I just found out about the not so new namespace mechanism that allows specifying version number. It seems a great idea.
Now in the context of Orbolt, I look at different existing assets but they seem to have just one version.
I wonder how we can manage major and minor versioning where minor would be bug fixes or adding features that doesn't affect existing behavior by default. On the other hand if I want to create a new interface that breaks compatibility I will need a different major release.
Also I'm curious how we can control the pricing of those updates. For example I could decide that a minor update is free because it fixes a bug and another minor would cost some money because it adds quite a lot of new features, and I guess a new major release would be considered as a new tool… although we might like to give a different price for those who already bought the previous version.
François
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The Orbolt Smart 3D Asset Store » Version major and minor
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Technical Discussion » Limited number of texture while rendering
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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SideFx told me there's an environment variable we can set to make sure Houdini doesn't try to open more than what the OS can do.
If I set the following then it works.
HOUDINI_RAT_FILES = 500
Francois
If I set the following then it works.
HOUDINI_RAT_FILES = 500
Francois
Technical Discussion » Limited number of texture while rendering
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Very funny. I started to use H11 only since I'm at the current contract and it never came to my mind that it was a third party tool.
It's a sign you designed it well and that it should ship with Houdini
Anyway, thanks because I use that all the time since two weeks.
I will report it as a bug since it seems to be just a Windows problem.
François
It's a sign you designed it well and that it should ship with Houdini
Anyway, thanks because I use that all the time since two weeks.
I will report it as a bug since it seems to be just a Windows problem.
François
Technical Discussion » Limited number of texture while rendering
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Cool, so you owe me five
I wanted to test it at home but I don't have a commercial version here and it seems that the Inline Python is not available.
Thanks
I wanted to test it at home but I don't have a commercial version here and it seems that the Inline Python is not available.
Thanks
Technical Discussion » Limited number of texture while rendering
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Hi,
in that example file I cannot render more than 778 textures or so. If you click on a different place in mPlay to force what part is rendered first, then the missings are elsewhere but they are always on the last primitives to be rendered.
I'm looking for a parameter or something that would limit the number of texture to be access during a render.
You can reproduce the problem from the attached file. First generate the random textures and if you set in to an other path, change the path in the Inline Python Sop.
I'd bet a 5$ that it's not doing it on Linux but I cannot test it.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Francois
in that example file I cannot render more than 778 textures or so. If you click on a different place in mPlay to force what part is rendered first, then the missings are elsewhere but they are always on the last primitives to be rendered.
I'm looking for a parameter or something that would limit the number of texture to be access during a render.
You can reproduce the problem from the attached file. First generate the random textures and if you set in to an other path, change the path in the Inline Python Sop.
I'd bet a 5$ that it's not doing it on Linux but I cannot test it.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Francois
Houdini Lounge » Tx Toolkit
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Sorry for the delay. The tools are now available inside a zip file. Each asset is in a separate otl. In fact there are 29 otls but a few of them have 2-3 assets because they are meant to work together. Every node has the a help card.
Have fun and don't hesitate to show me what you do with the tools.
François
Have fun and don't hesitate to show me what you do with the tools.
François
Houdini Lounge » Mix two or more materials
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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I've got a message saying this when I try to look at your video.
“Video not found or access denied”
François
“Video not found or access denied”
François
Houdini Lounge » Tx Toolkit
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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meshsmooth
you may want to use vimeo to host your videos as they are not comming down quickly.
Good idea. I've started to put them on Vimeo. I should finish tomorrow because I've reached the maximum upload today.
François
Houdini Lounge » Tx Toolkit
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Hi everybody,
I've finally took some free time to create a bunch of videos that explain how to use a set of custom tools called “Tx Toolkit” that I created for Houdini.
I'm going to release the otls very soon but I still need to update the help and figure out how I'm gonna distribute these. Currently almost every HDA is saved inside its own otl. I've got a script called from a menu to install and manage the updates. The reason why I'm dealing with a separate otl per hda is to avoid breaking a hip file that need just one tool to be updated. If other tools have had upgrade inside the otls, the hip file could potentially stop working as expected.
However I think for the community it's better to have only one otl that includes them all. What do you think?
Go at www.trinix.ca under “Tx Toolkit”.
Have fun!
François
I've finally took some free time to create a bunch of videos that explain how to use a set of custom tools called “Tx Toolkit” that I created for Houdini.
