Hi wizards,

very much enjoying delving deeper into Houdini land, but missing some tools from maya and softimage which really help streamline workflow.

I would love to see an isolate selected in viewport option, if you're modelling with many meshes its a huge timesaver to be able to single out the current mesh and rotate around/make fixes then click back out. Also for example I would have multiple viewports open, isolate some meshes in one, and the relevant joints in another, to enable very fast skinning selection.

To be able to do this without affecting the object's scene visbility, and without having to add to groups/bundles/nodes in the scene would be ideal. I know there is a python script out there for this but its such a key part of the interface it should be built in.

I'd also say that object type visibility settings should be per camera, not scene wide.

Here's hoping that the coming viewport usd improvements take this into consideration!

Thanks for listening and amazing work on H17,
Matt

Using the visibility SOP can go a long way in a number of your points.

I submit this as RFE probably two years ago. with some extra scripts that were emulating Maya/Softimage isolate selection in Houdini and asking them if they can implement it and make it behave better.

Unfortunately you know the result.

Nothing changed.

That is not as usefull than in Softimage (probably also than maya ?) but there is the object “Viewport Isolator” than do the same job.
But you just can't region render what you see (it doesn't take isolator into account) .

martinkindl83
I submit this as RFE probably two years ago. with some extra scripts that were emulating Maya/Softimage isolate selection in Houdini and asking them if they can implement it and make it behave better.

Unfortunately you know the result.

Nothing changed.

Do you still have those scripts?

julca
That is not as usefull than in Softimage (probably also than maya ?) but there is the object “Viewport Isolator” than do the same job.
But you just can't region render what you see (it doesn't take isolator into account) .

Plus it doesnt support working it sops as its global OBJ level only. So not very much usable.

Aerys

martinkindl83
I submit this as RFE probably two years ago. with some extra scripts that were emulating Maya/Softimage isolate selection in Houdini and asking them if they can implement it and make it behave better.

Unfortunately you know the result.

Nothing changed.

Do you still have those scripts?

I will check Monday at work.
I was using them for a while, but they were not as nice as Maya/Softimage.
So we ended up writing whole new tool for assigning objects to groups, isolations and hiding stuff - supports only alembics and geo. doesnt work with polyselections. As i still believe that houdini is hugely lacking in the assigning to groups, if you are forced to add them manually from viewport. I demonstrated our tool to Jeff back in H16, send it to support and Jeff after they didnt improve it in H16.5 and ask them if they can add our tool to H17. Again nothing.

Yes ! Pretty please with sugar on top.

It would make working so much better.

Long standing RFE from us as well.

I'm an experienced 3D artist, but new to H. I've been learning it quite intensely over the last few months.
I find it bizarre how this program can be so close to genius while still not being able to tie it's own shoelaces...

This is a case in point.

I have a moderately large product assembly in scene. 200+ object nodes. Many objects are partially obscured by others. Here's the (abridged) story of the last 30 minutes...

Where is the 'solo button?' I ponder...
Search Houdini help...
...Google
...Youtube

Ah! "Viewport Isolator node"
That seems a little weird, I thought it would have been a button in the scene view display options... anyway.

So... it has no input node... but it does have an output node... ummm...
Not sure how this is supposed to be added to the network... ummm...

Maybe it just hangs around unconnected...

I see the 'Isolate button'.
So, it looks like I need to select the obj node I want to isolate - and hit the isolate button.

**!!??* the parameter window is now on the obj node of course...
Ah maybe I need to pin the parameter window first...

Select the viewport isolator... pin the window...
Select the obj I want to isolate...
**!!??* the parameter window didn't pin!

Oh - I'm using a custom layout with a pop up parameter window...
Maybe I'll have to change my layout...

Hit the help button...
OK... so... I have to create a single instance in /obj and popup it’s parameter interface as a top level window by clicking RMB in the network editor and selecting Parameters and Channels > Parameters. Let me read that again...
...OK.

Great - got the window to stay open !! : )
Hit the isolate button!!

Nothing happens.
Huh?

Stumbles around...
Ah... you've also got to tick the box labeled 'visible objects' - to hide the the object.
That makes perfect sense - just like the 'Add' node - you know the one, for deleting stuff. Anyway, I digress.

SUCCESS AT LAST! : ) An isolated object in the viewport! Brilliant.

Let's do a quick test render..
**!!??* I can't see my object in the render because all the other objects are still visible in the render...

CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE GET ME SOMETHING TO NUMB THE PAIN...

Could you make this more difficult? I really doubt it.

SUGGESTION
----------
A 'Solo' button in the display options column.

Here's the help file:
1. Select the object in the scene view.
2. Hit the button.
You want to see everything again?
3. Hit the button again.


-----------
Have a good day.

You can get what you want with the Groups pane in the Network Editor. It can control the Display Flags of objects en masse. Meanwhile, submitting your Solo key suggestion as an RFE would probably be more effective path to take.

On an aside, it seems like your preferred workflow would benefit from a move to Solaris, where these things exist as a standard feature.

Mike_A
(wall of text)

I agree Viewport Isolator is a very ill-designed tool, but you really don't need to dramatize your experience like that. It's hard to read.

At this point, I think SideFX wants us just to move our scenes to Solaris. As much as I hate it, I understand that it's probably better for them to focus on one context instead of trying to backport every feature Solaris has to /obj.

there is a shelf called UI it comes with an isolate and reset button. you can put those on shortcuts, isolate objects, and reset isolation via button press if you utilize them.

Cheers
CYTE

That's just a different way to create and control the "viewportisolator" node if I'm not mistaken ?