Transitioning from a coder to a 3D artist. Houdini was the best option for me after I explored a different number of 3D software applications. I love the procedural workflow in Houdini and how easily accessible the attributes of the geometry are available to the user. This makes it a lot easier to focus on creating a good render and less time wasted on trying to figure out how to access certain geometry points or edges.
The only thing i'm having trouble finding how to do is, how do i setup the UVs for this cube? I tried some things like the "Auto UVs node" in the Game dev toolset but nothing, any ideas?
I would setup UV's before the cube is sliced that way when the cube gets sliced, the UV's are already linked to the points anyways. The challenge will be the inside sides. You may need to try and come up with a procedural way to remap the UV's, you can try using the triplanar, that usually works for any shape. But the inside is a tough one.
Yeah you can try using that. It usually works for most shapes. If you only need UV's on the outside faces, you can try using the SOP level UV nodes for unwrapping, like UV projecting or UV unwrap that usually does it.
Ok, SO, i wanted to give you a little update because it worked! (only not the way i thought it would?) I used a "uv project" node (since i didnt need the cube unwrapped really) and, if i use it right after creating it the box, it doesnt work? (imgs below) https://gyazo.com/943123056ae7beb9b87ae6aa8144be24 (GRAPH) And with that setup i would get these warnings in UE4 (saying i didnt have uvs set up) https://gyazo.com/2980a961a47a84df5dda804d7fce0047 (UE4 on import)
So this is kinda weirding me out, how can the uvs just "not be there" if i create them after creating the box, but they ARE there after fracturing all the geo. I suppose the uvs just...break and disappear if i edit the geo after creating the uvs, that would kinda make sense, right?
That is weird. I wonder if the UV's got lost in the middle or something. In Houdini SOP level, there's a node I use for debugging UV's, "UV Quick Shade" it will attach an image to your UV's so you can see something on the viewport to check if the uv's are still working.
I love your result in UE! Is this working with vertex animation? Or are you porting over the physical sim to UE? So you it comes with collisions working in UE with this kind of setup?
I tried to do something similar before, but with vertext animation, but I couldn't get collisions working.
I'll try to check the uvs with that node tomorrow, and thanks! But this is just the physical sim to UE, so no actual collision being detected, still, i can see a lot of potential for this! I wonder how one would do a more "realtime" sim, something like, wherever bullets hit a wall, it breaks on that point and reacts in a physical way.
Thanks for showing me. Too bad, it showed so much promise! Yeah I totally agree it has a lot of potential. I really wish we could fracture stuff in Houdini and apply dynamic constraints in UE based on gameplay. I'm not a UE expert, but I really want to make a game one day just for fun maybe. And this would be so useful!
Oh that´d be so cool to see what you come up with, i was inspired to start learning Houdini because of this talk about the tech art on Gears 5, they used Houdini for a lot of stuff, but destruction really caught my eye, and most destruction on there you can tell it's baked since it's just environment stuff. The talk: https://youtu.be/KL3rSV-IJ20?list=LLV77LkNGlTp69D-mYaDkFfA&t=422
This video is very inspiring! I didn't know Alembic destruction scenes could be used like that for games. This gives me a buncha ideas. I have ported sims from Houdini to UE before using the Game Vertex Animation tool in Houdini, but it seemed like it was only writing some sort of basic material to UE and I could never get collisions working so I gave up after that. But after watching this video, it gives me new ideas on building a possible game!
Ohhh! I'm happy to hear that you got inspired! I dont really get what Alembic does if you already export a destruction sim from Houdini. If you wanna do something cool in UE4 hit me up! I specialize in VFX creation and tech art, that's why i'm transitioning into more realistic stuff with Houdini :)
Definitely! Over the past couple of weeks, I've gotten a few people message me . I'm compiling a list. After I'm done with my current stuff I plan to gather the troops together and see what we come up with together!
Ohh sweet! I definitely want to see what you want to make, and i really wouldn't know honestly, i made this account only to comment here, but i guess so! If not, you can contact me at: brandonsavancovfx@gmail.com
COMMENTS
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
Taking my first steps into Houdini and you make everything substantially less scary, i love these :)
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
Thanks for the comment!
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
The only thing i'm having trouble finding how to do is, how do i setup the UVs for this cube? I tried some things like the "Auto UVs node" in the Game dev toolset but nothing, any ideas?
