Wow first post.
by James Brad Barnette · in Artist Corner · 03/20/2008 (9:37 pm) · 29 replies
Hmm I figured there would be more of us in here already.
Anyway I just got my beta accoutn activated and access tot he downloads on the houdini site but there are a LOT of builds and Idon't know what I supposed to get. And I don't know if there is somewhere I 'm supposed to download the exporter.
Anyway I just got my beta accoutn activated and access tot he downloads on the houdini site but there are a LOT of builds and Idon't know what I supposed to get. And I don't know if there is somewhere I 'm supposed to download the exporter.
About the author
#22
I don't see any. Anyone else see anything?
03/24/2008 (8:56 pm)
Quote:here are a number of example scenes I created => not sure if they shipped with the latest Houdini (9.1.189 at time of writing) or not. These scenes show the required hierarchy and demonstrate some of the features of the DTS format (IFL, auto details, morph animation etc).
I don't see any. Anyone else see anything?
#23
Unfortunately, the weights brought in with FBX are not compatible with the regular way they would be edited in Houdini. Normally, you would create a bone and bind it to a mesh. That bone would have a capture region, which would define vertex weights for deforming the mesh. By changing the shape, size and other properties of the capture region, you would be able to easily edit the weights.
However, since FBX can potentially bring in skinned meshes from a large number of programs, each of which does skinning differently, vertex weights for skinning have to baked, and therefore are not compatible with the capture regions (you can still create and bind them to the mesh, but they will override any previously existing FBX weights).
If I understood correctly, you're asking how can you extract the contents of the imported FBX subnet into another network, is this correct? If yes, the answer is that you can actually just copy-paste nodes out of the imported FBX subnet into your general ("/obj") network.
To do this, say you've got a "rigid_meshes" subnet created by FBX importer. Here's what you do:
1) In the network panel, as per your last screenshot, dive into the rigid_meshes node by either double-clicking on it or selecting it with a single click and then pressing "i".
2) Once inside the subnetwork, select all nodes you wish to extract from it (you can also hit Ctrl + A to select all of them).
3) Cut the nodes by either hitting Ctrl + X or choosing Edit->Cut from the main menu.
4) Go back ("dive out of") the subnetwork. You can do this by pressing "u" or by clicking on the "obj" in the top toolbar of the network pane.
5) Paste the nodes into your general ("obj") network either by hitting Ctrl + V or by choosing Edit->Paste from the main menu.
You should now have the contents of you original FBX subnetwork in your main general network.
Note that if you had any skeletons in the original imported files, the bones will now face in the wrong directions. However, the animation/skinning is still going to be correct, since the bones are for display only. They appear wrong because the "Look at" value of each bone does not get changed when you move them from one network to another, and thus Houdini cannot find them once they're gone.
03/25/2008 (8:01 am)
Hi Rex,Quote:Is there some info on how to get your FBX characters working with Houdini controls/weights?
Unfortunately, the weights brought in with FBX are not compatible with the regular way they would be edited in Houdini. Normally, you would create a bone and bind it to a mesh. That bone would have a capture region, which would define vertex weights for deforming the mesh. By changing the shape, size and other properties of the capture region, you would be able to easily edit the weights.
However, since FBX can potentially bring in skinned meshes from a large number of programs, each of which does skinning differently, vertex weights for skinning have to baked, and therefore are not compatible with the capture regions (you can still create and bind them to the mesh, but they will override any previously existing FBX weights).
Quote:I'd really like to find out how to 'decompose' my FBX elements into the main Scene root, instead of being nested with the FBX object/node/subnet??
If I understood correctly, you're asking how can you extract the contents of the imported FBX subnet into another network, is this correct? If yes, the answer is that you can actually just copy-paste nodes out of the imported FBX subnet into your general ("/obj") network.
To do this, say you've got a "rigid_meshes" subnet created by FBX importer. Here's what you do:
1) In the network panel, as per your last screenshot, dive into the rigid_meshes node by either double-clicking on it or selecting it with a single click and then pressing "i".
2) Once inside the subnetwork, select all nodes you wish to extract from it (you can also hit Ctrl + A to select all of them).
3) Cut the nodes by either hitting Ctrl + X or choosing Edit->Cut from the main menu.
4) Go back ("dive out of") the subnetwork. You can do this by pressing "u" or by clicking on the "obj" in the top toolbar of the network pane.
5) Paste the nodes into your general ("obj") network either by hitting Ctrl + V or by choosing Edit->Paste from the main menu.
You should now have the contents of you original FBX subnetwork in your main general network.
Note that if you had any skeletons in the original imported files, the bones will now face in the wrong directions. However, the animation/skinning is still going to be correct, since the bones are for display only. They appear wrong because the "Look at" value of each bone does not get changed when you move them from one network to another, and thus Houdini cannot find them once they're gone.
