I am trying to follow what I learned at SIGG and its not working as shown.

Simple thing. I want to move some points of a NURBS sphere.
Now at SIGG I was shown that you 1st select CV's of the NURBS suirface followed by RMB click to validate selection. Then create a Transform or Transform Soft op. to move the points.
Well its not working for me. Neither it is working by creating a Transform op then picking points, followed by RMB.
I am also CONVINCED that Houdini does not work correctly with Wacom Intuos. Specifically the RMB DOES NOT work in Viewer to bring up the edit geometry pop-up, though it does work everywhere else for everything else. I have a normal MS 3 btn (with wheel) mouse as backup, which is what I use in Houdini.

The basic question is? How do I simply move CV's around like in any NURBS modeler.
Houdini is some of these basic respects, is unintuitive, compared to Maya, Rhino, and 3DS MAX. This simple stuff should not be confusing.

Dave Rindner

Hi David,


CVs
—————
There are many different ways that you can do to move your NURBS CVs depending on what you want to do later on in your workflow or what you're trying to achieve.

One way to do it is via Edit SOP. With Edit SOP, you can move anything to your heart's content. You select the points/primitives/edges and RMB to complete. If you strickly just want to model, Edit SOP will behave just like any other modeling packages exists today.

Another way to do it is via Transform/Soft Transform SOP. Using this won't be too much the same as using Edit SOP or any other modeling packages to accomplish this. For this, after you make a selection, you can move the point around. However, if you need to move a new set of point, you'd have to lay down another Transform SOP to do so. From modeling standpoint, you'd rather want to use Edit SOP instead. From Animation and Effects standpoint, you can keyframe the Transform SOP's channel and animate them.



Wacom
———————–
The Wacom Intous tablet works perfectly fine for me without any problem whatsoever under Houdini 5.5. I have been using both the Pen and the 4D Mouse without a hitch for everywhere and everything including Houdini.

Will you be willing to describe what operation were you trying to perform in the viewport? Can you perform tumbling operations and such in the viewport using the tablet?



Houdini
———————–
Once you give Houdini a chance and understood it's workflow and its paradigm, you'll never look at this package the same anymore. This was how I felt when I use Houdini for the first time coming from Softimage package a few years ago. Once you understand the paradigm in Houdini, you will find that you pretty much learned all the interface in Houdini. Please just give it a chance. You might come to the same conclusion as I do.


Cheers,
Alex

THX

But thats my question, and my problem. In neither Trans for NOR Edit Op the CV's actually move. I select them with the picker, click RMB, then try to move with LMB,but they just will not move. So my question is not answered. How do I move CV's about?

Dave

Hi David,

I just wanted to know, if you quit and restart your Houdini session, would you be able to do the selection and move around as your do in Edit SOP?

Although *I think* I might konw what you're talking about, but I think I might let SideFX personnel handle this one instead.


Take care,
Alex

Something is just not working right at all. The modeling OPs are not responding.
In SOP, I have a poly box. Then added to it PolySplit OP. But it won't let me actually perform. The instruction say select, press RMB. ITS NOT HAPPENING. Nothing is working in SOP. I don't know what going on.

In Edit OP. I have it set to transform. The Edit Op is highlighted in Network. In Viewer I select points, then press RMB. At that point NOTHING happens. The X-Form gizmo is NOT showing up. This is what I was doing at SIGG on a Sun machine. But nothing is working on my Win box in SOPs. Is there an option I ahve to have enabled. The Courseware videos, do not address this. They say select points, press RMB, then move. But the moving is not happeninf, nor is polsyplit.

I was rebuffed by SideFX guys, becouse I am learning on Apprentice. What do you think is going on. Even with my mouse the SOPs don't seem to be working. Basically, the SELECT->RMB proedure DOES NOT WORK, The RMB click does not evoke the operation. Where it sas "Select ….. then press right mouse button'. Well when I press RMB nothing happens.
Can't state it simple then that.

Dave

Hi David,

I am really sorry, I am not certain how to help you since what you described is different from what I was thinking. :cry: I think I'll just leave this up to the SideFX personnel.


So basically, even if you restart your Houdini session from fresh and immediately try to make a selection again, it still won't work?

