For number 6:
Channels and basic expressions can go a LONG way.
If you right click on the Y size of your cube, click on Copy Parameter.
Then right click on the Y Center and then Paste Copied Relative Reference you'll get a “ch(”sizey“)” in the box. Simply add a /2 to the end of that to get “ch(”sizey“)/2”.
Now no matter how tall you make that cube in the initial box node, the bottom will always be at the grid. Add a transform sop, which defaults to the origin of the world and you can rotate the cube from the bottom.
Channel Referencing is pretty big in Houdini and usually just involves basic math and logic. Don't be put off because its a little text and confuse it with “programming”.
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SI Users » Freeze Modeling? And other questions...
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SI Users » project "Houdini, a great modeler"
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Also there seems to be a very dark shadow which might be video card drivers - to be confirmed.
The shading is because of normals, the default head light and Smooth (Wire) Shading, it's really sticks out on a typical box. This set up and a box are usually the very first things people see/do when playing with Houdini and it's really not a great look.
Adding the Cusp polygons is a node fix but gloablly you can just switch to Flat (Wire) Shaded. Or increase the Default Emission in Effects in the Display options. Basically adding an ambient light to the scene. Here you can also turn off the headlight specular.
SI Users » project "Houdini, a great modeler"
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Great additions! Ladder is great but I agree, the extra option set default incremental values for transform gizmos would be ideal.
Looks like you're tackling the View Tool next so…
I'd like to add (a lengthy) note, not modelling directly but pretty key for many tasks, I just find it most apparent when trying to model in Houdini. Viewport Choice:
Currently two methods of working various perspective and orthographic views.
Viewport Switch and Quad View. Both have basic problems.
Viewport switch - You switch to Top, Front, Right by pressing Space + 2, 3, 4. Space 5 gives you UV view. Space+1 brings you back to Perspective View, that's all functioning fine. The problem is it resets the view -every-single-time- you hit Space + Number. It needs to remember where the view is/was. Space-F should have to be hit to reset the view.
So if you're modelling or setting up a scene you're constantly re-hitting Space-G to focus on objects or re-navigating to where you just were. This is maddening and has made me adopt the Quad view despite prefering the Viewport Switch.
Quad View - You maximize a quad-view by hovering your mouse over a quadrant then hitting Space + B. Hitting the same combination to return to Quad View. This time, where you leave your views is rememberd.
The basic problem here is that a lot of times the event to find which viewport to make active never fires or gets stuck somewhere. So you hit Space + B to maximize, say Top view with the mouse clearly over it, but it constantly maximizes Right view, the last view you had maximized.
Another problem I find is that you can sometimes hold down Space, move your mouse to a quadrant, then hit B and it will maximize the quadrant under your mouse. Hit B again while still holding Space to return to Quad, move your mouse to another quadrant and maximize that view. All the while holding down Space Bar.
Other times I have to constantly let go of space, doing the entire combination. I myself would much prefer the former. Both times cans still invoke the first problem. But please. Consistency!
Now for myself, I would much like to see an option to have the current mouse position event to be more active. When typing in a field/channel, still after months/years of slowly learning Houdini I find myself messing up expressions and values by immediately hitting Space to navigate around the viewport. All the while the subtle non-blinking type indicator is still active.
What I'd like to see is this option; If mouse cursor IS over a viewport (strictly) - End typing automatically and invoke navigation. If mouse cursor IS NOT in a viewport, add space type character or whatever. Probably not a great idea, but damn do habits die hard, haha.
Looks like you're tackling the View Tool next so…
I'd like to add (a lengthy) note, not modelling directly but pretty key for many tasks, I just find it most apparent when trying to model in Houdini. Viewport Choice:
Currently two methods of working various perspective and orthographic views.
Viewport Switch and Quad View. Both have basic problems.
Viewport switch - You switch to Top, Front, Right by pressing Space + 2, 3, 4. Space 5 gives you UV view. Space+1 brings you back to Perspective View, that's all functioning fine. The problem is it resets the view -every-single-time- you hit Space + Number. It needs to remember where the view is/was. Space-F should have to be hit to reset the view.
So if you're modelling or setting up a scene you're constantly re-hitting Space-G to focus on objects or re-navigating to where you just were. This is maddening and has made me adopt the Quad view despite prefering the Viewport Switch.
Quad View - You maximize a quad-view by hovering your mouse over a quadrant then hitting Space + B. Hitting the same combination to return to Quad View. This time, where you leave your views is rememberd.
The basic problem here is that a lot of times the event to find which viewport to make active never fires or gets stuck somewhere. So you hit Space + B to maximize, say Top view with the mouse clearly over it, but it constantly maximizes Right view, the last view you had maximized.