I'm going to release the otls very soon but I still need to update the help and figure out how I'm gonna distribute these. Currently almost every HDA is saved inside its own otl. I've got a script called from a menu to install and manage the updates. The reason why I'm dealing with a separate otl per hda is to avoid breaking a hip file that need just one tool to be updated. If other tools have had upgrade inside the otls, the hip file could potentially stop working as expected.
However I think for the community it's better to have only one otl that includes them all. What do you think?
Go at www.trinix.ca under “Tx Toolkit”.
Have fun!
François
Houdini Lounge » After Burn
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Actually you don't have to use a MakeFile in many cases, just hcustom will do. However it is more complicated to compile on Windows. One thing for sure is you need the right compiler.
For H10 it's Visual Studio 2005 I think. The problem is this is not free and they don't sell it anymore anyway. If you read the forums, some people will say you can use the Express edition if you download certain update packages but honestly I tried very hard it only worked with the standard edition, not the Express.
For H10 it's Visual Studio 2005 I think. The problem is this is not free and they don't sell it anymore anyway. If you read the forums, some people will say you can use the Express edition if you download certain update packages but honestly I tried very hard it only worked with the standard edition, not the Express.
Houdini Lounge » After Burn
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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So I guess I'm right to think procedural volume creation is the way to go
I'm actually on that now. I've managed to compile and setup example files. That's gonna me my first hdk project. I'm planning to to do a combination of VRAY_DemoVolumeSphere and VRAY_DemoStamp. I'll probably missing how to bring my points from Houdini instead of creating the scattering inside Mantra.
Anyway if you have any useful information for me, I'll be happy. Actually I'll probably get what I'm missing from your clusterThis.
Thanks
François
P.S.: I still think this should be part of Houdini by default like we have sprites and other similar stuff.
I'm actually on that now. I've managed to compile and setup example files. That's gonna me my first hdk project. I'm planning to to do a combination of VRAY_DemoVolumeSphere and VRAY_DemoStamp. I'll probably missing how to bring my points from Houdini instead of creating the scattering inside Mantra.
Anyway if you have any useful information for me, I'll be happy. Actually I'll probably get what I'm missing from your clusterThis.
Thanks
François
P.S.: I still think this should be part of Houdini by default like we have sprites and other similar stuff.
Houdini Lounge » Lagoa multiphysics & XSI can Autodesk compete 2 Houdini
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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That would be great to have Lagoa implemented in Houdini Not sure we would get the same performance though?
François
François
Technical Discussion » making instanced geometry collide with the ground
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Also, taken from my personal wiki. Hope this helps.
#####################
The way to have a fully interactive particle instances inside dop is to use the RBD Point Object. The particle system is needed only to create each instance over time but the rest is a regular RBD simulation.
1. Create a Pop network inside Sop
2. Append a Kill Pop after the emitter to avoid having more than one instance per particle
3. Append a Point Sop with the proper instance path. In the following example, 3 objects are randomly applied.
1. Ex: /obj/subnet1/box`int(rand($ID)*3)+1`
4. Click RBD Point Object on the shelf and select the object containing the Pop network
5. Write $F in the Creation Frame on the RBD Point Object. Don't write $FF because if you have let's say a substep of 3 than 3 objects will be created for each point.
#####################
The way to have a fully interactive particle instances inside dop is to use the RBD Point Object. The particle system is needed only to create each instance over time but the rest is a regular RBD simulation.
1. Create a Pop network inside Sop
2. Append a Kill Pop after the emitter to avoid having more than one instance per particle
3. Append a Point Sop with the proper instance path. In the following example, 3 objects are randomly applied.
1. Ex: /obj/subnet1/box`int(rand($ID)*3)+1`
4. Click RBD Point Object on the shelf and select the object containing the Pop network
5. Write $F in the Creation Frame on the RBD Point Object. Don't write $FF because if you have let's say a substep of 3 than 3 objects will be created for each point.
Technical Discussion » making instanced geometry collide with the ground
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Look at the popswithrbdcollision example file accessible from the Pop Object Dop node.
François
François
Houdini Lounge » After Burn
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Hey rtanrantino,
I know what you mean. I haven't found any simple and efficient solution do render particle cloud in Houdini.
The problem with the delayed load instance you propose ratman, is that for example if you render 50000 points, it will take 1.5 minute to translate the data to Mantra while you read “Evaluating Python” at the bottom.