Because if restarting Houdini works, then I probably konw what it is. But your case sounds like it's completely different… The only thing I can probably guess could be the problem is the graphics card. Because Houdini works perfectly over here on my old Oxygen GVX1 card and has no problem whatsoever.

Take care,
ALex

Hey David,

Have you tried looking at any of the video tutorials on the CD? Have you tried copying what they do and see if that works? Make sure you're right-clicking on empty space inside the viewport for your operations.

Note that there's a timer on the right-click operations so that if you hold down the right-mouse too long, it might try to bring up the context-sensitive menu instead of finishing the selection operation.

Another thing to try is to model without using the right-mouse.
- First make sure your caps lock is off. Houdini is case-sensitive with all its hotkeys.
- Open up houdini. By default, it starts up in the Object world. Note the word Object and the blue toolbars at the top of the panes.
- Other than paying attention to case-sensitivity of keystrokes, the hotkeys are also mouse location sensitive. This means that depending on where your mouse is, hotkeys will have different meaning. In this exercise, make sure that your mouse is always pointed inside the viewport for doing the following steps.
- Now move your mouse inside the viewport and hit the <i> key. This should bring you into the modelling world, named SOPs (for Surface Operators). The top toolbars should be green as opposed to blue for Objects.
- Hit the Tab key, type: box<enter>. (make sure you don't move the mouse once you have hit the tab key.) Now you should have a box.
- Make sure that you're viewing in shaded mode and not seeing wireframe. If you're seeing wireframe, then hit the <w> key.
- With your mouse inside the viewport, hit the <s> key. This brings you into the Select mode.
- Left-click on a single side of the box to only select that poly.
- Now hit the Tab key again, and type: edit<enter>
- A transform handle now appears. To move your poly, drag on the white lines of the handle.

Does this work for you? As for the right-mouse thing, perhaps you have some Wacom settings that are different from Alex's.

Hope this helps.

There are other discrepancies, that do not jive with Courseware videos.

Here are some examples
Multiple objects in OBJECTS. According to video, there is a toggle button on bottom of Viewer window that switches bettween isolating the selected object and viewing all objects in scene. Well in my case that button is dark grey and is inactive. You know how active buttons look like 3d buttons on raised lighter grey. Well over here that button is the same color as the backround grey and is inactive all the time.

Pane switcher. According to videos all panes have the button that chooses what is displayed in what pane. Well, in my case, that only works in default startup panes. If I split the pane, either Left2Right, or Top2Bottom, the new pane has that switch button inactive. The new pane is, be default, a Network Viewer, and cannot be switched to display any other view. I am going slowly, following step by step what the video is saying, and the basic behavior does not jive with instruction.

Some behavior is just plain bizzare and it feels like a bug.
Camera behavior in Viewer when its looking at null.
I have a camera looking at a null.
When the null is moved the camera tracks OK. But when camera is moved, things go to bizzare. Basically the axis of the camera, and the camera has little to do with each other. I move the camera, and I see that the transform gizmo of camera is in tottally different position then the camera itself. The camera also takes random Z-rotation, which it shouldn't as it is looking at an object. Now I realize that there are differences between Houdini and say Maya, or MAX. But in all 3d apps I know how to use, which are MAX, MAYA, Lightwave, EIU. Camera transforms are the same when looking at an object. In Houdini the behavior of tracking camera is bizzare.

I am, usually, quite quick picking up new 3d and comping apps. They all have similar tools, just in different places. Even faster when I have good training mats. But I do rely on simple fact that whatever is shown in the training materials actually jives with whats happening in the program. In my case, this does not seem to be the case.

Some definite crashes. Putting display into VEX Shaded freezes the application. This happens when using single and double buffered display.
In VEX Builder, deleting some nodes (Texture, Texture 3D so far) crashes the application.
In Channell Editor Graph. Selecting and simutaneously adjusting handle bars of multiple control points crashes the app often.

I really wish some SideFX person would explain what could possibly be happening.

