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02 HelloHoudini 2023

The document outlines the second lecture of a CG Animation & Simulation course focused on Houdini, led by Prof. Doug James. It includes announcements for installing software, completing a pre-course survey, and starting homework that involves modeling in Houdini. The document also details various tasks and exercises to familiarize students with Houdini's geometry tools and animation features.

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8 views23 pages

02 HelloHoudini 2023

The document outlines the second lecture of a CG Animation & Simulation course focused on Houdini, led by Prof. Doug James. It includes announcements for installing software, completing a pre-course survey, and starting homework that involves modeling in Houdini. The document also details various tasks and exercises to familiarize students with Houdini's geometry tools and animation features.

Uploaded by

woomby.edu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2019 Houdini Gallery Reel

https://vimeo.com/348882771
Lecture 02

“Hello Houdini”
CS348C-23W CG: Animation & Simulation

Prof. Doug James


Last class: What could go wrong? 😭😭
Announcements
• Install Houdini Apprentice
• Fill out pre-course survey: https://bit.ly/2Fpo5vt
• Start Homework #1
• Think about what you’d like to model over the next
two weeks, e.g., for HW2 Procedural Modeling
Homework #1:
Hello Houdini [1 week, 10%, ]

• Learn some Houdini!


• Start reading and watching videos
• Make something simple
• Submit Wednesday for Thursday “Weeklies”
• Canvas: Video (or image) + Houdini file
• Dropbox: Video (or image)
https://www.sidefx.com/learn/getting_started

https://www.sidefx.com/tutorials/houdini-foundations-book
Let’s model things in Houdini
Focus on geometry tools for now--ignore physics.
Model then screenshot.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ts2aqvi8khkp8pn/HelloHoudini-
2023.hipnc?dl=0
Task #0: Check out workspace
Check out:
• Houdini Workspace
• Shelf tools vs “Tab Menu”
• Nodes & Networks
• Display Options (d)
• Geometry Spreadsheet
• Viewing (ESC, spacebar)
Task #1: Model a subdivision surface
Stuff to explore:
• Create a Geometry node and “dive
in” (“u” : Jump Up)
• Create a Box
• PolyExtrude then Subdivide
• PolyReduce to simplify

Check out:
• Houdini Workspace
• Shelf tools vs “Tab Menu”
• Nodes & Networks
• Display Options
• Geometry Spreadsheet
• Viewing (ESC, spacebar)
Task #2: Use HScript to animate simplification
$ Description

Things to explore: $FPS Playback speed in frames per second (as set with the Playbar

controls).

• Simple parameter expressions $FSTART Frame number of the first frame of animation (as set with the

• Avoids VEX/VOP nodes Playbar controls). $NFRAMES (the number of frames in the

animation) = $FEND - $FSTART + 1.

• E.g., Simplification $FEND Frame number of the last frame of animation (as set with the

Playbar controls).

$F The current frame, (as set with the Playbar controls). This is a very

useful variable, especially for rendered picture filename numbering.

$FF Floating point frame number.

$NFRAMES Number of frames in the animation. $NFRAMES = $FEND -

$FSTART + 1.

$T Current time in seconds. Equals ($F-1)/$FPS

$TLENGTH Total length of animation in seconds.

$TSTART Start time of animation in seconds.


BTW: Please turn on AutoSave!
Things to explore:
• “Edit > Auto Save”

PS: If it does crash, look for a crash


file in your root ($HIP) directory.
Task #3: Model a huge table
Things to explore:
• Box
• PolyBevel
• Taper
• “Copy and Transform”
• Subdivide / Polyreduce
• Merge
• Color
• “Copy parameter” & “Paste
relative reference”
Task #3: Keyframe: Animate a bunny hop
Things to explore:
• File
• Transforms
• Parent
• Box
• “Transform” node
• Keyframes
• Add Keyframe: “alt LMB”
• Del Keyframe: "ctrl LMB"
• Animation Editor: “shift LMB”
• Can keyframe pretty much anything (!)
• Make a Flipbook and export frames
Task #4: Copying: Create a spiky ball or virus
Things to explore:
• Sphere (mesh)
• Copy to Points (or Copy Stamp)
• Merge
• Watch orientation
Task #5: CSG: Create a metal screen with holes
Things to explore:
• Booleans
• Constructive Solid Geometry
(CSG)
• Subtract, Union or Intersect
• Parameter references
Task #6: Groups: Model a Chessboard
Things to explore:
• Explore Groups
• Explore “Group Expression” SOP
Task #7: Understand Attributes
Things to explore:
• Attribute types
• Point, Vertex, Primitive, Detail
• Attribute Transfer
• Attribute Blur
• Attribute Randomize
• Attribute Noise
• …
• Recall: Geometry Spreadsheet
Task #8: Wrangle some attributes
Things to explore:
• Attribute Wrangle
• Runs over points, vertices, primitives, or
detail (only once) ...
• Important attributes have names, e.g.,
• @P : Position
• @N : Normal
• @Cd : Diffuse color
• Indexing: @ptnum, @primnum
• Uses VEX scripting language
• https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/vex
• Python nodes also available
• https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/hom
Task #10: Iteration: Model the Cantor Set
Things to explore:
• Grid
• Scaled copies
• For-Each loop
Task #11: Implicits: Color some isosurfaces
Things to explore:
• Conversion
• (points,mesh)  volume
• VDB tools
• Color isosurfaces
Task 12: Measure: Find largest isosurface
Things to explore:
• Measure (area)
• Attribute Promote (for total area)
• Visualize
• Group Expression
Up next: VEX code and VOPs

• Finer control using code


(VEX) and visual expressions
• http://www.sidefx.com/docs
/houdini/vex
• You can also write Python
code if you want ;)
A VOP shader network
Homework #1:
Hello Houdini [1 week, 10%, ]

• Learn some Houdini!


• Make something
• Submit Wednesday for Thursday “Weeklies”

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