I signed up for Apprentice program, and like all 3d apps, I started to learn Houdini by 1st tackling modeling tools. I've quite some experience with sub-division modeling/animation so I targeted that aspect. Namely Hoiudini;s polygonal tools. My opinion. Houdini is the BEST sub-division modeler I have used. I am comparing it to formZ, 3DS MAX, Lightwave, and MAYA. Once the basic network is setup, the flexibility is amazing. Some features, like topological edge deletion, are not present in Houdini, and I wish they were. Topological edge deletion is when an interior segment, of a poly, is deleted, he face, and the vertices, of that segment, are not deleted. Right now Blast will delete all faces that share the deleted segment. Another tool I really wish Houdini had is the Knife tool, also goes by name of Plane Slice. Basically, its like PolySplit, except it inserts segments along conic section line of intersection of plane with geometry. The Flat Wire Shaded drawing mode is worth its weight in gold. That is the single most usefull drawing mode for sub-div modeling, and coupled with no backface culling, seeing cage topology easy.
I decided to model a creature. Sence I am kinda fan of Cthulu lore, I always wanted to design my own creature.

Here is the URL to screen grabs of work in progress;
http://sv2.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/imgView.php?imgID=5091 [sv2.3dbuzz.com]

So thank you SideFX for making it possible to learn your product.

Dave Rindner

Hey David,

Cool model! I'm glad you're liking it. Make sure you keep us posted on your project!

I don't know if these tools are the ones you're looking for but let me mention these just in case you've overlooked them. I think they do something similar:
- Dissolve SOP dissolves away edges
- Clip SOP can perform cuts using a plane (choose Keep All Primitives)

There's also the Crease SOP as well for controlling how sharp the edges are in the subdivided model.

Hi Dave,
Awesome work! I'm glad you stuck with it and the results are incredible! Keep up the good work and thanks for the great feedback on the tools and Houdini.

Cheers,

Peter Bowmar

Hey Dave,

Great stuff!!! I can't wait to see the finished model with textures & everything.

Keep it up!

Cheers!
steven

david
cool to see you really getting into the sub_d tools. you should be able to delete a single face. simply choosing the face you want deleted should only delete that face by using the blastSOP…( this is what i've used and had no problem ). maybe under the ‘group type’ you have edges selected where it should be primitives?
also if you want to use the clipSOP and polycapSOP to slice your model and keep a face where the slice has taken place.

hey nice model over there. but i got one question have you figured out how to bevel edges? or make coplanar edges? how about selecting edgeloops/rings?

oo. and one thing thats bothering me. is there a way to extrude a number of faces/polygons and keep them together? or do i have to dissolve first…then extrude…and then put those polys back in?

oo. and one thing thats bothering me. is there a way to extrude a number of faces/polygons and keep them together? or do i have to dissolve first…then extrude…and then put those polys back in?

In the view use RMB –> toggle local/global control, that's all

Hi Dave, I'm having trouble with the link I'm getting this message?

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I went to check out the model and it is no longer there. Can you repost?

–zbert

Hey guys. Couple of you asked me to repost. Sorry about that. Not my fault. Every time I replace an image on my 3DBUZZ page, the image gets a different URL, though the image goes in the same slot as previous. Afraid, theres not much I can do about that, untill I get my own dedicated site.

Here is the updated URL:
http://sv2.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/imgView.php?imgID=5489 [sv2.3dbuzz.com]