Well I double checked my Wacom. Tip for LMB, lower finger button is MMB, upper finger button is RMB. I even duplicated these setting for Houdini in WACOM, where before they were just default settings. THey all work just fine in Rhino, MAX, Maya, Lightwave. In Houdini, RMB works in some places, not in others. In SOP it will not bring up the pop-up where EDIT GEOMETRY is, but only in Viewer window. RMB works fine elsewhere that I can see. In many RMB pop-ups, that do work with WACOM. I am uinable to select or toggle an option without changing others. The act of dragging the picker over options to get the one I need, causes those options to activate. I cannot avoid them as placing the picker outside the boundary of the pop-up closest it. I dunno, to me it feels like inadequate, and unintuitive, design. If I put away the stylus and use the mouse I can bring up all pop-ups. Otherwise, I cannot always follow the courseware videos, as I cannot duplicate the shown actions. Its very frustrating.

Dave Rindner

HI David,

Object View
—————-
You are talking about the second icon from the right, right? THe one that looks like there is a red triangle? That one will be grayed out if you're in hte Object editor. When you're in the SOP editor, you should be able to click on it.

Pane Switcher
—————-
WHen you say “what is displayed in what pane”, you mean stuff like either to display the Viewer, Parameter, etc? After you customize your editor you must save your desktop. THere are 2 ways to do this. One is via File>Save Current Desktop. If this still doesn't work, go to the Dialogs>Desktop Manager (or Alt-shift-d) and go to its File>Save Modified Desktop. That ought to do it. And your new session should start with whatever desktop you are setting.


Camera
————
In your viewport, you must lock your camera first in order to move your camera around. If you don't do so, the viewport will default back to its perspective camera. I believe that this is designed so that you can't accidently move your camera when you have things already set.

To lock your camera, go to your viewport first. Take at look at the bottom at the bar where it says “no camera”. Click on that and select the camera that you want to move. Now, immediately to your right, there is a lock icon. Click on that and your camera is now locked and you can move any way you wnat and your selected camera will follow you.


If you are talking about the tumbling, Houdini's tumbling is using the Quaternion based rotation, if I understand it properly, which means that there is no contraint. Most other packages that I know of are using ther Eular rotation, there its Y axis is locked. When you rotate your camera to the top view, you'll notice that there is a “lock” on certain axis. I believe this is what the gimbal lock is.


Crashes
———-
Since you're using the GeForce2 card, I think this is the cause of the crash from from your VEX Shaded mode. I don't have any problem with this display either on my old Oxygen GVX1. If you close your viewport window in the VEX Builder, will Houdini still crash when you deal with things in the Network editor?


Take care,
Alex

Another thing I forgot to mention, since this was a problem that a lot of students here forgot to do first before modeling in Houdini.

In SOP, make sure that you turn off your the Secure Selection (I call it a.k.a “selection lock”) The selection lock is located on the left side of the bar where you'll find the lock icon. The default is on. You can turn this off by default by going to the Preference>Tools>“Sop-Level Secure Selection On by Default”


Alex

Pane Window| In the Courseware and in product demo, it was clearly shown that when a pane is divided the new pane can display whatever information that I wish (Viewer, Network, Graph, etc..) So I say again. When I divide the panes the new panes CANNOT be changed. The button that rolls out the options for the pane display is inactive. The original panes, that were present when Houdini starts, can be changed just fine. The new ones cannot. Pressing down on that button in new panes does not bring up the options. Its simple as that.

Another problem that just crept. But its not consistent. Lets say I animate a channell. It animates in Viewer, the colors all get highlighted in properties in OBJECTS. But if I SCOPE that channell, the graph is not there. Fitting the window to graph does not display it. Even wierder there is no information in the Dope Sheet or Table. But the object is animated. I do make sure that Graph is scoped on the correct channel, but there is not graph. The viewer linking on all panes is set to (1). SO WHATS UP WITH THAT? This app is weird. It is not at all intuitive. Its quite confusing and unpredictable.
Here is another circumstance of above.
I animate a sphere moving up/down. Only the Ty channell has a graph. And initially I can scope it and edit it. Then I change DESKTOP to another layout, and make sure that all panes are linked. After changing desktop, I cannot at all scope that channell. The channell is brought up in the Channell Editor window, BUT THERE IS NO GRAPH, and NO KEYS IN DOPE OR TABLE. The range of the graph in the view is correct, but no graph is drawn. Simple as that. The object still animates, but I can no longer edit the graphs. What the heck is going on?

