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TOTAL DURATION: 2h 49m 48s

Learn how to use Houdini’s modeling tools to create an old west revolver. A lot of this work will be accomplished in the viewport and will teach you how to model interactively. Houdini’s node network will be used for some modeling tasks and to organize your work. The revolver will be created using primarily Polygon Modeling Tools with a focus on creating good topology that can be subdivided at render time.

To finish up, learn how to move the revolver into the Solaris context for lookdev and lighting. Here you will assign materials for the body and handle of the revolver. You will then render out an image of the final model using the Karma XPU renderer.

Be sure to download the PDF document with step-by-step instructions that work with the video.

Research for this lesson by Michael Buckley.

CREATED BY

rmagee
ROBERT MAGEE

Robert Magee is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at SideFX who has been working with Houdini for 20 years. He has created lots of learning material and demos designed to help artists understand how going procedural with Houdini can benefit their work.

More from Robert Magee

COMMENTS

  • ItsGamma 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    I am just about to start part 4! So far I have had only one issue, which was the handles on an edit were not flat. It was easy to work it out on my own.

    This has been a great, well explained tutorial, I only started with Houdini 3 months ago, after years with Blender. The nodes can look frightening, and confusing, but learning from Robert has eased that fear! Can't wait to finish this!

    Thank You Robert!!

  • ItsGamma 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    Well I finished the Tutorial! So happy with the result, but more so that I learnt so much! As I said, 3 months in Houdini now, but only feel like I have done the peel of the wrapper! My Result Robert, and again Thank you!! https://ibb.co/wFYPXwP6

    • rmagee 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

      Great job! Glad that the lesson was helpful for you!

  • carlos.go.jorge 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    The best tutorial!Congratulations!

  • Natsu 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    I'm learning so much from your tutorials, and they are amazing.
    Thank you Robert!

    • rmagee 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

      Thank you for exploring Houdini!

  • ItsGamma 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    I know you are busy, and spending time on your work, but could you make a 'Part 2' to this? An animation of the revolver firing? Something between Beginner and Intermediate?

    • ItsGamma 8 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

      I find that sometimes the jump from Beginner to Intermediate can but overwhelming!

  • henkeblomman 8 months, 1 week ago  | 

    Love the tutorial Robert! You are truly a master.

  • Matei 8 months, 1 week ago  | 

    Hello Robert, I am having an issue on the first video when it comes to PolyBevel the selected edges, i press PolyBevel and my Houdini instantly crashes and closes.
    I tried to group the edges with a group node but it's still the same problem. Do you know what could cause this issue ? Thx again for the tutorial!

    • rmagee 8 months, 1 week ago  | 

      Not sure - please log a bug with your Houdini version # and details. One workaround could be to put a polybevel node in the network then press the arrow button next to Group on the node - hopefully that allows your selection without any issues.

      • Matei 8 months, 1 week ago  | 

        I've tried many things but sadly nothing works, i'm currently on Houdini 19.5.368
        I can't attach a screen in my msg but here what the error message says :
        2052 : Fatal error : Segmentation fault

        • rmagee 8 months, 1 week ago  | 

          Oh - this tutorial is designed to work with Houdini 20.5 - I would anticipate issues using Houdini 19.5. Try out the latest Houdini 20.5 build - hopefully that resolves your issues!

          • Matei 8 months, 1 week ago  | 

            Appreciate this, thank you for your time and answers Robert!
            Best regards.

  • martinkovachevdesign 8 months ago  | 

    Hey Robert! I'm really enjoying the modeling techniques so far. I'm currently stuck on Part 3—around the 6-minute mark, you added a PolyFill node to connect points and create polygons. However, when I switch the Fill Mode to Quadrilateral Grid, I get a spiral-like connection instead. I noticed that yours connects only the rows, whereas mine is also adding columns, which causes the connections to bend. Any idea what might be causing this?

    https://ibb.co/YFyQNn6P

    • rmagee 8 months ago  | 

      Try the corner offset paramter - that should twist it back into place.

      • martinkovachevdesign 8 months ago  | 

        Yes, that adjusts the angle, but there's still a noticeable bulge. https://ibb.co/TqRQrLZx

      • martinkovachevdesign 8 months ago  | 

        I started the tutorial again, and that fixed it. Not sure what I missed the first time, but it's working perfectly now.

