Hi,
The 3 DVD currently available at cmivfx (www.cmivfx.com) were made with H8. Fotunately, on the topics covered, there's no internal change - only “cosmetic interface changes” ( plus it looks like H9 now has the new ForEach SOP as an additional “macro” for a part of the general workflow we showed in the Procedural Modeling of Cities DVD ( it also does a lot of other things)
But we will upgrade and rerecord “old” DVDs on H9 ( you can still watch the old version when you buy the new version - cos not everybody is on H9)
Our very big upcoming VEX/VOP DVD ( in september) is recorded with H9 as will be all the new ones.
Notice that it will be then instantly available to watch in VOD. This means you will also receive upgrades or extra stuff just by loggin in ( you don't need to send your disk back and have another one).
David
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Houdini Lounge » Latest, best houdini training
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Houdini Lounge » New Free Vex Tutorial At Cmivfx
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Houdini Lounge » New Free Vex Tutorial At Cmivfx
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Hi everyone,
Upon general request, I've recorded a new free video tutorial hosted at our webpage.
http://cmivfx.com/tutorials.asp [cmivfx.com]
tutorial no 57
It's about advanced VEX workflow: it shows you how to use multiple geometry inputs, how to include written code, and teaches you how to create visually controllable advanced noise ( for both fractal terrain and ocean modeling), with multiple inputs VEX SOPs.
The underlying idea is to describe your surface as the summation of noise octaves and to visually control the corresponding spectrum.
Of course, these topics will be covered in much more detail in our upcoming VEX DVD ( with terrain design like Terragen and ocean animation), but the tutorials give you some basics and insights.
(Don't forget our previous free tuts ( no 39 and 40), on fracture effects and fluid flow through l-systems).
-d
Upon general request, I've recorded a new free video tutorial hosted at our webpage.
http://cmivfx.com/tutorials.asp [cmivfx.com]
tutorial no 57
It's about advanced VEX workflow: it shows you how to use multiple geometry inputs, how to include written code, and teaches you how to create visually controllable advanced noise ( for both fractal terrain and ocean modeling), with multiple inputs VEX SOPs.
The underlying idea is to describe your surface as the summation of noise octaves and to visually control the corresponding spectrum.
Of course, these topics will be covered in much more detail in our upcoming VEX DVD ( with terrain design like Terragen and ocean animation), but the tutorials give you some basics and insights.
(Don't forget our previous free tuts ( no 39 and 40), on fracture effects and fluid flow through l-systems).
-d
Houdini Lounge » Training Courses
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Funny you mentioned that, because we had a ton of requests on that and it has become now our first priority: we decided to address a larger audience which has waited too long and to produce a DVD on VEX, cos the info is sooo scarce…
And the first one will be on VEX in SOP context.
The first part will be inter-context VEX ( « context-independant »),
« workflow operators » ( how to visually use loops, conditionals into), using the inline VOP, using multiple inputs for deformers ( we will present the general « theory of deformers » where you use some geometry to deform, a rest geometry input which « captures » the geometry and a deformed geometry input, and we will show a lot of examples).
We will use fractal/noise functions ( like a special cookbook – understanding noise « octaves », different types of noise, loops for fractals etc..) for comprehensive detailed terrain generation (exactly like in Terragen using the strength of point attributes for displacement/color combined with some other SOPs ) , understanding object topologies to intelligently use VEX, coordinates for deformations, how to work with groups, point neighbours, etc.
The story will go on with VEX with shaders of course, depending on the requests/needs of our users.
Our policy at CmiVFX has always been to emphasize on DATA STRUCTURES.
I completely understand your request to know how shaders work obe with each other. Every serious programmer know that functions are nothing if you don't know ON what they operate, where/when they're executed, in other terms what is called a context.
The context must come first! ( even if this sounds unusual at a first time!)
IMHO data structure and dataflow is the backbone of everything. I maintain that there's no serious learning of 3d without a proper understanding of the underlying data structures and spending some time on them with pedagogical animation, diagrams etc will save you A LOT of time and free A LOT of brain space .
My motto is « Take time to build your shelves » first
(in shaders, this means f.ex knowing the « adventures of color » from emission ( light) to the image ( COPs planes), through all the shaders).
