Hi
I get a lot of people don't do this in Houdini that much but It's getting really close to being amazing and it may be a very under rated function of the program.
Here's my experience
- Topobuild / polydraw = excellent for building / adding / sliding ect without adding a mess of nodes but where it really lacks is being able to move / scale / rotate on your axis constraints, I can't seem to figure that part out and also construction plane seems to work with it but not as easily, am I missing something here? this tool seems to get me 80% of the way but lacks the control and finesse simple axis gizmos give you for hard surface objects.
- Edit node = great for moving vertex's around but the moment you want to delete a face, add , bridge / edge loop, ect you need more nodes after which for concept type of modeling isn't very good, you'll have hundreds of nodes very quickly.
And of course every element that can be made procedurally would be which why combining this with non-procedural based is so strong, anyone else doing this in Houdini and have some suggestions or tips?
Houdini non-procedural modeling?
5053 15 1
-
- 3dspline
- Member
- 36 posts
- Joined: 11月 2019
- Offline
-
- osong
- Member
- 248 posts
- Joined: 5月 2017
- Offline
-
- bobc4d
- Member
- 320 posts
- Joined: 5月 2016
- Offline
-
- Midphase
- Member
- 833 posts
- Joined: 1月 2018
- Offline
My main gripe is that I wish it was intelligent enough to keep track up changes upstream, for instance if I use the polybevel on a specific set of edges of a box, but then decide that I really need more polys on the box, when I change the original box, the edges are now renumbered and the polybevel goes haywire. Yeah, I know I can use a subdivision node downstream instead of going back up…but still.
>>Kays
For my Houdini tutorials and more visit:
https://www.youtube.com/c/RightBrainedTutorials [www.youtube.com]
For my Houdini tutorials and more visit:
https://www.youtube.com/c/RightBrainedTutorials [www.youtube.com]
-
- Island
- Member
- 340 posts
- Joined: 6月 2017
- Offline
-
- Siavash Tehrani
- Member
- 710 posts
- Joined: 7月 2005
- Offline
3dspline
you'll have hundreds of nodes very quickly.
bobc4d
when I started modeling and had 15 nodes I thought I was doing something wrong to have so many nodes.
I've noticed this from time to time when newer users ask or talk about approaches to modeling in Houdini. Lots of nodes are fine in destructive modeling
They give you very granular access to your history. If you take a look at the attached file, that was probably modeled in Houdini 8 and even back then having over 200 Edit SOPs was no big deal. You have ways to manage your SOPnet on more complex models if file size or cook times become a concern; locking SOPs, Stash SOP, writing progress out to disk and reading it back in, etc.
-
- bobc4d
- Member
- 320 posts
- Joined: 5月 2016
- Offline
-
- Island
- Member
- 340 posts
- Joined: 6月 2017
- Offline
While C4D does temporarily save steps (which would be like Houdini nodes but are part of “undo”), these steps are deleted when one closes and reopens a file, except for the strictly procedural parts. In Houdini, one can save the final result of a collection of nodes as fbx, obj, or bgeo and then create a file import node to replace the steps with the final geometry if one doesn't like looking at nodes.
I wonder whether some of the reluctance to share Houdini models comes from others seeing the steps and oops parts. If one goes through the model above, one can see steps that basically got removed in later nodes.
If one wants - there are ways to make the node tree look a bit easier to interpret. These include adding subnetworks, networks, use of color, memos, helpful naming. You can also create parts of an object with their own node chain ending in null nodes and then assemble them and add extra nodes with an object merge node. (see example below)
I wonder whether some of the reluctance to share Houdini models comes from others seeing the steps and oops parts. If one goes through the model above, one can see steps that basically got removed in later nodes.
If one wants - there are ways to make the node tree look a bit easier to interpret. These include adding subnetworks, networks, use of color, memos, helpful naming. You can also create parts of an object with their own node chain ending in null nodes and then assemble them and add extra nodes with an object merge node. (see example below)
Edited by Island - 2020年5月4日 10:32:08
-
- 3dspline
- Member
- 36 posts
- Joined: 11月 2019
- Offline
Thanks for the responses!