The thing that I hate about learning new apps, is that, in my experience, thay are ALWAYS ALWAYS buggy. And there is no way for a new guy to know, when he is experiencing a bug, or some little button somewhere is not activated. I am not sure what I am experiencing with 5.5, but what I am not experiencing is CONSISTENCY, which is vital for me to learn any application. Something different is happening every time. And for life of me, there are discrepancies between courseware videos/PDFs and actual program.

Dave

Hi David,

Multiple objects in OBJECTS. According to video, there is a toggle button on bottom of Viewer window that switches bettween isolating the selected object and viewing all objects in scene. Well in my case that button is dark grey and is inactive. You know how active buttons look like 3d buttons on raised lighter grey. Well over here that button is the same color as the backround grey and is inactive all the time.

Please try this:

Start a new Houdini session then select File -> New. Now, you'll have a blank session. In the Object's network pane, please add two Geometry Objects then select the 'geo1' Object node in the Object's network pane & maximise the viewport. Now, type ‘i’ in the viewport which will bring you to the SOPs viewport.

Notice at the top of the viewport '/geo/file1'? This tells you which object you're working with. Next, click on the Viewer Controls button, down arrow at the top left of the viewport. From the drop down list, select 'Clear Current Object (New)'. This will remove any OPs in the SOPs network.

Now, hit Tab in the Viewport & type: sphere<enter>. To have the ‘geo2’ Object showing up in the viewport, go to the bottom of the viewport & click on the second icon from right, it has a red triangle in it. This is how you can see other objects in the viewport. If you see only the red triangle, the viewport will not show other objects. If you see the red triangle with a blue grid & grey box, then the viewport will show other objects, in our case, the ‘geo2’ Object.

Pane switcher. According to videos all panes have the button that chooses what is displayed in what pane. Well, in my case, that only works in default startup panes. If I split the pane, either Left2Right, or Top2Bottom, the new pane has that switch button inactive. The new pane is, be default, a Network Viewer, and cannot be switched to display any other view. I am going slowly, following step by step what the video is saying, and the basic behavior does not jive with instruction.

Please try this:

Let's continue with the session from above. From the viewport, let's split it Top/Bottom. Looking at the new pane, please tell me what do you see in the Pane Controls, the bank of icons with the Pane Type menu, Jump Back & Jump Forward arrows etc. Do you see '/geo1/sphere1' in the Pane Controls? If you don't, something is wrong. If you do, are the Pane Type & Type(Objects, SOPs, etc) menu activated or greyed out?

I hope the above helps!

Cheers!
steven

>Please try this:

>>Start a new Houdini session then select File -> New. Now, you'll have a blank session. In the Object's network pane, please add two Geometry Objects then select the ‘geo1’ Object node in the Object's network pane & maximise the viewport. Now, type ‘i’ in the viewport which will bring >you to the SOPs viewport. Notice at the top of the viewport ‘/geo/file1’? This tells you which object you're working with. Next, click on the Viewer Controls button, down arrow at the top left of the viewport. From the drop down list, select ‘Clear Current Object (New)’. This will remove any OPs in the SOPs network. <<
OK so far.

>>Now, hit Tab in the Viewport & type: sphere<enter>. To have the ‘geo2’ Object showing up in the viewport, go to the bottom of the viewport & click on the second icon from right, it has a red triangle in it. This is how you can see other objects in the viewport. If you see only the red triangle, the viewport will not show other objects. If you see the red triangle with a blue grid & grey box, then the viewport will show other objects, in our case, the ‘geo2’ Object. <<

OK that works.

>>Please try this:

Let's continue with the session from above. From the viewport, let's split it Top/Bottom. Looking at the new pane, please tell me what do you see in the Pane Controls, the bank of icons with the Pane Type menu, Jump Back & Jump Forward arrows etc. Do you see ‘/geo1/sphere1’ in the Pane Controls? If you don't, something is wrong. If you do, are the Pane Type & Type(Objects, SOPs, etc) menu activated or greyed out?<<

The window splits and displays ‘/geo1/sphere1’. But the Pane controls button, is inactive. It is not raised, and pressing it does nothiong. Go figure!
THX for help. I guess this app needs to be learned under tuterage of experienced user. There is too much information stowd away in many different parts for a newbie to know when something is wrong or when its the user. I am perfectrly willing to say thats its all me. But I dunno what to do when app is not behaving accordign to tutorials.