The great thing is that shader communication can also be used in a more abstract way to provide general info transport ( you then « capture a lot of tricks » at once). This has already been used ( i think about the « magic lights » in the latest Siggraph renderman courses where lights carry « abstract information ») and this is something we intend to develop.
And the first one will be on VEX in SOP context.
The first part will be inter-context VEX ( « context-independant »),
« workflow operators » ( how to visually use loops, conditionals into), using the inline VOP, using multiple inputs for deformers ( we will present the general « theory of deformers » where you use some geometry to deform, a rest geometry input which « captures » the geometry and a deformed geometry input, and we will show a lot of examples).
We will use fractal/noise functions ( like a special cookbook – understanding noise « octaves », different types of noise, loops for fractals etc..) for comprehensive detailed terrain generation (exactly like in Terragen using the strength of point attributes for displacement/color combined with some other SOPs ) , understanding object topologies to intelligently use VEX, coordinates for deformations, how to work with groups, point neighbours, etc.
The story will go on with VEX with shaders of course, depending on the requests/needs of our users.
Our policy at CmiVFX has always been to emphasize on DATA STRUCTURES.
I completely understand your request to know how shaders work obe with each other. Every serious programmer know that functions are nothing if you don't know ON what they operate, where/when they're executed, in other terms what is called a context.
The context must come first! ( even if this sounds unusual at a first time!)
IMHO data structure and dataflow is the backbone of everything. I maintain that there's no serious learning of 3d without a proper understanding of the underlying data structures and spending some time on them with pedagogical animation, diagrams etc will save you A LOT of time and free A LOT of brain space .
My motto is « Take time to build your shelves » first
(in shaders, this means f.ex knowing the « adventures of color » from emission ( light) to the image ( COPs planes), through all the shaders).
The great thing is that shader communication can also be used in a more abstract way to provide general info transport ( you then « capture a lot of tricks » at once). This has already been used ( i think about the « magic lights » in the latest Siggraph renderman courses where lights carry « abstract information ») and this is something we intend to develop.
Houdini Lounge » L-system DVD no 2 is here
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Well, well, well.
One for winter, one for spring..
Here comes the episode II of the L-system series ( the “tetralogy” lol).
Here is the official announce.
**************************************************
HOUDINI L-systems Workflow DVD 2
Mastering Workflow And Rendering L-systems
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems2.asp [cmivfx.com]
(In High Definition)
cmiVFX is proud to announce the second installment to the L-systems series of Houdini
training videos. In part 1 of the series, we showed you what L-systems were, what was
behind all the l-system syntax, and how to create some nice models of trees,
plants, and flowers. Now it's time to give purpose to your creations. In this DVD, you
will learn how to master the workflow of rendering your trees.
Lessons in the show will teach you the workflow to render your trees non
photo-realistically and with a painterly look to fly through a Monet or Cezanne
impressionist painting much like the effects in the award-wining movie “What dreams may
come”. You will learn the not well-known curve rendering and NPR sprite rendering tricks
and interactive outline drawing techniques. Continue on by learning how to interactively
paint some vegetation defined by L-systems and how to make it creep along an arbitrary
piece of geometry like ivy.
We actually show more than pure l-system here: we take a little time to open the door to
“procedural painting”, which is the ability to link Houdini procedural machinery to
painting inputs through advanced CHOP techniques, allowing the user to have an extended
PaintFX-like tool that can go far beyond what is just presented is this DVD, where you
could visually paint streets, railways and particle effects. Use our template to quickly
design your landscape foliage.
If all that wasn't enough for you, then we keep going by showing you the workflow to
handle complexity with nesting L-systems. We created an asset for you which allows you to
plug l-system within l-system. You will learn how to split a complex set of rules into
visual blocks of reusable L-systems workflow, that you pipe one into the other. The
benefits are immense in value. Not only can you turn l-system creation into a more visual
and more interactive process while keeping the benefits of having completely editable
structures, but you can then access more complex L-systems that were simply unattainable
with simple rules. You can also extend information passing into the l-system, using non
l-system specific expressions, and thus you can have realistic hierarchical deformation of
L-systems!
We take you through countless examples, from controlling the silhouette of a tree to
extended tree models. And finally, we take you in two recapitulative projects: the
creation of a majestic whomping willow with Ivy growing on him.
