Houdini is a program for design (vfx, 3d modeling, etc.). How can a design program have such an ugly design?

Of course, it is preferable that the design does not burden the computer for greater performance, however, the interface could be improved without stressing the PC.

It looks like you just start to use the software so you might get a little bit of confidence with it.

personally I found it one of the best out there. sure, it's not perfect and there is a lot of room for improvement.
actually I find it very smart and functional

Do you think Nuke is prettier?

"How can a design program have such an ugly design?"
Well when you say 'ugly' I'm assuming you're talking about the aesthetics of the design and not functionality.

I can gaurantee that the most beautiful architectual buildings were constructed with the most worn, dirty and ugly construction tools. Those tools where chosen because of their functionality and not how they look/appear - and their appearance had zero distraction from being able to be used in the best possible way.

I have a strong artistic / design background, so maybe I personally also mind that native theme with strong outlines and gradients - but the other way around I don't want a circus either.

I've been using AXSC Houdini Theme [axelschoterman.com] for about four years now with a slight gamma change in in the color settings, because it's too dark otherwise. I think this makes Houdini look classic and timeless - I certainly don't need anything else for the next 10 years.

taste in UI changes over the years, so it's always difficult to keep everyone happy all the time
anyone remembers when this was considered beautiful UI?

Dassault has left the forum

Huge complex products are developed with Catia V5 or V6 and they don't win the beauty contest.


I have to say small updates on the UI would be nice.

paolorava.freelance
actually I find it very smart and functional

Am I the only one struggling with the design and functionality of the Edit Type Properties Window?

For me it's just a constant frustration of mouse dragging and resizing.

How youthful modern "designer" represents Houdini ?

I miss this clear and simple design.

timurproko
mess

I don't mean any disrespect, but for someone with so much design experience, you should understand that presenting a massive clot of text like this makes it extremely tedious to read. I'm sure there are good points in there, but I'll never know because there's no way I'm navigating through that jungle.

I believe that Houdini's approach to interface was also procedural. i mean its just some bitmaps that replaces VEX code and are stack on top of each other withount any design touch. Without any bigger picture. And thats why it looks so ugly and more like software for programmers from '90 than 3D app for designers, artists and animators.

I can feel it :-) PS. i hate the boxy look so much. It makes me think its very old software, outdated and not modern. I dont know how to check whats under the hood so i judge by the look :-) like most of the artists. Thats the truth.

.

All those who think Houdini looks like some ancient thing from the 90s should go and use any of the lovely proprietary "cutting edge" software from any of the big vfx vendors and animations studios. It mostly feels like you've been catapulted to the late 70s. I'm happy if I get so much as antialiased fonts.

timurproko
For instance, having many thin separators between windows is an outdated approach to UI design.

Out of curiosity, what is the issue with this approach? Is it entirely stylistic or does it introduce functional problems and if so what are the more modern solutions to those problems?

eikonoklastes

timurproko
mess

for someone with so much design experience, you should understand that presenting a massive clot of text like this makes it extremely tedious to read.

You mean a post consisting of paragraphs containing 2-4 sentences each? I'm not sure I agree with the post's conclusions but calling its text a "mess" seems like a weird criticism.

vik_lc
I have a strong artistic / design background, so maybe I personally also mind that native theme with strong outlines and gradients - but the other way around I don't want a circus either.

I've been using AXSC Houdini Theme [axelschoterman.com] for about four years now with a slight gamma change in in the color settings, because it's too dark otherwise. I think this makes Houdini look classic and timeless - I certainly don't need anything else for the next 10 years.

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How did you setup the gamma change?

coccosoids
How did you setup the gamma change?

Under Edit / Color Settings / Gamma (from 1.0 to 1.35).

-

I also modified the Gimzo / Handle colors under $HH/config/3DSceneColors.dark

Houdini should update the UI/UX,just like UE4 to UE5.

sometimes I have the feeling you peeps are spending more time starring at Houdini than working in it.
Its a tool, the only thing holding me back getting something out of it is myself or not enough RAM.

sekow
sometimes I have the feeling you peeps are spending more time starring at Houdini than working in it.
Its a tool, the only thing holding me back getting something out of it is myself or not enough RAM.

A lot of the noise surrounding the look of Houdini's UI is just actual noise, but there have been many valid complaints about the functionality of the UI and how it could be improved, and hopefully SideFX continue working on that.

Things like streamlining workflows to reduce the number of clicks, or implementing helpers to nudge users in the right direction will always be welcome. The recent in-viwer tool help UI is a good example of that.

Moving more workflows to SOPs is also a good example of dramatically easing the UX by reducing the need to jump between networks.

Hopefully, we see more of these as Houdini evolves.

If I may try to contribute...

What about such an old tool like a hammer and a chisel. Since its "invention" they are still the same. No New UI, no new paradigm. And they still have no undo, and are NOT procedural at all.

And yet there is so much a stonemason can still do with them. Imagine the David statue by DaVinci, imagine all the cultural heritage around the globe. All this done with a toolset that has been around for literally thousands of years. And yet no one questioned their user interface. I can only use a hammer just to drive nails into walls and wood.

And while we're at it. Why not change the UI of a Pen, a brush, their design is just too simple, why not make a pen, more organic. Just a stick with a graphite core, that leaves traces on paper. That's not modern design. Make it fancier, maybe to a point where it gets _really_ unusable. Just for the sake of having done some "new design"?

Someone I don't recall right now coined the expression Form follows function. I have an actual proof of why designers should sometimes be kept off. My external 5TB disc is not flat actually, it has a camber. Nice looking, but just enough so you can not stack them, they slide off. And their rubber feet are not usefull at all. Having my laptop on my lap and this disc sitting above the keyboard it slides away. Why ? Design above functionality...







Have a look at the disapearing scrollbars. What a cool idea, to save 16pixels at each side of the window... Really? On an 16k Screen? Why is the actual size of the list withheld ? How should i select the zsh-dev package when the scrollbar appears as soon as I come close to this item? That's to me the outcome of a design first approach.



Just my $0.02!
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