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Found 322 posts.

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Technical Discussion » Apple Silicon?

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pezetko
392 posts
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 June 24, 2020 15:36:53
There is a lot of 3rd party libraries used in Houdini. Some of them will be easy to compile on the ARM other not.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode/porting_your_macos_apps_to_apple_silicon [developer.apple.com]

OpenGL is deprecated, but is available on Apple silicon.
OpenCL is deprecated, but is available on Apple silicon when targeting the GPU. The OpenCL CPU device is not available to arm64 apps

It seems like a porting to the Metal is required and (IMHO) that looks like a lot of work for a very little benefit.
Also, Apple's exclusivity for AMD GPU bans some interesting technology like Optix.


ARM is a very interesting platform for various reasons but I think it takes a few years before ARM-based workstation gets as mainstream as x86-64 in VFX (right now they are also more expensive).

One option will be the remote/cloud-based x86-64 workstation on the Mac.
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Technical Discussion » Version control on a houdini file, collaboration in a team

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pezetko
392 posts
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 June 18, 2020 16:04:57
There was a Network SOP node for sharing data over a network connection. Was deprecated some time ago.
You can do the same thing better with Python or HDK today.

You can have a single file with multiple external HDAs inside (without exposed parameters) and each of you will update those HDAs. Updating external HDA on shared storage will push the changes to all the scenes where it is linked.
This moves edits outside of hip file into those HDAs.

So when somebody updates the HDA both of you will get those changes.
You just have to plan ahead how do you split those tasks into various HDAs.

Or you can both save and commit changes to the remote repository and fetch each other changes periodically, but you will have to resolve merge conflicts. Not sure if it worths it.


USD is another option.

Are you going for something like Nvidia's Omniverse or Unreal multi-user editing workflow?
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Technical Discussion » AutoCorrect File Path

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pezetko
392 posts
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 April 29, 2020 07:18:10
Or with hscript:
opchange -p / $HIP \$HIP

This will change any (/ starting from root) occurence of expanded $HIP into unexpanded (\$HIP) variable in any parameter.
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PDG/TOPs » Json Input TOP - getting list as array of strings

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pezetko
392 posts
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 April 3, 2020 07:27:48
Hi, is it possible to get a list (tuple, array) from JSON as a string array attribute without prior knowledge of how many items it contains?

Example JSON Input file retrieves e.g.: carparks/2/payment_methods as 3 entries:


But if I don't know how many entries it has, is it still possible to do the same thing with JSON Input TOP and get back string array attribute?

E.g: this does not work (error):


Error:
setStringAttrib(): incompatible function arguments. The following argument types are supported:
1. (self: _pdg.WorkItem, name: unicode, value: unicode, index: int=0L) -> None
2. (self: _pdg.WorkItem, arg0: unicode, arg1: UT_Array[unicode]) -> None

Invoked with: <GenericData name='jsoninput130_6', id=745 at 0x00000000b69b9e00>, u'payment_methods', [u'Bills', u'Coins', u'Charge (Visa / Mastercard / American Express Only)'], 0

Error running Python callback 'onGenerate':
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.391/houdini/pdg/types\utils\jsondata.py", line 179, in onGenerate
processOpForFile(result.path, upstream_item, op)
File "C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.391/houdini/pdg/types\utils\jsondata.py", line 159, in processOpForFile
self.arrayRetrieve(item_holder, upstream_item, file_in)
File "C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.391/houdini/pdg/types\utils\jsondata.py", line 279, in arrayRetrieve
self._dive(item_holder, upstream_item, field, splitarray, query, json_data)
File "C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.391/houdini/pdg/types\utils\jsondata.py", line 373, in _dive
self._addAttrToItem(nitem, json_data, field, attr_index)
File "C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.391/houdini/pdg/types\utils\jsondata.py", line 392, in _addAttrToItem
nitem.setStringAttrib(attributename, obj[field], attr_index)
TypeError: setStringAttrib(): incompatible function arguments. The following argument types are supported:
1. (self: _pdg.WorkItem, name: unicode, value: unicode, index: int=0L) -> None
2. (self: _pdg.WorkItem, arg0: unicode, arg1: UT_Array[unicode]) -> None

Invoked with: <GenericData name='jsoninput130_6', id=745 at 0x00000000b69b9e00>, u'payment_methods', [u'Bills', u'Coins', u'Charge (Visa / Mastercard / American Express Only)'], 0

(My current workaround is Python Script TOP)
Edited by pezetko - April 3, 2020 08:38:35
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Technical Discussion » offsetting/shifting keyframes in animation editor

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Feb. 21, 2020 08:54:53
Use +- to offset them back in time +-100
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SI Users » Zooming in/out + panning on Camera backplate, SI style?

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Feb. 14, 2020 16:40:43
Yes see 2d pan and zoom: https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/basics/view.html#twod [www.sidefx.com]
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Technical Discussion » Mantra noise patches artifacts

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Feb. 13, 2020 02:57:04
Is it PBR or Raytrace? You can change the PBR shader. That way, you can get more control.
We had a recently different issue with the Raytrace engine and low sample count, but I'm unable to replicate this issue with PBR in recent production build with 3x3 samples, but it could be some small changes in the way how the scene is built.

Could you attach your example scene?
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Technical Discussion » SceneViewer as QWidget in H18

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Dec. 10, 2019 18:59:24
This could happen very easily in Qt/PySide if you forget to store unowned objects. The same thing could happen in Maya or Nuke.