Not only was the first DVD the first one ever released about the L-systems, this new DVD
is the first one to show you real non-photorealistic workflow as well as real
unprecedented procedural painting and how to use L-systems beyond L-systems (what the
L-systems creators couldn't even imagine).
For more information about cmiVFX and the best High-End, High-Def training, please visit
our the website at http://www.cmivfx.com [cmivfx.com]
Link:
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems2.asp [cmivfx.com]
©COPYRIGHT 2007 cmiVFX and cmiStudios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
One for winter, one for spring..
Here comes the episode II of the L-system series ( the “tetralogy” lol).
Here is the official announce.
**************************************************
HOUDINI L-systems Workflow DVD 2
Mastering Workflow And Rendering L-systems
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems2.asp [cmivfx.com]
(In High Definition)
cmiVFX is proud to announce the second installment to the L-systems series of Houdini
training videos. In part 1 of the series, we showed you what L-systems were, what was
behind all the l-system syntax, and how to create some nice models of trees,
plants, and flowers. Now it's time to give purpose to your creations. In this DVD, you
will learn how to master the workflow of rendering your trees.
Lessons in the show will teach you the workflow to render your trees non
photo-realistically and with a painterly look to fly through a Monet or Cezanne
impressionist painting much like the effects in the award-wining movie “What dreams may
come”. You will learn the not well-known curve rendering and NPR sprite rendering tricks
and interactive outline drawing techniques. Continue on by learning how to interactively
paint some vegetation defined by L-systems and how to make it creep along an arbitrary
piece of geometry like ivy.
We actually show more than pure l-system here: we take a little time to open the door to
“procedural painting”, which is the ability to link Houdini procedural machinery to
painting inputs through advanced CHOP techniques, allowing the user to have an extended
PaintFX-like tool that can go far beyond what is just presented is this DVD, where you
could visually paint streets, railways and particle effects. Use our template to quickly
design your landscape foliage.
If all that wasn't enough for you, then we keep going by showing you the workflow to
handle complexity with nesting L-systems. We created an asset for you which allows you to
plug l-system within l-system. You will learn how to split a complex set of rules into
visual blocks of reusable L-systems workflow, that you pipe one into the other. The
benefits are immense in value. Not only can you turn l-system creation into a more visual
and more interactive process while keeping the benefits of having completely editable
structures, but you can then access more complex L-systems that were simply unattainable
with simple rules. You can also extend information passing into the l-system, using non
l-system specific expressions, and thus you can have realistic hierarchical deformation of
L-systems!
We take you through countless examples, from controlling the silhouette of a tree to
extended tree models. And finally, we take you in two recapitulative projects: the
creation of a majestic whomping willow with Ivy growing on him.
Not only was the first DVD the first one ever released about the L-systems, this new DVD
is the first one to show you real non-photorealistic workflow as well as real
unprecedented procedural painting and how to use L-systems beyond L-systems (what the
L-systems creators couldn't even imagine).
For more information about cmiVFX and the best High-End, High-Def training, please visit
our the website at http://www.cmivfx.com [cmivfx.com]
Link:
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems2.asp [cmivfx.com]
©COPYRIGHT 2007 cmiVFX and cmiStudios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Technical Discussion » Lsystem procedual...^^
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
sorry but i'm not allowed yet to say more that what is presented in the press release
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=549&Itemid=66 [sidefx.com]
What i can say is that we don't stick to the very basic grammar of l-system during the 4 dvds of course… but we see little by little how can l-systems can be integrated in some more and more complicated and spectacular effects, which means we bring a lot lot lot of other interesting stuff to the surface!
david
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=549&Itemid=66 [sidefx.com]
What i can say is that we don't stick to the very basic grammar of l-system during the 4 dvds of course… but we see little by little how can l-systems can be integrated in some more and more complicated and spectacular effects, which means we bring a lot lot lot of other interesting stuff to the surface!
david
Technical Discussion » Lsystem procedual...^^
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
hem well, i've made a DVD about L-system .
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems1.asp [cmivfx.com]
( the first one of a 4 dvd series:
the second title is coming very soon this month!)
if this can help!
cheers
david
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems1.asp [cmivfx.com]
( the first one of a 4 dvd series:
the second title is coming very soon this month!)
if this can help!
cheers
david
Houdini Lounge » New L-system DVD from CmiVFX is here.