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
I would setup UV's before the cube is sliced that way when the cube gets sliced, the UV's are already linked to the points anyways. The challenge will be the inside sides. You may need to try and come up with a procedural way to remap the UV's, you can try using the triplanar, that usually works for any shape. But the inside is a tough one.
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
I don't care much for the inside having uv's at the moment, should i use this node? https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/vop/uvtriplanarproject.html
Thank you
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
Yeah you can try using that. It usually works for most shapes. If you only need UV's on the outside faces, you can try using the SOP level UV nodes for unwrapping, like UV projecting or UV unwrap that usually does it.
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
Thank you for your help, i will try this later when i get home :)
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
Ok, SO, i wanted to give you a little update because it worked! (only not the way i thought it would?)
I used a "uv project" node (since i didnt need the cube unwrapped really) and, if i use it right after creating it the box, it doesnt work? (imgs below)
https://gyazo.com/943123056ae7beb9b87ae6aa8144be24 (GRAPH)
And with that setup i would get these warnings in UE4 (saying i didnt have uvs set up)
https://gyazo.com/2980a961a47a84df5dda804d7fce0047 (UE4 on import)
BUT, if i plug that same node AFTER breaking the mesh like this?
https://gyazo.com/169ae5ddddeb6fb6be3f2261f4fc5dff (GRAPH)
It...works?
https://gyazo.com/c0325354d58cd085dee3117dfab27f7e (UE4 on import)
So this is kinda weirding me out, how can the uvs just "not be there" if i create them after creating the box, but they ARE there after fracturing all the geo. I suppose the uvs just...break and disappear if i edit the geo after creating the uvs, that would kinda make sense, right?
Anyways, here's the result, i can pan a line around it and looks kinda neat :)
https://gyazo.com/faaa855f1c6dab7753ef14252a51aa52
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
That is weird. I wonder if the UV's got lost in the middle or something. In Houdini SOP level, there's a node I use for debugging UV's, "UV Quick Shade" it will attach an image to your UV's so you can see something on the viewport to check if the uv's are still working.
I love your result in UE! Is this working with vertex animation? Or are you porting over the physical sim to UE? So you it comes with collisions working in UE with this kind of setup?
I tried to do something similar before, but with vertext animation, but I couldn't get collisions working.
Thanks for the images!
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
I'll try to check the uvs with that node tomorrow, and thanks! But this is just the physical sim to UE, so no actual collision being detected, still, i can see a lot of potential for this! I wonder how one would do a more "realtime" sim, something like, wherever bullets hit a wall, it breaks on that point and reacts in a physical way.
Me just moving it up a little more so you can see it's not reacting:
https://gyazo.com/51a73e60273168b40d2931ca382b10f1
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
Thanks for showing me. Too bad, it showed so much promise! Yeah I totally agree it has a lot of potential. I really wish we could fracture stuff in Houdini and apply dynamic constraints in UE based on gameplay. I'm not a UE expert, but I really want to make a game one day just for fun maybe. And this would be so useful!
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
Oh that´d be so cool to see what you come up with, i was inspired to start learning Houdini because of this talk about the tech art on Gears 5, they used Houdini for a lot of stuff, but destruction really caught my eye, and most destruction on there you can tell it's baked since it's just environment stuff.
The talk: https://youtu.be/KL3rSV-IJ20?list=LLV77LkNGlTp69D-mYaDkFfA&t=422
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
This video is very inspiring! I didn't know Alembic destruction scenes could be used like that for games. This gives me a buncha ideas. I have ported sims from Houdini to UE before using the Game Vertex Animation tool in Houdini, but it seemed like it was only writing some sort of basic material to UE and I could never get collisions working so I gave up after that. But after watching this video, it gives me new ideas on building a possible game!
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
Ohhh! I'm happy to hear that you got inspired!
I dont really get what Alembic does if you already export a destruction sim from Houdini. If you wanna do something cool in UE4 hit me up! I specialize in VFX creation and tech art, that's why i'm transitioning into more realistic stuff with Houdini :)
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
Definitely! Over the past couple of weeks, I've gotten a few people message me . I'm compiling a list. After I'm done with my current stuff I plan to gather the troops together and see what we come up with together!
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
If I send you a message directly on sidefx.com in the nearby future, will you get notification?
branxord 4 years, 9 months ago |
Ohh sweet! I definitely want to see what you want to make, and i really wouldn't know honestly, i made this account only to comment here, but i guess so!
If not, you can contact me at: brandonsavancovfx@gmail.com
bubblepins 4 years, 9 months ago |
Thanks! I've updated the list with your contact.
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