If you call mouse_widget.width() inside your function you will get the correct value, but outside it will get this error.
You can check that by calling shiboken2.isValid() on your object:

print shiboken2.isValid(get_viewer_widget())

More about this in https://doc.qt.io/qtforpython/shiboken2/ownership.html#common-pitfalls [doc.qt.io]

If you rewrite the code like this it works (18.0.306, Windows 10 1909)
import hou
import shiboken2
from PySide2.QtWidgets import *

class ViewerWidget(object):

    def __init__(self):
        self.viewer = None
        self.main_window = None
    
    def get_viewer_widget(self):
        # store main window otherwise its widget are destroyed
        self.main_window = hou.qt.mainWindow()
        for widget in self.main_window.findChildren(QWidget, 'RE_Window'):
            if widget.windowTitle() == 'DM_ViewLayout':
                DM_ViewLayout = widget
                break
        else:
            print('Cannot find DM_ViewLayout')
            return

        for l in DM_ViewLayout.findChildren(QVBoxLayout):
            if l.count()!=1:
                continue

            w = l.itemAt(0).widget()
            if w.objectName() == 'RE_GLDrawable':
                i = long(shiboken2.getCppPointer(w)[0])
                self.viewer = shiboken2.wrapInstance(i, QWidget)
                return


x = ViewerWidget()
x.get_viewer_widget()
print(shiboken2.isValid(x.viewer))   # check if it is valid
print(x.viewer.width())
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Technical Discussion » USD and Unreal Engine 4

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Dec. 2, 2019 08:44:08
AFAIK Indie produces *lc version of USD file to limit the usage to Indie version of toolchain only.

It is similar to the hdalc and hiplc version. So it's not compatible (it downgrades full commercial license of Houdini to Indie).
You should be able to use usdlc in Karma.
But you cannot send it to other applications that do support only usdc (binary).
You will need a Core license (node-locked) at least.

Maybe SideFX could create their own usdlc unreal importer plugin? You may try RFE it.
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PDG/TOPs » PDG Success

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pezetko
392 posts
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 July 10, 2019 17:59:49
I'm just scratching the surface with PDG possibilities. As other guys having a hard time to comprehend them (looking forward to some Masterclasses).

But my everyday use of the most simple TOPs with parallel File Cache Sop, parallel IFD baking (TOPs replaced older batch/python tools) and simple wedges with attributes make me hunger for more cores and ram to keep the production velocity. They are awesome!

Although I am still trying to find proper balance on using TOPs outside of Houdini to replace older proprietary (mostly python) tools at the probably more expensive (license cost) run on PDG core.
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Houdini for Realtime » realtime rigging suggestion

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pezetko
392 posts
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 July 5, 2019 13:42:19
Look at Skinning Converter from Game Tools: https://www.sidefx.com/tutorials/game-tools-skinning-converter/ [www.sidefx.com]
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Technical Discussion » Run Python Script AFTER HDA cooks nodes

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pezetko
392 posts
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 May 12, 2019 10:02:23
Locking node inside an HDA is pretty uncommon workflow.
Probably better and the more reliable way would be stashing (Stash SOP) inside editable subnetwork inside HDA or file cache if it should be shared.

Look how grooming HDAs worked in 16/16.5.
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Houdini Indie and Apprentice » Is there a thing like "layer override" in Maya

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Jan. 10, 2019 17:14:06
You can use Takes or Pre-render/pre-frame script.
With Arnold, you can go another way around and tick disable DoF on all other ROPs in the diagnostic tab.
With Arnold, you should be able to use Operators and link set property node just to that single ROP where you want to override DoF.
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Technical Discussion » How to use scipy with Houdini 17 on windows?

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Oct. 18, 2018 14:17:39
That error looks like you will probably have to build scipy with Visual Studio 17 (C++14)
Houdini 17.0 has already numpy 1.12.1
Edited by pezetko - Oct. 18, 2018 14:18:18
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Houdini Indie and Apprentice » What is the proper way to duplicate nodes as instances/references.

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pezetko
392 posts
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 Sept. 3, 2018 06:53:22
If you have to instance the whole subnet it's better to make HDA out of that subnet.
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SI Users » Check point position

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pezetko
392 posts
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 July 27, 2018 14:49:25
Geometry Spreadsheet [www.sidefx.com] - switch to display selection only if you have a lot of points.
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Houdini Lounge » Autosave toggles...

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pezetko
392 posts
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 July 26, 2018 07:15:51
https://www.sidefx.com/forum/topic/45068/ [www.sidefx.com]

https://www.sidefx.com/forum/topic/25350/ [www.sidefx.com]
https://forums.odforce.net/topic/22589-default-autosave/ [forums.odforce.net]
Edited by pezetko - July 26, 2018 07:16:44
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Technical Discussion » Faster launch times?

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pezetko
392 posts
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 July 7, 2018 09:49:03
You have to split application load time and cooking time for you hip file.

Application load time is should be same/very similar to the case when you are opening houdini without any scene loaded.
You can test that by running:
houdini -n path/to/your/file.hip
That way there will be no cooking (manual update mode) after file is loaded.

To determine cooking time there is Performance Monitor that will tell you how much time was spent on each node.
Run the Performance Monitor sampling then turn on scene update (right bottom corner, change update mode to Auto or refresh) and analyze results from Performance monitor to see where it spend most of the time while cooking your scene.
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Houdini Lounge » Houdini can only load 1.5 TB of Flip Data then crashes!

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pezetko
392 posts
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 July 2, 2018 17:40:49
How to log bugs and rfe's for Houdini - READ THIS FIRST! [www.sidefx.com]

So, please fill bug report:

Submit Bugs [www.sidefx.com]
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Technical Discussion » Segmentation fault error when creating a flipbook

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pezetko
392 posts
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 March 14, 2018 07:07:45
How to report bugs. [www.sidefx.com]
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