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Hi!
The DVD is let's say 70-80% pure l-system ( about formulas and grammar, and botanical models) so it's not even specific to Houdini and in this field, no experience at all is needed.
About the Houdini-specific parts, we go a little faster so maybe an “intermediate” one.
This is the first DVD ever released about this topic in Computer Graphics, so all the ideas behind the grammar can be transposed to any other software.
L-system are also a way to discover some other aspects of Houdini:
We like to show how Houdini's different parts talk to each other - which makes its strength -
( in the following DVDs, you will see more relations with rendering, with CHOPs, with DOPs).
-d
The DVD is let's say 70-80% pure l-system ( about formulas and grammar, and botanical models) so it's not even specific to Houdini and in this field, no experience at all is needed.
About the Houdini-specific parts, we go a little faster so maybe an “intermediate” one.
This is the first DVD ever released about this topic in Computer Graphics, so all the ideas behind the grammar can be transposed to any other software.
L-system are also a way to discover some other aspects of Houdini:
We like to show how Houdini's different parts talk to each other - which makes its strength -
( in the following DVDs, you will see more relations with rendering, with CHOPs, with DOPs).
-d
Houdini Lounge » New L-system DVD from CmiVFX is here.
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Hi everybody,
Well, well, well, some of you kinda already heard the rumor…
Here it is!
Big news for Christmas. To peacefully watch during the holidays:
HOUDINI L-Systems Essentials DVD 1
Learn how to construct organic models with l-systems
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems1.asp [cmivfx.com]
(In High Definition)
cmiVFX is proud to announce the first DVD ever released about l-systems, an immense and yet not well-known field of computer graphics.
Aiming to partner with our customers, and upon general request, we decided to fill the immense void of learning material in this vastly underestimated topic. No less than 4 DVD's will be released to introduce you to the immense variety of effects you can achieve with l-systems. From the large topic of plant and tree modeling to tentacle animation, wire DOPs, lightning effects, complex crack generation, snowflakes, corals, L-system based surfaces, city pattern creation, blood flow through bronchus, making L-systems more scriptable and much more.
The first DVD introduces you to the main concepts of L-system grammar, the different types of rewriting, the use of parameters and expressions, the use of conditional statements, probabilities not presented as a list of commands but smoothly introduced through complete examples. Since finding the correct formula for a plant may require pen and paper, the tutorials are interspersed with blackboard animated schematics, as if you were in a real classroom.
Once you're familiar with the l-system syntax you will learn how to create realistic trees with full interactive control over their morphological parameters, then plants ( both static and animated with fully detailed growth sequences, using parameters for growth triggering, you will learn how to create elaborate leaves with polygonal l-systems and how to use l-systems to create the control structure of a trimmed NURBs surface like a banana-tree leaf (using the accuracy and the power of l-system commands to provide complex deformations)
We will teach you how to create a gorgeous rose flower with multiple petals, animated with l-systems as control structures, at different steps of their development using special expressions to have onion-skinning-like display for keyframing.
For more information about cmiVFX and the best High-End, High-Def training, please visit our the website at http://www.cmivfx.com [cmivfx.com]
Link:
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems1.asp [cmivfx.com]
Merry Christmas everybody
David Gary @ CMIVFX
Well, well, well, some of you kinda already heard the rumor…
Here it is!
Big news for Christmas. To peacefully watch during the holidays:
HOUDINI L-Systems Essentials DVD 1
Learn how to construct organic models with l-systems
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems1.asp [cmivfx.com]
(In High Definition)
cmiVFX is proud to announce the first DVD ever released about l-systems, an immense and yet not well-known field of computer graphics.
Aiming to partner with our customers, and upon general request, we decided to fill the immense void of learning material in this vastly underestimated topic. No less than 4 DVD's will be released to introduce you to the immense variety of effects you can achieve with l-systems. From the large topic of plant and tree modeling to tentacle animation, wire DOPs, lightning effects, complex crack generation, snowflakes, corals, L-system based surfaces, city pattern creation, blood flow through bronchus, making L-systems more scriptable and much more.