#24
I'm continuing to find things out about the pipeline and HD in general and am posting them here, again; thanks for stopping in to help clear up some basic questions. For our exporting, figuring out what rigs are actually needed, and how they'll parse will need to be understood. I'd love to setup and use the super controls HD offeres, not sure how it's going to leave HD...and that's the crux of the biscuit....as it were, ;). Not how hard HD is to work...
The last bit about the moving the mesh without the rig, may prove very beneficial; as with a multi-weighted mesh in DTS[skinnedmesh], it needs to be moved out of the subnet of the skeletal rig. Doing this and watching an existing rig snap to a new transform would be more than a little unnerving....without knowing that it doesn't affect animation or deformation transforms. Might get a skinned mesh soon then[unless this network level transform EXPORTS! the rig facing backwards], as they're fairly important shapes, players, creatures...my vehicles even become skinned meshes sometimes.
03/25/2008 (10:12 am)
Thanks, Oleg, great information about HD. I got thru the cut/copy/paste procedures, the weighting/control limitations is also good to know about, as I see a large volume of 3rd party OBJ/COLLADA/FBX arriving in HD, needing some good ole' 'tough love' to get working...LOL.I'm continuing to find things out about the pipeline and HD in general and am posting them here, again; thanks for stopping in to help clear up some basic questions. For our exporting, figuring out what rigs are actually needed, and how they'll parse will need to be understood. I'd love to setup and use the super controls HD offeres, not sure how it's going to leave HD...and that's the crux of the biscuit....as it were, ;). Not how hard HD is to work...
The last bit about the moving the mesh without the rig, may prove very beneficial; as with a multi-weighted mesh in DTS[skinnedmesh], it needs to be moved out of the subnet of the skeletal rig. Doing this and watching an existing rig snap to a new transform would be more than a little unnerving....without knowing that it doesn't affect animation or deformation transforms. Might get a skinned mesh soon then[unless this network level transform EXPORTS! the rig facing backwards], as they're fairly important shapes, players, creatures...my vehicles even become skinned meshes sometimes.
#25
It's alive......it's ALIVE! KORK is now dancing his way out of HOUDINI. Wow...was that a wild ride, Mr. Toad! There are still a few things to clean up, but I have seen a skinned mesh issue from HD just now. He is also animated to his 718 frames of dancing you've all seen in the demo hundred's of times. He had this animation when loaded as an FBX file, and now thru Chris's hard work: the rig and skinned, textured mesh export now. Woo-hoo.
Gotta go get some groceries now....back later tonight! Sorry, no time for snappies!
03/25/2008 (3:16 pm)
3:13pmIt's alive......it's ALIVE! KORK is now dancing his way out of HOUDINI. Wow...was that a wild ride, Mr. Toad! There are still a few things to clean up, but I have seen a skinned mesh issue from HD just now. He is also animated to his 718 frames of dancing you've all seen in the demo hundred's of times. He had this animation when loaded as an FBX file, and now thru Chris's hard work: the rig and skinned, textured mesh export now. Woo-hoo.
Gotta go get some groceries now....back later tonight! Sorry, no time for snappies!
#26
I've just had confirmation from SideFX that the example scenes were not included with the 9.1.189 Houdini build, I'm working with them now to get the examples included in the next build => sorry for the confusion and delay everyone.
03/26/2008 (2:25 am)
Quote:I don't see any. Anyone else see anything?
I've just had confirmation from SideFX that the example scenes were not included with the 9.1.189 Houdini build, I'm working with them now to get the examples included in the next build => sorry for the confusion and delay everyone.
#27
03/26/2008 (4:50 pm)
The example files that Chris is mentioning will be available in the next build that should be up the day after tomorrow. Hopefully that should help clear up some issues and provide good illustrations on how to set up your models.
#28
03/29/2008 (4:09 pm)
Anyone tried any of the 9.1.19x builds yet? Are the example files in there it looks like some fixes have been made to the exporter since 9.1.189. I see there is a 197 for win32. Hopefully there will be an update for Win64 soon. I'm currently still at 189. but I'm just now getting a chance to go through the DT training for Houdini.
#29
The example scenes demonstrate some of the available functionality, as well as how to set up the scene correctly in Houdini.
All examples should be 'export ready'. Post in this forum (not this thread) if you have any trouble.
03/30/2008 (3:12 pm)
The 9.1.197 build has the example scenes. Just go Help->Example Files->Render Nodes. Hit 'Load' for the scene and it will be added as an HDA (Houdini Digital Asset) under the /obj node. Inside the HDA (just double click the node or use the tree view) is a ropnet containing the Torque export node.The example scenes demonstrate some of the available functionality, as well as how to set up the scene correctly in Houdini.
All examples should be 'export ready'. Post in this forum (not this thread) if you have any trouble.
Torque Owner Rex
BrokeAss Games
Oh, and btw: there are AutoDetail markers as well. These nodes are only available within a Geometry Container node.....