Houdini 20.5 Shelf tools

RBD Convex Proxy shelf tool

Creates a number of rigid bodies from SOP geometry, which use proxy geometry from a convex decomposition.

On this page

Overview

This tool uses the Convex Decomposition SOP to generate proxy geometry for the RBD objects. A compound collision shape built from several convex hulls can be much faster to simulate for concave geometry.

This tool is similar to the RBD Sphere Proxy tool on the Rigid Bodies shelf. However, instead of using proxy geometry composed of spheres, it preserves hard edges and creates more accurate shapes. RBD Sphere Proxy tool is very lightweight and fast, which is useful for background objects where you don’t mind rounded out corners as a tradeoff for speed. Convex Decomposition is useful for more complex or foreground objects with many hard edges.

Using RBD Convex Proxy

  1. Select the geometry to convert to RBD objects.

  2. Optionally, define the pieces to be fractured. For example, using the Shatter tool.

  3. Click the RBD Convex Proxy tool on the Rigid Bodies tab.

  4. Modify the parameters of the Convex Decomposition SOP, if necessary, to adjust the concavity threshold used by the convex decomposition.

  5. Switch the display flag to the Transform Pieces SOP to see the original geometry transformed based on the motion of the proxy objects.

For specific parameter help see the RBD Packed Object or Convex Decomposition help.

See also

Shelf tools

Using the shelf

  • Customize the shelf

    How to change the look of the shelf, change and rearrange its contents, and create your own shelf tools.

Technical