metaclay2
Thanks, my next question is : if set() can also use static value the what is the benefit of using {} ? or If the value is just static then what makes the {} preferable compared to set() ?

Hello,

Using set() function should result with a run-time evaluation of values provided inside, no matter if they are static or dynamic.

When working with static values, curly braces {} are preferred as they do compile-time evaluation. This means that they will get computed once when the VEX code is compiled, and will not be computed again when the VEX code is running. This can save memory and time for run-time.

If you search "compile-time vs. run-time evaluation" on internet you can find a lot of questions/answers about this topic, as this is a generic programming question.

There is no official documentation for soptoolutils and other additional python packages. They evolve with newer Houdini versions, so it makes sense that you don't find the function you are looking for in this link, probably built with older Houdini version.

You can find soptoolutils and other python packages under "$HFS/houdini/pythonX.Ylibs", for example with Windows and Houdini 20.0.590 it's placed under "C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini 20.0.590/houdini/python3.10libs"

If you use an IDE to read python files in this folder you could see how functions are written.

03 - Scatter and Align

02 - TopoBuild

Used it to add headband and handbands to Capybara.

Then added some fur and rendered with Karma XPU.

Hello,

I didn't install HtoA before, but there's a couple of things that would help if you check them in your situation :

1. Does the specified path exist at all ? in some places you are writing "htoa-6.2.5.2_r2dd89ed_houdini-19.5.805" two times in the same file path, and in other places one time. Maybe they do exist but it got me confused a bit.

2. Does the the specified path has the expected folders that look like "otls", "soho", "dso", "toolbar" etc... ? Just like ones that you can find under your HOUDINI_USER_PREF_DIR.

3. In lots of situations, Houdini doesn't like back slash "\" in file path as it could escape some characters, so always use forward slash "/" in package file.

Hope this helps.

Here we go for a new Mardini ! There's many beautiful results already !

Day 01 - Spiral

Inspired by the Karma logo :

I doubt if anyone recieved anything.

It would be nice to have an update from staff in this forum for everyone.

Cicuta
Something like isgroup() where you feed a string and it returns 1 if it that group exists and the point/prim/vertex is in the group, 0 if it exists but it is not in the group and -1 if it doesn't exist.

It is exactly what these functions do, except for the -1 for group existance, it will be 0 in this case :

inprimgroup() [www.sidefx.com]
inpointgroup() [www.sidefx.com]
invertexgroup() [www.sidefx.com]

License Administrator allows connexion to multiple license servers with a priority order.

There's also multiple .exe files for each type of license in Houdini's installation directory under "bin" folder.

So, supposing that you have both Core and Indie licenses installed, when you run houdinicore.exe you will grab a Core license, and when you run hindie.exe, you wil grab an Indie license.

Hello Max,

MaxBerends
If anyone still knows how to convert a 'group' to an attribute that'd still be much appreciated.

You could use an Attribute Adjust Float [www.sidefx.com] node or an Attribute Create [www.sidefx.com] node here, by limiting the node's operation to the seams group only.

This could be done on the 'soft mask' or 'painted attribute' directly rather than creating a second attribute.

MaxBerends
Wrangle a new attribute that multiplies the seam attribute with the soft painted mask.

If you need to have a second attribute, you could also use an Attribute Combine [www.sidefx.com] node rather than writing code in a Wrangle, as it has many usefull features for combining attributes, such as blending and clamping.

Here's a hip file with simple examples.

Yes, the env var or the .json file placed on client's machine should only point to the shared network folder. Other instructions that specify which plugin to load should be done with .json files on the network side.

Hello,

You can place a package file in HFS/packages folder that points to your network packages directory (HFS is the houdini installation folder on the machine), this will be applied to all users. Or instead set the system environment variable HOUDINI_PACKAGE_DIR that is supposed to do what you are looking for.

Hello,

The issue here is that there's no name attribute to use as a source in the color node.

Two simple quick options :
1. Create a name attribute for each kind of geometry. You will get a different color for each kind of geometry.
2. Use the id attribute coming from the pop simulation. You will get a different color for each instance.

In both cases, I suggest to set the color before the copy to points node, it's more simple to setup.

Hello,

This can be done by creating TOP Network Controls on Type Properties of the HDA, from Node Properties tab, then you have to specify the node path to the topnet you want to expose. The node path can be relative to the HDA.

Hello,

From the Edit Type Properties window, you can set a list of paths to multiparm blocks.

Then, to link each channel to children channels, you can do it from the "Channels" tab on the appropriate parm of the HDA.

Make sur that you always use '#' in links created from this window, and that all multiparm blocks share the same start index, otherwise you will have an offset.




Here's an example with a subnet, using Edit Parameter Interafce window, should be the same for Type Properties on HDAs.

Hello @BenWWilson

Just wanted to answer your initial question :

BenWWilson
Trying this in the group node but no luck with all 3, each one individually is working though. Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong with all 3 together?

Quick answer

Use Group Expression node, not Group Create

Long answer

In the Group Create node, you can provide string pattern to describe the desired selection, such as :

• 0-18
• piece_*
• @Cd.r==1

If you provide multiple space-separated patterns, this will give the union of these patterns. You can not do intersections with this method. But, you can still do exclusion by adding "^" before the pattern you want to exclude. In your example, you will need to exclude all values but zero for .g and .b components, this should look like this in Group Create node :


However, having an expression with "and/or" logical operators like "@Cd.r==1 && @Cd.g==0 && @Cd.b==0" can be much more intuitif, and the Group Expression node is more appropriate for this, as it expects that you provide an expression with a boolean result.

I built a hip file with examples on this, using Group Create and Group Expression nodes. I also did some examples with "distance between vectors" using the Group Expression node.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

It's hard to tell, but based on your previous screenshot, did you uncondensed feathers before using the Feather Surface node ? This will not work.

Make sur that you use the original feathers as input to feather surface node.

EDIT : and based on the very first screenshot of this thread, you seem to already have the polygons out of vellum solver ? I believe that you can export them (if they still have UVs, and if their quality is enough for you)

Take a look at the Feather Surface node, it converts feathers to polygons, and make sur to use Feather Resample node before to reduce the number of points along the shaft.

Hello,

There's a node for this, Labs Lot Subdivision SOP [www.sidefx.com]. You need to install Labs toolset to use it.

Attribute Combine Vector SOP


This is similar to Attribute Combine SOP, but it only combines vectors, and it has specific operations, such as Cross product, Projection, and Rotation.

In a typical Houdini workflow, you will be manipulating attributes, adjusting and combining them. There's so many helpful nodes to make this easy. And the Attribute Combine Vector SOP is an addition to the user-friendly nodes that help quickly combine vector attributes, with spherical interpolation.

It can be used in many workflows, whenever it involves vector attributes. Hope you find helpful in your setups !

Check out the HDA's help card for some explanation of combine operations, and the attached hip file for examples shown in the video.

P.S : in this gold release, I added a second input to select attributes from a second geometry.