Hi,

I'm new to houdini, trying to get my head around the modeling tools. Got a few questions which I haven't been able to figure out. Searched both odforce and this forum for answers but can't find anything that makes sense to me.

Started on a simple modeling project and aim to go thru the various steps it entails, problem is I'm stuck after 1 hour!

Anyway, questions number 1. I'm trying to trace a blueprint to create splines to build from. How do I break a point into individual tangent lines? So I have a tangent handle on each side of the point? Am I supposed to lay down segments instead and then fuse them togheter to create a spline which correctly represents my blueprint shape, i.e. has hard breaks in the curve? I guess what I'm looking for is a way to use the curve sop like I did in max; create a few points on a segment for the rough shape and then start editing the bezier handles to get a closer match.

On to question number 2. Beveling a text shape… yikes, I can't for the life of me understand how to do this, unless I really go in and build it step-by-step, which is a bit of a pain for something that simple. If I use the polybevel sop, it does correctly inset my edges, but it does not extrude them at all, only inset. Am I supposed to add another transform sop and manually move the inset polys out? Also, if I do that the only way I can get the insets to behave is to switch it over to absolute, but then I get overlapping faces in corners and edges…

Hope someone can give me some pointers on the above questions, I'm sure it's either me missing something or perhaps I'm just spoilt by max “one-click-tools”…

Cheers,

Peter

Ok, as usual when u post something the answer is just around the corner. I figured out the tangent handles…if I add a edit sop after the curve, and switch on the point display, I do get tangent controls…

I'm still stuck on the bevel tho


Peter.

hi dont worry there is a bit of a learning curve to think the houdini way.

if i recall correctly maya and max polybevel does the extrude and the bevel which may be confusing you, but houdini doesnt.

this maybe a hard way of doing it but i would create the text then:

1. Polyextrude
2. Polycap any open edges if necessary
3. Fuse to weld all points together to ensure integrity
4. THEN Polybevel

a polybevel of this type of shape should be on Absolute so that all edges are bevelled an equal amount.

Hi Marc, thanks for your reply. I followed the steps you described, and yup it works ok, but there are problems in the mesh… is this normal? I mean, does a function like this in houdini require cleanup? Sorry I'm not complaining or so, just trying to figure out how raw the actual tools are. I don't mind having to do manual labour on a mesh, as long as I know I'm doing it the right way, and not spending time on unecessary steps

Peter.

priel
Anyway, questions number 1. I'm trying to trace a blueprint to create splines to build from. How do I break a point into individual tangent lines? So I have a tangent handle on each side of the point?

There aren't tangent handles available but what you're looking for is in the Curve SOP. In its Primitive Type parameter, change it to Bezier. Then the tangent control points are the inbetween ones like in this pattern: C T T C T T C T T C where C is what you normally think of as a curve control points and T are the tangent control points.

mark2
1. Polyextrude
2. Polycap any open edges if necessary

I don't think step 2 is necessary. In the PolyExtrude parameters, look in the Options tab. Turn on the output front, output back, etc. parameters.

Hi, Edward… thanks for the tip, so if I understand it correctly… if I specify the curve sop to be a bezier with cv's, then I don't just create the bezier points, but the tangent handles as well when I draw the curve?

Peter.

I think so. Give it a try.

Another option for getting your bevelled edge on text is to use an extrude sop.
Pipe your font sop into the extrude and then generate a curve for your bevel profile and pipe that into the right-hand input of the extrude. The curve will be the cross-section that defines the extrude shape.This will give you great control over your bevel profile.