The first DVD introduces you to the main concepts of L-system grammar, the different types of rewriting, the use of parameters and expressions, the use of conditional statements, probabilities not presented as a list of commands but smoothly introduced through complete examples. Since finding the correct formula for a plant may require pen and paper, the tutorials are interspersed with blackboard animated schematics, as if you were in a real classroom.
Once you're familiar with the l-system syntax you will learn how to create realistic trees with full interactive control over their morphological parameters, then plants ( both static and animated with fully detailed growth sequences, using parameters for growth triggering, you will learn how to create elaborate leaves with polygonal l-systems and how to use l-systems to create the control structure of a trimmed NURBs surface like a banana-tree leaf (using the accuracy and the power of l-system commands to provide complex deformations)
We will teach you how to create a gorgeous rose flower with multiple petals, animated with l-systems as control structures, at different steps of their development using special expressions to have onion-skinning-like display for keyframing.
For more information about cmiVFX and the best High-End, High-Def training, please visit our the website at http://www.cmivfx.com [cmivfx.com]
Link:
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_lsystems1.asp [cmivfx.com]
Merry Christmas everybody
David Gary @ CMIVFX
Technical Discussion » Request for tutorial...Please!!!
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
ahem, i personnaly have done a tutorial about breaking objects that can help ( i made it before H8 and dops, but the dop workflow can well be integrated with it: especially using the Fractured RBD dop, using group of primitives as objects.
I presented it on odforce:
http://odforce.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=1874 [odforce.net]
here is the link to my tut:
http://doodelides.free.fr/ [doodelides.free.fr] :the “Breaking Ice” tutorial.
Hope it helps .
-d
I presented it on odforce:
http://odforce.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=1874 [odforce.net]
here is the link to my tut:
http://doodelides.free.fr/ [doodelides.free.fr] :the “Breaking Ice” tutorial.
Hope it helps .
-d
Technical Discussion » Stamping chop animation?
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Just embed your SOP+CHOPnet into a customized SOP ( digital asset)
create a parameter in this new SOP that refers to your CHOP parameter
at the SOP level, do the usual stamp stuff( i used “param” instead of stamp but it's the same) with a copySOP after the new SOP.
It worked for me.
Hope it helps!
-d
create a parameter in this new SOP that refers to your CHOP parameter
at the SOP level, do the usual stamp stuff( i used “param” instead of stamp but it's the same) with a copySOP after the new SOP.
It worked for me.
Hope it helps!
-d
Technical Discussion » Polys Copied to Particles
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
It seems to me that the Primitive SOP does the exact job:
wiring your POPnet SOP to the right input of the Primitive SOP and in the
parameters page( subsec: transform) click on “Do Transformation”.
But: for any method that you use you need to have one primitive for each letter ( the best is to use capital letters) + reorder the primitives of your font SOP with a sort SOP : sort Primitives by X.
wiring your POPnet SOP to the right input of the Primitive SOP and in the
parameters page( subsec: transform) click on “Do Transformation”.
But: for any method that you use you need to have one primitive for each letter ( the best is to use capital letters) + reorder the primitives of your font SOP with a sort SOP : sort Primitives by X.
Technical Discussion » collision events
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Hi all,
I'm discovering DOPs. I'd like to make collision events ( like there is/was in Maya): for example emitting particle upon collision. But i cannot figure how to get or export… data/ attributes like “has collided”/“just hit” like in particles ( do such parameters exist..)
can you use DOP data in CHOP?
Maybe i'm not very clear but the DOP work“flow” isn't to me yet.
thanks.
I'm discovering DOPs. I'd like to make collision events ( like there is/was in Maya): for example emitting particle upon collision. But i cannot figure how to get or export… data/ attributes like “has collided”/“just hit” like in particles ( do such parameters exist..)
can you use DOP data in CHOP?
Maybe i'm not very clear but the DOP work“flow” isn't to me yet.
thanks.
Houdini Lounge » fragments & rigid body
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
I cannot redirect you to some info on the web for the simple reason that there isn't any.
( i don't understand why).
So, i cannot make all the things, and i dont usually use RBD but i'm gona try to give you some help.
First, i would say that you must think of a rigid body like a softbody in houdini.
The rigid body is represented in Houdini by a single particle ( whose “instance” attribute is the name of the OBJit refers to) and not by all the points of its geometry.
