INSTANCE VARIATIONS | UE4

Learn how to create a standalone Houdini Digital Asset containing multiple Houdini object (OBJ) nodes inside.

In Houdini

1. Install and instantiate the Instancing_ObjectInstancingByAttribute_Finished.hda example in Houdini.
2. the Instancing_ObjectInstancingByAttribute1 > instance1 node in the network editor.
3. You should have attribcreate2 node selected.In the Scene View pane, go to the Geometry Spreadsheet tab.
4. At the top of the Geometry Spreadsheet window, beside the Group field, click the Points button.
5. You'll see the instance string attribute with paths to objects being instanced and you should see that two different kinds of starfish are being instanced.
   

In UE4

1. Right-click in the Content Browser and select Import to....
2. Find the provided HoudiniCacti.hda and import it.
3. Drag it over the viewport and let it cook. You should see a bunch of cacti.
4. In the Details pane, scroll down to the Houdini Generated Meshes section and click on the Bake All button.
5. You should now have 3 cacti in the Content Browser as ordinary Unreal static meshes - equivalent to an FBX import.
6. Delete the HoudiniCacti asset from the viewport/World Outliner.
7. Import the Instancing_ObjectInstancingByAttribute_Finished.hda example asset.
8. Drag it over to the viewport and let it cook. You should see a bunch of starfishes.
9. In the Details pane, find the Houdini Instanced Inputs section. You should see an entry for the yellow starfish and one for the blue starfish.
10. Drag the bright tall cactus, ...bake0_0_0..., over the yellow starfish to replace it.
11. Drag the dark tall cactus, ...bake0_1_0..., over the blue starfish to replace.
12. You can also add variations on the Unreal side. Click on the + button beside the bight tall cactus (what used to be the yellow starfish).
13. You should have another entry in the Houdini Instanced Inputs section with a yellow starfish. Replace it with the small spherical cactus, ...bake0_2_0....
14. Admire your cacti forest.