Hi,

I've found a potential deal breaker in my evaluation of Houdini as a replacement for Softimage!

I produce quite a lot of engine animations and I always have to use relatively low-res polygon meshes produced from CAD data via Polytrans. To keep the models looking as good as possible I therefore use vertex normals which I export in the OBJ files.

When I import one of my engine OBJ files into Houdini, it seems to handle the smooth curved parts of the model pretty well, but the flat ‘machined’ faces look like they are trying to blend into the surrounding geometry giving me horrible dark streaky triangles where this is happening!

I thought it might be something bad in the OpenGL view, but it shows up in Mantra renders as well.

Anyone got any ideas? I can supply the obj file if that would help, but it will have to be via another means than this forum as the filesize is over 14Mb.

Try to trim down the surface to a sample of a bad edges, to keep the file size down, then upload.

azurecgi
Anyone got any ideas? I can supply the obj file if that would help, but it will have to be via another means than this forum as the filesize is over 14Mb.

Log a bug with support. They can easily accommodate 14Mb files (although you might have to send them the file separately, rather than through the web UI). You can do this even if you're using Apprentice.

I've submitted a bug report along with some screen shots showing the problem. So let's see!

Yep - just looks like vertex normals or ‘smoothed’

Not sure if this helps but you can cusp with the vertexSop and turn on display vertex normals in Display Option/Markers, press ‘D’ on the keyboard with the mouse over the viewport

Hip file attached

I did play with that node, but the thing with baked in vertex normals from CAD models is that you don't mess around with them!

They should just work - as per the Softimage screenshot (I loaded the model into Lightwave as well and it looked correct)

The strange thing is that it looks like it's doing what it should everywhere but on the flat machined faces!

If you MMB hold on the File SOP tile to get the info, does in indicate that you have Vertex normals (N), or any normals at all?

Fixed in tomorrow's build.

halfdan
Fixed in tomorrow's build.

tomorrow, like the day after today?
nice

tomorrow, like the day after today?

Thats how we roll here in Houdini land ……..

Rob

Wow! That is impressive

When you submit a bug report to Autodesk it just disappears into a virtual black hole never to be heard of again!

Seeing as I'm still evaluating, using Apprentice, how will I get this new build?

You can select the ‘Latest daily build’ when downloading.

This is just why I LOVE Houdini.

I've just downloaded the latest build and can confirm it's all fixed!

That is amazing service, and that higher subscription cost doesn't look so bad now

The evaluation continues!

Cheers

awesome.

azurecgi
I've just downloaded the latest build and can confirm it's all fixed!

That is amazing service, and that higher subscription cost doesn't look so bad now

The evaluation continues!

Cheers

There is a journal well hidden to check what is getting fixed and updated.!
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_journal&Itemid=213 [sidefx.com]

azurecgi
I've just downloaded the latest build and can confirm it's all fixed!

That is amazing service, and that higher subscription cost doesn't look so bad now

The subscription cost is actually very low considering what you get for it, compared to other vendors I can't imagine using software that I had to wait months/years/never for bug fixes.

Wow, this had been bugging me for a while now. I can't believe I forgot to do the simple thing like asking. I guess I've been used to automess. Thanks guys!