Now, how to create a RBD.
There's two types of rigid body: active and passive (active can be affected, passive only affect (like walls),
the way i make a passive RBD is by setting its mass attribute to 0. (i don't remember where is the special POP for that but just use an attributePOP ( name: mass, value 0)
To create all the stuff you must begin in OBJ mode.
Use the RIGID BODY DYNAMICS operation. Select the OBJ you want to make a RBD ( RBD work at OBJ mode, that is a problem, i will explain later).
It creates a RBD_pop popnet and a RBD_Chop chopnet.
Let's say it's a cube falling onto a plane
To add other RBD, stay in POPS, create another RBDPOP
which refer to the wall OBJ , withe the AttributePOP, set its mass to 0.
Add a velocity POP to the cube.
For the moment the two POPs are not connected together.
Now just wire all your RBD pops to a CollectPOP ( that's the key).
That's it. There will be intercollisions and anything you want…
What is painstaking is that RBD refer to OBJ, so if you have 20 shards, that means that you must have 20 objects and that you must repeat 20 times the RBDcreation operation. ( unlessthere's another way but….)
- > Here comes the scripting part. I never did it, but it's doable.
I hope RBD will be re-thought in next houdini versio.
( i don't understand why).
So, i cannot make all the things, and i dont usually use RBD but i'm gona try to give you some help.
First, i would say that you must think of a rigid body like a softbody in houdini.
The rigid body is represented in Houdini by a single particle ( whose “instance” attribute is the name of the OBJit refers to) and not by all the points of its geometry.
Now, how to create a RBD.
There's two types of rigid body: active and passive (active can be affected, passive only affect (like walls),
the way i make a passive RBD is by setting its mass attribute to 0. (i don't remember where is the special POP for that but just use an attributePOP ( name: mass, value 0)
To create all the stuff you must begin in OBJ mode.
Use the RIGID BODY DYNAMICS operation. Select the OBJ you want to make a RBD ( RBD work at OBJ mode, that is a problem, i will explain later).
It creates a RBD_pop popnet and a RBD_Chop chopnet.
Let's say it's a cube falling onto a plane
To add other RBD, stay in POPS, create another RBDPOP
which refer to the wall OBJ , withe the AttributePOP, set its mass to 0.
Add a velocity POP to the cube.
For the moment the two POPs are not connected together.
Now just wire all your RBD pops to a CollectPOP ( that's the key).
That's it. There will be intercollisions and anything you want…
What is painstaking is that RBD refer to OBJ, so if you have 20 shards, that means that you must have 20 objects and that you must repeat 20 times the RBDcreation operation. ( unlessthere's another way but….)
- > Here comes the scripting part. I never did it, but it's doable.
I hope RBD will be re-thought in next houdini versio.
Technical Discussion » Problem creating a ROP OTL
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Hi!
I'm trying to create an OTL in H6.5 which will render geometry (a user-interface for the opsave command..).
But here is the problem:
I create a SubNetwork ROP and make a new operator type from it.
Then Houdini automatically adds a Render button, which value (on or off) cannot be used in the TypeProperties page into a callback script ( to launch the opsave command).
I have to add a similar Render Button to trigger the command.
So: is it a bug? How can i access the value of the default RenderButton ?
Thx for help !
I'm trying to create an OTL in H6.5 which will render geometry (a user-interface for the opsave command..).
But here is the problem:
I create a SubNetwork ROP and make a new operator type from it.
Then Houdini automatically adds a Render button, which value (on or off) cannot be used in the TypeProperties page into a callback script ( to launch the opsave command).
I have to add a similar Render Button to trigger the command.
So: is it a bug? How can i access the value of the default RenderButton ?
Thx for help !
Technical Discussion » Capping a L-system
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
But if you work with a real close L-system ( like the Koch island example in the docs or if you make this one close), extrude and intersect with a plane with the Cookie SOP.
Technical Discussion » Capping a L-system
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
The most precise-and-doable solution i see is the following:
keep on the idea of polywiring it: polywire it enough ( so that the interior is filled wih geometry – since the base geometry is dense the wire radius needn't be high)
Use the GeometryCOP, where you render from the good direction.
Use then a TraceCOP pointing to the GometryCOP.