Dave

Hi David,

I think the Desks' files are corrupted so please try the following:

Go to your system drive, the drive where \WINNT is. Then in that drive, look for the 'Documents and Settings' folder. In that folder, you'll see one with your login name. Please go into that folder.

In your login name folder, you'll see a houdini5.5 folder, go into the folder & delete the folder named 'desktop'. After deleting that folder, start Houdini & then split panes again. I think the pane controls should be okay now.

Please keep me posted.

OK, I think that did it. THX a lot. But you gotta admit, that these kind of problems just makes learning a more painfull proccess.

I have another question. I wanted to try out Bezier modeling tool. So I decoded to model a simple character.
I renamed Geo1 to ‘Froogy’
In SOP I created a Bezier sphere, with 8X8. Then using Edit, I reshaped the head to add ears and eyesocket bulges. Nothing pro looking, just want to get a feel for the modeling tools. I am 1st and foremost a 3d modeler. My usual tools are Rhino, formZ,and some Maya. I am a wiz with subdivs, and can create almost any hard surface model with NURBS. My URL is below.
I then created a new bezier curve OP for the body , in same Froggy model. Revolved with Revolve Op followed up with Edit op to sculpt the body. So now I have two 3d surfaces, both bezier, in the same model. I merged them together with Merge Op.
Me question, to which I cannot find the answer on CD_ROM. How do I add points, insert column or row of points to a Bezier surface? The PolySplit only works on polygon objects. Edge Divide Op does seem to work on Beziers. Which SOP am I looking for?
Edit Op, as far as I can figure, is used only for pulling and pushing of points. See I think that it should be allowed to use any of the modeling ops under Edit and not have be remembered. I understand the reasoning for proceduralism, but in some cases thats taking it too far. I see no need to have the app remember thousands of modeling operations where I refine the surface, and sculpt it.

Dave R

DavidRindner
In SOP it will not bring up the pop-up where EDIT GEOMETRY is, but only in Viewer window. RMB works fine elsewhere that I can see.

Could you explain this some more? The Edit Geometry option is only supposed to be available in the right-mouse pop-up menu of a particular object in the Objects Viewer. It will not show up in the SOPs Viewer for example, because the Edit Geometry item simply takes you to the SOPs level for that particular object.

DavidRindner
In many RMB pop-ups, that do work with WACOM. I am uinable to select or toggle an option without changing others. The act of dragging the picker over options to get the one I need, causes those options to activate. I cannot avoid them as placing the picker outside the boundary of the pop-up closest it.

Don't worry about that, it will only change the option if you release the mouse while over that item. It only changes to show its effect while your mouse is over it.

DavidRindner
If I put away the stylus and use the mouse I can bring up all pop-ups.

So reading your current messages, it seems that you are able to model now. I assume that is because you're using a mouse and not the stylus? It's very strange that since Alex is using the same stylus as you and has no problems, it seems that you should be able to as well. First of all, can we check that you are in fact using the same hardware and drivers for the stylus between you two?

DavidRindner
How do I add points, insert column or row of points to a Bezier surface?

Try the Refine SOP.

David,

I am very sorry that I have caused such a big problem for you concerning the Stylus instead of helping. I have comfirmed that the RMB “Operator” menu problem by comparing the Pen and the Mouse. By mentioning the “Operator” Menu, I mean the menu which contain the list of Display, Template, Template Input, Lock, etc. list inside the Viewport upon RMB clicking on the geometry.

What I have discovered was that due to the slight movement of the Pen from the our hand, the RMB becomes somewhat unpredictable. However, if I hold the Pen fairly still (which is a bit difficult), the Operator menu comes up in a very normal fashion as the Mouse RMB would have.

I have send an email to the SideFX personnel about this to have them comfirm this. Please accept my sincere apology for the problem and misunderstanding which I may have caused.

Most Sincerely,
Alex