or use SuperMaterial.
Dave Rindner
1. Load the i3d sequence into 3D TextureFog volume SHOP.
2. Create Fog object and set the volume SHOP to use the shader. Create the appropriate pre-viz Geometry using Isosurface SOP but don't render the Geometry
3. Create 3 point lighting using distant light SHOPs. Shadows are an option
4. Place camera so that the pre-viz geometry encompasses the view. Se the cam resolution to desired rez.
5. Render out the image sequence in your favorite format. image_$F4.pic
6. Use the image sequence as texture map. In VEX use Texture VEX or use SuperMaterial.
Dave Rindner
Technical Discussion » Image3D 'Red Arrow' error every 45 frames
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
I am creating i3d sequence and every 45 frames Image3d shuts down, and will not render at all, unless Houdini is restarted.
I am rendering 600 frames, and Houdini is rendering the frames on which it stalled, after the restrart.
I am thinking its a memory leak.
I am using 5.5.305
Dave Rindner
I am rendering 600 frames, and Houdini is rendering the frames on which it stalled, after the restrart.
I am thinking its a memory leak.
I am using 5.5.305
Dave Rindner
Technical Discussion » Ice Bash tutorial not working!
- Dave_ah
- 436 posts
- Offline
I tried to do Ice Bash tutorial, but I don't think it applies to V5.5. Simply it dos not work. The ice surface does not crack. Has anyone successfully completed this tutorial in 5.5 or 6.
Dave R
Dave R
-
- Quick Links