That should give a good contour!
keep on the idea of polywiring it: polywire it enough ( so that the interior is filled wih geometry – since the base geometry is dense the wire radius needn't be high)
Use the GeometryCOP, where you render from the good direction.
Use then a TraceCOP pointing to the GometryCOP.
That should give a good contour!
Houdini Lounge » fragments & rigid body
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
Well simulating fracture, or general destruction is a large subject….
Depending on how precise you want it to be, there's many approach to that.
It depends on, for exqmple: if you want solid shards or not, how many shards you want, do you want to see a progressive fracture, do you want to make shards real rigidbodies, or instances of geometry driven by a particle system, allow them to re-collide.
Animating 1000 rigid bodies with inter-collisions can be hardly manageable
(i think it is on any software…)
About Houdini: there's no built-in “fracture fonctions”. There are several ways to achieve interesting destructions FX: to break a piece of geometry in all its primitives ( but in this case all the shards look the same).
-> Look at the breakingice tutorial in the Community section at sidefx.com
You can, with some coding, break an object in parts that are not single primitives but pre-defined groups of primitives ( i'm creating an digital asset like that, that would allow the user to use a texture to define groups of primitive -> thus you pre-paint or pre-shade procedurally your surface to create all the different zones…).
Animating each shard is then almost OK, but make it collide with the ground ( as a piece of geometry and not a particle) is abit complicated.
(and it means not to use inter-shards collisions…)
Houdini handle rigidbodies in a bizarre way ( i've never seen any tutorial on it).
It depends on the experience you have with houdini ( expression and vex-scripting, OTL creation), but as Houdini doesn't like pre-made FX, the setup can be difficult for great realism!
It depends on your project. Maybe it's worth it.
Depending on how precise you want it to be, there's many approach to that.
It depends on, for exqmple: if you want solid shards or not, how many shards you want, do you want to see a progressive fracture, do you want to make shards real rigidbodies, or instances of geometry driven by a particle system, allow them to re-collide.
Animating 1000 rigid bodies with inter-collisions can be hardly manageable
(i think it is on any software…)
About Houdini: there's no built-in “fracture fonctions”. There are several ways to achieve interesting destructions FX: to break a piece of geometry in all its primitives ( but in this case all the shards look the same).
-> Look at the breakingice tutorial in the Community section at sidefx.com
You can, with some coding, break an object in parts that are not single primitives but pre-defined groups of primitives ( i'm creating an digital asset like that, that would allow the user to use a texture to define groups of primitive -> thus you pre-paint or pre-shade procedurally your surface to create all the different zones…).
Animating each shard is then almost OK, but make it collide with the ground ( as a piece of geometry and not a particle) is abit complicated.
(and it means not to use inter-shards collisions…)
Houdini handle rigidbodies in a bizarre way ( i've never seen any tutorial on it).
It depends on the experience you have with houdini ( expression and vex-scripting, OTL creation), but as Houdini doesn't like pre-made FX, the setup can be difficult for great realism!
It depends on your project. Maybe it's worth it.
Technical Discussion » bump with vex builder?
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
To do bump mapping, just use the DisplaceAlongNormal VOP in a SurfaceShader context. (the Bump/BumpMap VOPs are based on it)
You'll find the corresponding code with Right-Click on it/TypeProperties/ inner and outer code.
Bump mapping is displacement mapping where you don't use the computed P.
You need to wire the output N of the DisplaceAlongNormal VOP to the nN of a Lightning model VOP.
( i don't see any relation with the shadingnormal VOP but maybe i don't undersatnd the pb you just had).
You'll find the corresponding code with Right-Click on it/TypeProperties/ inner and outer code.
Bump mapping is displacement mapping where you don't use the computed P.
You need to wire the output N of the DisplaceAlongNormal VOP to the nN of a Lightning model VOP.
( i don't see any relation with the shadingnormal VOP but maybe i don't undersatnd the pb you just had).
Technical Discussion » Using CHOP to filter geometry.
- David Gary
- 74 posts
- Offline
it depends on if the CHOP creates or just modify data.
The channelSOP reauires the unmodified geo to know how the CHOP data is interpreted ( CHOP doesn't give you information about the topology)
The channelSOP reauires the unmodified geo to know how the CHOP data is interpreted ( CHOP doesn't give you information about the topology)
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