First, this is my Houdini training project, not a production job. I am new to Houdini, but have been modeling and animating proffessionally since 1996. Being foremost a 3d modeler, first tools I dove into in Houdini are it modeling tools. Sence, for organics, I use 100% sub-divs, the poly/sub-div tools are the first things on my list. Right now, with sub-divs, I can model anything with Houdini. Its poly modeler, is just frigging outstanding. Easily, the best I have used. She's'it, I said that before didn't I! I mean it, they are so easy to use. Some of the NURBS tools I am not comfy with as they work different from what I am used to in NURBS, mainly Maya/Alias, and Rhino.
I am fairly comfortable with CHOPS and VEX, as long as stick to stock tiles. I don't know how to write my own expressions and tools just yet.
Its awosome how VEX and CHOPS ties together, and how CHOPs can tie into Objects and COPs. Houdini is definatly, a large melon to swallow. Gotta cut it up into peices. My main difficulty right now is creating shaders (light, shadow, and surface), and figuring how complex materials are created. I can't seem to create shadow shaders. Any light with shadow shader freezes Mantra. UV mapping is fairly straighforward, similar to Maya and Lightwave. COPs are cool, very similar to RAYZ and Chalice.

Dave R

I just finished reading your posts from some weeks ago. I was sure that you were give up as result of the problems you were experiencing. However, you made it through and Wow, great work.

Thats a beautiful model there, David! I think those must be the most often said words about the modeler (from some of the folks I know) - that it needs some additional boundary edge selection tools and ways to march and extend selctions around a surface. A knife tool is also asked for a lot - one that'll Plane Slice or cut any arbitrary poly shapes through the model.. with controls to cut right through or front or back faces only.

How long did it take you to model that? How long would it take you now that you're fluent in Houdini-ese?

Cheers and thanks for the pic,
Jason

PS. I'm a huge fan of the Cthulu mythos too and it looks like a Deep One's head on some other body. What is it?

Thanx Jason. Them's are kind words a mean a lot coming from D2 guy. I wanted to get into Houdini, since late 1995, when I was doin' 3d modeling at Electric Image in Pasadena, for Osiris Chronicles, and Houdini 1.0 shipped. But no employer , I ever worked for, used it. Everyone pretty much said, that modeling in Houdini was lacking. I admit, GIU had me stomped at first, but once over that, modeling is very easy in Houdini.
Personally I like Hoiudini more then Maya, for sub-divs. In Hoiudini I can be more experementive. Houdini also handles high valences, much better then Maya and waayy.. better then Lightwave. 5+ valence vertex in Lightwave will generate creases. Same in Maya, depending on angle-offs. Houdini, though, the subdivision is beatifull. It generates quads, even at 3-valence vertices, and no creases at 5+ valence vertices. Cool thing is, cages from Houdini go into Lightwave perfectly. I never liked LW Modeler. I tend to agree that it would be nice to have Knife and Plane Slice SOPs. But at this point, I don't really miss them. Other SOPs make up for them. I modeled that creature using only a handfull of Poly tools. The key there, was that I was able to distribute the modeling across different Geometries, then Object Merge them together. NURBS wise, Alias Studio (aka Power Animator V9) is still best NURBer I know. SHHH, don't tell A/W, but IMHO, Maya was a step down from Power Animator in modeling department. When will I be ready. Modeling wise, I am ready now, in Houdini. I can make any model, hard surface or organic, UV it, and pass it along to painters. Shaders, lighting, rigging, in Houdini, well thats yet to be learned. Best thing I ever did, was to pick up Apprentice CD from SideFX booth. Praise be them for creating Apprentice program.
Design wise, I knew I wanted a centaur, sort off. I saw Clones, and the creature that I liked most was that six legged bug thing in the Arena. Same night I caught old Sinbad marathon on satelite, and I liked the Harryhausen creatures. THAT MAN IS DA'MAN. Then remembered how creature from Black Laggoon was designed. I liked the overlapping flesh in that design. For some reason, I remembered that in Forbidden Planet, Krell were gleamed to have wide stances from the wide doorways. So I sort of threw everything together. My primary intent was Houdini training. Originally my intention was to model an aquatic animal like creature, but as I was designing the head, it took on appearance of intelligent being. So I pursued that line of thinking.

Dave Rindner
http://sv2.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showcase_page.php?userid=318 [sv2.3dbuzz.com]