        • rmagee 8 months ago  | 

          Glad to hear it.

    • diko.sum 5 months, 3 weeks ago  | 

      I had the same issue. The problem was with the point placement in the Edit node. If you move points around a bit, the grid will align properly.

  • otiose 7 months, 1 week ago  | 

    Thanks so much for this tutorial! Even though I'm a TD I rarely have a chance to work in the Modelling space, so was great to see how easy this was to create and apply! Definitely keen to try this to create some of my own models into the future to really 'get' the concept!

    • rmagee 7 months, 1 week ago  | 

      Glad you enjoyed it

  • cqdev4964 7 months, 1 week ago  | 

    Hi Robert,
    So far I have been following along with 20.0 and haven't found to many differences I wasn't able to over come with a bit of librewolfing.
    My laptop is not quiet up to 20.5 standards so I'm running what I got.

    In my mid 50's and looking for new challenges in life I'm glad I came across this monster of a program.

    Your teaching style is to the point and precise, and it is clear you have great knowledge in this program.
    Can't wait to get stuck into it.

    Cheers Mate!!!

  • arkreatives 7 months ago  | 

    Hello Sir,
    I was just curious about why you set the quad fill offset to align with the diagonal, I'm assuming it was done to better follow the quad topology but then again if I set the offset to 1 it follows the vertical line and still quads the geo similarly. I'm pretty new to Houdini can you please help me understand why that decision was made?
    Thanks!

    [Time mark: 02:55]

    • rmagee 7 months ago  | 

      So that you are ready for what happens at 5:66 when you reshape some of the points to set up for the GATE - if the longer line was pointing up and down then the shape would not flow quite as nicely. It could still work but this works out a bit better.

  • SerjKirchano 6 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    Loved it!

  • Peps 4 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    Hi Robert
    thanks for these tutorials.
    I really enjoy them and learn more every day.
    In this lession, at minute 20:28 SHIFT +
    won´t let me apply the crease.
    Idon´t know if it´s because of version 20.5.445.
    Any advice?.
    Thanks in advance.

    • rmagee 4 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

      Shift+ turns on subdivision display for the object. You need to either be in that object or have it selected to get subdivisions.

      If the creases are not showing up you may have your display flag on the wrong node - maybe it is set before the creases so they are not being picked up.

  • Peps 4 months, 2 weeks ago  | 

    Thanks

  • Kathyz 1 month, 2 weeks ago  | 

    Hi Robert,

    Could you please tell me how to change snap point size when in polydraw split mode? I have change point marker size and handle size, and wire width, none of them work. I have a 32 inch 4K monitor, when in the polydraw node, under split mode, enable edge snap, set division, But the divided snap points are so tiny, it can barely to be seen. Please tell me where to adjust? I tried Houdini 21 and 20.5, they have the same issues. However, in this tutorial, these points are big enough to be seen, I wish I can have the point size as big as it is in the video, however, I couldn't find any solution anywhere. Please help.

    Thanks

    • rmagee 1 month, 2 weeks ago  | 

      Go to the Scene view Display options (press d in the scene view) - go to the Guides tab and set the Point marker size. This should allow you to get larger snap points.

      • Kathyz 1 month, 1 week ago  | 

        I have tried to change the point marker size, it only works on the regular points, it doesn't work on the snap points.

        • rmagee 1 month, 1 week ago  | 

          Strange - I tested it and the Point Marker size worked with both selected points and snap points. I was working with the Topobuild node in H21

  • MattyManX 6 days, 5 hours ago  | 

    Hey Robert,

    Thank you very much for this tutorial. I did not know about the polydraw node or what it could do, plus a few other little things in Houdini.

    I am using H21 build 440 and ran in to a small issue. In video 6, when creating the handle, you do the polydraw to make the shape followed by the dissolve node, but then when you go to do the poly extrude, I don't get the same results when you set the Insert value and deselect the "Output Front". On H21, the insert is not doing anything for me at that point. I had to do Distance instead of Insert and then delete the inner polygon. Is it possible that something has changed or maybe there is a bug that I should report?

    Thank you again

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