Another problem I find is that you can sometimes hold down Space, move your mouse to a quadrant, then hit B and it will maximize the quadrant under your mouse. Hit B again while still holding Space to return to Quad, move your mouse to another quadrant and maximize that view. All the while holding down Space Bar.
Other times I have to constantly let go of space, doing the entire combination. I myself would much prefer the former. Both times cans still invoke the first problem. But please. Consistency!
Now for myself, I would much like to see an option to have the current mouse position event to be more active. When typing in a field/channel, still after months/years of slowly learning Houdini I find myself messing up expressions and values by immediately hitting Space to navigate around the viewport. All the while the subtle non-blinking type indicator is still active.
What I'd like to see is this option; If mouse cursor IS over a viewport (strictly) - End typing automatically and invoke navigation. If mouse cursor IS NOT in a viewport, add space type character or whatever. Probably not a great idea, but damn do habits die hard, haha.
Edited by - March 15, 2014 08:03:22
Technical Discussion » VRay in Houdini
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This is something I've wanted to see for a long while. Though Mantra is great, it's even greater to have options available to you. I personally can't wait for the Arnold plugin to be released.
While there have been hints of some attempts, from 3 years ago;
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=172&page=viewtopic&t=20183&highlight&sid=070f5b794fc5c4b168ea6d403978550f [sidefx.com]
Nothing official or artist ready has come out. It seems possible for those who can to roll their own exporters, but for those aren't as capable, are left wanting. Might be a similar case for Vray for Softimage though, where it was said that they put in more resources than it was worth.
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=7766759&postcount=34 [forums.cgsociety.org]
While there have been hints of some attempts, from 3 years ago;
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=172&page=viewtopic&t=20183&highlight&sid=070f5b794fc5c4b168ea6d403978550f [sidefx.com]
Nothing official or artist ready has come out. It seems possible for those who can to roll their own exporters, but for those aren't as capable, are left wanting. Might be a similar case for Vray for Softimage though, where it was said that they put in more resources than it was worth.
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showpost.php?p=7766759&postcount=34 [forums.cgsociety.org]
SI Users » project "Houdini, a great modeler"
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Yeah I'd like to see the “Tree view” sense of scope and navigation (seeing nodes inside) combined with the “Input/Output” organization with parent/child relationships with the “List View” Toggle controls… If that makes sense.
Right clicking in a dedicated Tree View pane doesn't allow you to switch to Input/Output like from Technical Desktop.
Right clicking in a dedicated Tree View pane doesn't allow you to switch to Input/Output like from Technical Desktop.
SI Users » ICE logic to Houdini
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WotS
Thanks for quick help guys! Thank you very much for the links to tutorials. Especially, thank you for sending the project, Javier. But I have one question: in node called “importattrib1” we specify attribute called ‘dist’, but where we recorded it? As I understand it, we find it from the node ‘ray1’, but I not found a function that would write attributes. Or ‘dist’ is I system variable?
On the importattrib1 Node there is a parameter named OP Input Index. This is set to 1. This will inherit any attribute specified connected to the VOPSOP's 2nd input connector. 0 being first, etc. This input is connected to the Ray1 node, which if you middle mouse click on, will show a pop up with the created dist attribute.
Edit: To open up the Middle Mouse information into a new window, hit the “i” icon (Operator Info) on the node parameters. Next to help, which is pretty extensive with example files.
Edited by - March 9, 2014 15:26:05
SI Users » Softimage to Houdini guides
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Great guides so far, even if I have not used XSI in years, they're interesting reads.
Curious. When comparing XSI Explorer, was there a reason you chose a List View as opposed to a Tree View? Tree View would allow you to dive right inside.
Curious. When comparing XSI Explorer, was there a reason you chose a List View as opposed to a Tree View? Tree View would allow you to dive right inside.
Houdini Lounge » How about a MODELING module for Houdini?
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I have to agree with DaJuice. One of the biggest hurdles for me working in Houdini is to NOT be procedural in everything. Thinking the network of nodes then just becomes a History. Innately you want to set things up that are flexible, non-destructive, procedural and re-usable. Somethings just aren't worth the time though.
I'd totally be fine with SideFX improving the Interactive Viewport workflow (which does need a lot of work) and underneath it all you get those hundreds/thousands of nodes. It's up to the user at that point to lock nodes/cache/subnet/save out an external file for use in other areas.
I'd totally be fine with SideFX improving the Interactive Viewport workflow (which does need a lot of work) and underneath it all you get those hundreds/thousands of nodes. It's up to the user at that point to lock nodes/cache/subnet/save out an external file for use in other areas.
SI Users » project "Houdini, a great modeler"
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Yeah, don't stop. I for one would like to stay in Houdini for modelling rather than go to Modo (which is getting expensive for just pure modelling), formerly I was using Silo. I wish Nvil had a Linux port.
