I am having all sorts of problems with Rotospline COP. Mostly is that this COP tends to ignore its own commands, and its really slow.
On a 700X344 grayscale image, I am creating a mask to use as Alpha.

I am finding it next to impossible to edit the spline after initial creation. THe control points just will not move. I select the control point, then try to drag it. Sometimes it drags, mostly it does not. The drag is simply ignored. Shift-LMB on curve to add points is dead. Tottally does not work. Instead Houdini thinks that I selected 1X1 pixel preview region. This I beleive is one of those conflicting command problems that I see a lot in 3d apps. In this case ,we have two functions controlled by nearly same operation. To add point, a user has to hold down shift-LMB. To select preview region in view window, he holds down SHIFT-and drags depressed LMB. Only in actual practice, in my case at least, Houdini cannot tell the difference, so I can never access an important function. Needless to say it is frustrating. Is there a solution to this? I am used to comping apps like RAYZ, Combustion, and AE5, so I thought that of all aspects of Houdini, COPs would be easiest to learn and use. Instead, I am finding 3d aspects easy and trouble free, but COPs to be most challenging. I suspect that its my Windows thats somehow interfering with Houdini, sence no one else is reporting problems I am having.

Thank you

David Rindner

Wow david, that sounds bad. I don't know which ver you are running, but after I installed 5.5.197, I saw your post. Since I've never tried the rotospline COP I wanted to see if I could replicate your problem on my windows 2k system. I am actually amazed at the fluidity and responsiveness with which the bezier handles manipulate, and how nicely the points move about when editing my path. I tried adding a new point and it does what it should, first try, smoothly. I too use combustion and AE5 as well as Flame for comping on a regular basis and I understand your frustration, but these splines whip the pants off of AE5 by a long shot. Actually no comparison. Also, they feel much more polished than the combustion splines. You've got to get the newest build, or try a reinstall. Also, I was working with the cache for the compositor set to the default 10mb. One suspicion I have about your setup is that your vid card is not up to the task. I know your prejudice against the high priced nvidia pro cards, as was I for some time. However, my latest system purchase came with a quadro 4 w/128mb in its specs so I splurged, and I does make a huge difference! Forget about the “soft quadro” fix. Good luck!

This is good to hear. I am running 5.5.151, which I thought was latest, as I only got it five days ago. I do have my suspicions that my hardware may not be playing nice with Houdini. Problem is that I don't have enough experience with houdini to telll really which is which. My tendency is that hardware problems are consistent across the application, which is not the case with this example. My video is GF3 Pro with 64 DDR. I also use Intuos, and I know that Intuos has problems in Houdini, but I am experiencing the same problem with Intuos and my MS optical mouse. The thing is, is that some points move fast and smooth, some slowly, some none at all. Same for bezier handles. Makes no sence, I send the project to SESI just in case. My system is not slow, its not the latest and greatest, but it was state of art about a year ago, so it can't be that bad.
Maya, RAYZ, AE all work fine. V.5.5.151 is very stable and fast in 3d parts of Houdini. SOPs and POPs are really good. Once I got 151 and 40.72 drivers the OpenGL weirdness disapperared. I'll have to find this 197 version you are running.

Thank you

David Rindner

OK, got the 197 build. Yep the problem is solved. The Rotospline is now smooth as silk, and works great with Intuos. Did you notice that some COPs icons are missing. The tile picons are empty. So my problems were with 151 build. I like that. Houdini gets better and better with every build. I am gonna stay on Windows. Linux now scares me. I thought it was just another Windows type system with icons, apparantly you have to write all these scripts just to start applications. I don't like scripts, I am not good with scripts, I am a 3d modeler damn it. You know it would be interesting to see Houdini running under OSX. Obviously there is Mental Ray for OSX.
I am puzzled why SESI suppourts Solaris and SUN platforms. I mean that great, but nobody else suppourts SUN. Some CAID apps, but aside from PIXAR using PRMAN on SUN Servers for rendering, what VFX pros use SUNs. Maya is not on SUN. Lightwave bombed on SUN. Electric Image offered SUN version of their Universe ware on SUN for a short time. I recall a small Dutch company name ElectroGIG suppourted SUN, but I don't think they are in business anymore. Remember Vertigo. They tried to suppourt SUN and MacOS, and they went pop. Softimage is not on SUN but it is on LINUX. Wouldn't DD and SPIW do all their Houdini stuff on SGI's anyway, and render on SGI Origins. So who in 3d animation uses SOLARIS?

Dave Rindner

I'm not part of a large post facility. Basically, I do it all myself. I've got 2 systems on my oversized desk here and I jump apps like you wouldn't believe. I'm in after effects on one system with photoshop minimized and I'm pulling verts in a 3d app on the other system and it's usually 3am before my eyes get too bugged to work. My point being that I could not afford to switch to linux because all my tools need to be right there at all times. Deadlines rule my life.

As far as I can tell, Houdini works wonderfully on win2k. Just as reliably and smoothly as the other apps I use. But of course I hadn't played much with COPs till after installing 5.5.197.