It is actually the same problem with regular instancing mechanism.
If you look at the metaball as volume recipie from the FX tool bar downloaded from the Exchange, then you miss a lot of flexibility because you cannot plug any regular volume shader like the Billowy Smoke. Your custom shader has to deal with noise creation inside a meta-ball loop, same thing for the displacement. Besides, you need to bake your point every time you press render which is quite annoying.
I haven't had the time yet to look at that but I think the only good solution to create particle clouds is to create a volume sphere at render time via the hdk.
I asked SideFx about but they don't seem to think it's a good idea. Instead they keep telling me to use meta-balls or pciterate inside a vex volume procedural.
Has anyone created their own particle cloud per point with the hdk?
François
I know what you mean. I haven't found any simple and efficient solution do render particle cloud in Houdini.
The problem with the delayed load instance you propose ratman, is that for example if you render 50000 points, it will take 1.5 minute to translate the data to Mantra while you read “Evaluating Python” at the bottom.
It is actually the same problem with regular instancing mechanism.
If you look at the metaball as volume recipie from the FX tool bar downloaded from the Exchange, then you miss a lot of flexibility because you cannot plug any regular volume shader like the Billowy Smoke. Your custom shader has to deal with noise creation inside a meta-ball loop, same thing for the displacement. Besides, you need to bake your point every time you press render which is quite annoying.
I haven't had the time yet to look at that but I think the only good solution to create particle clouds is to create a volume sphere at render time via the hdk.
I asked SideFx about but they don't seem to think it's a good idea. Instead they keep telling me to use meta-balls or pciterate inside a vex volume procedural.
Has anyone created their own particle cloud per point with the hdk?
François
Technical Discussion » collision POP stops working after creep POP
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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You know what. I've been using Houdini for years and yesterday I realized some important things about collision that I wasn't aware of. I think the collision needs to be improve and more example files with different collision case.
As soon as I finish figuring all this out I'm going to ask Side FX to do something about it.
Don't give up. Houdini is fun in the end.
François
As soon as I finish figuring all this out I'm going to ask Side FX to do something about it.
Don't give up. Houdini is fun in the end.
François
Technical Discussion » render points like particle
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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The main reason why I don't want to use instance is efficiency but also I want the disk (my fake sprites) to always face the camera. Since the camera I will use will be different for each shot, that's not an option.
Regarding efficiency, the last time I did tests with instances it took forever because it writes “evaluating python” … My understanding is that for each point it has to write into the ifd a whole block of info containing the transformation matrix, the shader, custom attributes with their names in a string.
Whereas the procedural approach will always be faster because it's writing a big array of coordinate, then a big array of custom attributes etc.
In the end I will have around 5 millions of points.
Regarding efficiency, the last time I did tests with instances it took forever because it writes “evaluating python” … My understanding is that for each point it has to write into the ifd a whole block of info containing the transformation matrix, the shader, custom attributes with their names in a string.
Whereas the procedural approach will always be faster because it's writing a big array of coordinate, then a big array of custom attributes etc.
In the end I will have around 5 millions of points.
Technical Discussion » render points like particle
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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I'm trying to find a way to get the uv on each disk to mimic a sprite procedural. Is it possible?
I've baked a huge set of animated points representing a snow animation. I'd like to place it many times as a delayed load but each shot have a need for a different point size. I was thinking about using the uv of the disk type to vary the size at render time.
Basically it would be a way to cheat the fact we cannot use Delayed Load AND Procedural Sprite at the same time.
Does it make sense?
I've baked a huge set of animated points representing a snow animation. I'd like to place it many times as a delayed load but each shot have a need for a different point size. I was thinking about using the uv of the disk type to vary the size at render time.
Basically it would be a way to cheat the fact we cannot use Delayed Load AND Procedural Sprite at the same time.
Does it make sense?
Technical Discussion » Surface from image stack
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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You can append a Trace Sop followed by a Carve Sop and a PolyExtrude Sop. On the PolyExtrude, use the Inset value to have a continuous offset from the curves.
Do yo want to animate between the 3 states after?
François
Do yo want to animate between the 3 states after?
François
Houdini Lounge » Volume instancing with overrides
- francoisd
- 137 posts
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Thanks for the info and I will try in more details the i3d to better know the pros and cons of each.
François
François
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