It's exactly as MartybNz has said on both accounts. Lots of scattered suggestions have been made in the past, though none have really been clear, consolidated and endorsed by SideFX as they are now because of recent events and actions.
It's exactly as MartybNz has said on both accounts. Lots of scattered suggestions have been made in the past, though none have really been clear, consolidated and endorsed by SideFX as they are now because of recent events and actions.
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McNistor
The clutter in that gizmo is palpable. The holy grail for any user interface is to achieve as much as possible with as little as possible.
I have worked with all three (or should I say two?:cry: ) from Adsk and Maya's and Softimage's minimalist approach is better. Of course, you can make a case to justify any imaginable preference, but under the above stated philosophy Max's gizmo is not one to be taken as an example.
To win the argument one has to show why the minimalist approach is not the best (provided it ensures the same functionality).
Thank you all and keep them coming.
Holy grail of -a- user interface is to present only relevant information. You're describing a minimalist user interface. Max's gizmo is not one to be taken as an example? Why? Visuallly it presents what you can do with no outside intervention needed. Works great in the Orthographic views too. And it's no more cluttered than the Rotation Gizmo in Softimage which employs large selection areas instead of a wire line.
Softimage has a mouse icon change and a small yellow gizmo area for 2 Axis, which can get lost in a mess of information.
Maya's implementation is by far the worst. I've had to tell far too many people to scale on only two axis you have to control click drag on the axis you don't want to scale on. That's where my aversion comes from that style.
Anyway. We can disagree all day on a gizmo, haha. I'm glad these talks are on and I can't wait to see what's SideFX has in store for Houdini. It's a little sad that it took the demise of one software though. Lots of these QOL suggestions have come up in the past. But it's great to see a passionate Softimage person put it plainly and clearly for SideFX which I don't recall happening too often. Keep on the good fight!
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MartybNz
Embrace change
Which is an ironic statement at this point in the discussion. It should be a two way road.
I like most of the suggestions, RayCast selection, selection memory, component conversion, screen space rotation; all great.
However I agree the renaming of Primitive and Scale tool are a stretch. Primitive extends to Curves, Nurbs, etc.
If we're proposing changes. 3DS Max has a better scale gizmo than Maya and Softimage and is immediately distinguishable from a usability and visual standpoint. Houdini's Scale tool is more or less a take on the Rotate tool. Just like Maya/Softimage are a take on the move tool.
Introducing another scale gizmo that doesnt replace the one in the Y tool would only add more confusion.
Edited by - March 7, 2014 13:57:02
Houdini Lounge » Houdini 14 Wishlist
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Would be nice if there was a Toggle, or made default to have the middle Mouse click in the network pane ignore Network Boxes (Moving or resizing them, doing nothing on network pane names). Was mentioned in the H13 wish list as well by another user.
Houdini Lounge » Houdini 14 Wishlist
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Korny Klown2
A Maya users wichlist desperately yearning for Houdini.
Actually it's pretty simple, just minor wishes, keep the core technologie but please change the frontend.
Your post is probably going to be largely regarded as trolling and most would dismiss your points. Work on your attitude, or your presentation if you don't think your attitude is a problem. Trust me. Deal with it.
You do have some points, but as others have said, it seems you still have a bit to learn. I do as well, so this is what I've found when I'm transitioning from Maya/Max to Houdini:
As pezetko said, the Space Bar invokes the View Tool and is pretty interchangeable with Alt from Max or Maya. I actually like a dedicated View Tool option because there are times when I'm only just navigating and the mouse is plenty.
If you switch to the Quad View (Ctrl-2) you can start maximizing and switching views by hitting Space+B, one more key than Maya, but similar to Max's Alt-W. Hitting Space-1 needs to remember where the perspective was previously though!
Key-Down/Up snapping would be great, I agree. It's a Toggle now (X, C, V) similar to Max's global S.
Consistency in the Tab Menu: Agree, there is an Edge Loop when doing Viewport Tabbing, but not in the Network View. Granted the Viewport “Edge Loop” only invokes the PolySplit Node in the network view. Which ties into your Multiple nodes having similar features but different names point. But in this case, it's probably a case of interactive vs. procedural.
Viewcube is a terrible idea. If SideFX were to add a widget to the viewports, I would prefer them to copy the Maya 8.5 and older View Compass. The one that was actually useful. Changing to the proper orthographic view instead of the useless navigation we have with the ViewCube.
Groups makes sense to me. Component Selection sounds temporary, that'd be even more confusing. SubNetwork makes sense. Its a node that contains other networks.
All software have different work flows. You have some valid points but again, you come off as arrogant. You speak of clinging to old paradigms… Sorry, Autodesk is the biggest criminal of this offense.
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