It's not so much that looking at too many nodes is harmful to ones eyes when working with 1 model although i'm sure you guys hear that a-lot, its about being able to combine non procedural with procedural workflows better especially when building a large assembly and trying to maintain key things editable, that's where Houdini power really shines IMO.
keep the advice coming if you have it, its helpful to see what others do, I've been going at it pretty blind, here's kinda what my node looks like in working with this process. (I started saving out the really massive node lists to just files)
It's not so much that looking at too many nodes is harmful to ones eyes when working with 1 model although i'm sure you guys hear that a-lot, its about being able to combine non procedural with procedural workflows better especially when building a large assembly and trying to maintain key things editable, that's where Houdini power really shines IMO.
keep the advice coming if you have it, its helpful to see what others do, I've been going at it pretty blind, here's kinda what my node looks like in working with this process. (I started saving out the really massive node lists to just files)
-
- Island
- Member
- 340 posts
- Joined: 6月 2017
- Offline
-
- plabill23
- Member
- 33 posts
- Joined: 6月 2020
- Offline
Okay this is the best topic ever. I love Houdini and I'm just learning it now. I'm more used to a non-procedural system like blender or Maya. I'm trying to learn the procedural nodes technique but I hate it at the present time. I may like it in the future but not now LOL. Very often it makes zero sense for some reason. I was actually wondering if I could use it in a non-procedural way and came across this conversation. Thank you all. I have Faith again.
-
- anon_user_89151269
- Member
- 1755 posts
- Joined: 3月 2014
- Offline
@plabill23
My intention is far from wanting to rain on your recent gained optimism, but your reply seems riddled with contradictions. At least to me, ot does.
You say you love Houdini, but hate its procedural workflow. Not sure if this applies only to modeling or to the general Houdini's modus operandi.
If it's the later, you might've wandered in the wrong camp. But, if you're looking to be able to model in Houdini without even an afterthought about proceduralism, I think that's a reasonable aspiration.
My intention is far from wanting to rain on your recent gained optimism, but your reply seems riddled with contradictions. At least to me, ot does.
You say you love Houdini, but hate its procedural workflow. Not sure if this applies only to modeling or to the general Houdini's modus operandi.
If it's the later, you might've wandered in the wrong camp. But, if you're looking to be able to model in Houdini without even an afterthought about proceduralism, I think that's a reasonable aspiration.
-
- plabill23
- Member
- 33 posts
- Joined: 6月 2020
- Offline
pickled
@plabill23
My intention is far from wanting to rain on your recent gained optimism, but your reply seems riddled with contradictions. At least to me, ot does.
You say you love Houdini, but hate its procedural workflow. Not sure if this applies only to modeling or to the general Houdini's modus operandi.
If it's the later, you might've wandered in the wrong camp. But, if you're looking to be able to model in Houdini without even an afterthought about proceduralism, I think that's a reasonable aspiration.
Dear Pickled,
thanks for your attempt to rain on my optimism. Sorry, not working LOL
I like playing around with Houdini and want to learn more. I like to used the functions on the menu bar ie move, rotate, extrude, inset, deform whatever etc… I was just wondering if I can use houdini this way vs just hitting “tab” and adding the nodes manually. “hate” meaning challenging and not hate as in disgust.
I apologize for my confusion and your misinterpretation.
-
- Island
- Member
- 340 posts
- Joined: 6月 2017
- Offline
Destructive modeling in Houdini works quite well. You even have the equivalent of Modo's action centers with the align options and clever use of the apostrophe key. Here is a hand model done with destructive modeling in Houdini. Typically, there are some extra loops and subsequent removal of the loops, as is sometimes done with other 3D programs when one changes one's mind.
Edited by Island - 2020年7月16日 17:48:34
-
- plabill23
- Member
- 33 posts
- Joined: 6月 2020
- Offline
Island
Destructive modeling in Houdini works quite well. You even have the equivalent of Modo's action centers with the align options and clever use of the apostrophe key. Here is a hand model done with destructive modeling in Houdini. Typically, there are some extra loops and subsequent removal of the loops, as is sometimes done with other 3D programs when one changes one's mind.
A huge thank you.
-
- Island
- Member
- 340 posts
- Joined: 6月 2017
- Offline
-
- Quick Links