Is it possible for an asset to have n-number of input groups, each containing 1..n inputs?

No.

mantragora
No.

Hm, I suspected that it's not possible.

In my asset I have two Merge SOPs accepting multiple inputs and one other SOP accepting a single input. I'm referencing them in some expressions from within the HDA. I take it that I should remove those merge guys and reference nodes that are connected to the inputs instead, am I right? Or is there some other way?

ajz3d
Or is there some other way?

Yeah, put the Merge SOPs outside of your asset and connect them to appropriate input.

What do you want to do?

mantragora

ajz3d
Or is there some other way?

Yeah, put the Merge SOPs outside of your asset and connect them to appropriate input.

What do you want to do?

Get the number of Merge SOP inputs and use this variable in other parts of the asset.

I want to encapsulate this: http://forums.odforce.net/topic/22132-rbd-replace-proxy-with-hi-poly-geo-at-rendertime/#entry131857 [forums.odforce.net] (most of the SOPs from the point_source_torus ObjNode) in an asset and I want this asset to be as much intuitive and easy to use as possible.

I assume that LO/High poly should be multi inputs and last one for positions? Why don't you use groups or name like DOPs?

Yeah, that's a plausible solution, especially for me because the modelling program I use includes groups info in its output, so they will be predefined in Houdini, which relieve me from creating those many group SOPs. But what if I have a dozen or more input meshes without predefined groups? Creating group SOPs for them would be quite a tedious process.

Python shelf tool? Select nodes you want and generate groupSOP after each.
Or just process merge node inputs with pythonSOP and generate groups for each input with it.

PS:
Also you could log RFE to make extended mergeSOP with possibility to create group for each input connected to it.

PS2:
Jak bardzo potrzebujesz czegos takiego moge sie temu przyjrzec

Bardzo dziękuję za propozycję, ale przed chwilą trochę dłubałem w tym HDA i wygląda na to, że udało mi się go utworzyć.

I managed to finish the asset. At least a crude form of it because the connection to rbdpointobject must be established manually - by typing data into asset's doppath and objpattern and rbdpointobject's soppath. So there's no automation in this department yet.

Initially I tried the solution you suggested - Python SOP and groups, but then I realized that I could just make a simple Python switch that replaces its hou.Geometry() object with geometry from merge SOP's input specified by an int parameter of the Python SOP.

It's very late here, so I'll post some more info tomorrow.

Is there a way to easily save an asset as hdanc (non-commercial)?

ajz3d
Is there a way to easily save an asset as hdanc (non-commercial)?

Hmm… is there a hard way to do this? Just save it. You can pick *.otlnc or *.hdanc.

I can only copy or duplicate my operator. And If I save it to hdanc, it still loads as a limited-commercial asset (it doesn't switch my Indie to Non-Commercial mode if I load the asset).

Get any NC hip file to force Houdini switch to NC, and then duplicate asset.

Just make sure to backup your assets in case you mess something, so you would not have to remake it again as Indie.

mantragora
Get any NC hip file to force Houdini switch to NC, and then duplicate asset.

Just make sure to backup your assets in case you mess something, so you would not have to remake it again as Indie.

Already did this. But I gave it another try:

• - I started Houdini Apprentice.
  - Duplicated the asset as .hdanc.
  - Started the Indie
  - Placed that non-commercial asset in the scene
  - Houdini Indie didn't show me the monit that it will switch to non-commercial Apprentice version, so the asset is still limited-commercial.

load apprentice
load the LC hda
unlock the asset
open Type Properties
in the Save To Library field - save it to a new name

that new asset should now open/force a session to be NC

HTH

Make sure that you removed original Indie OTL from Houdini scan path, otherwise it will always load Indie version of the OTL.

Hey guys.
I'm not sure why I didn't receive e-mail notifications about your posts.
I'll check out your suggestions and report back. Thank you for your time!