Hello all fellow Houdini users.

Just want to post an update on my Houdini creature project. I promised that, once finished, I will make the project available for free. And I intend to keep that promise. The project is featured by SideEffects on Apprentice page at http://www.sidefx.com/products/apprentice/profile/david_rindner/index.html [sidefx.com]
You can also see the white test of completed geometry at http://sv2.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/imgView.php?imgID=6685 [sv2.3dbuzz.com]

What I am doing now is setting up the facial rig. I may not have time to setup complete articulated skeleton rig, but I want to at least have facial rig included, as the creature has a complex interlocking clamshell mouth.
Basically I want the model to be able to open and close it mouth, blink, and do some basic facial expressions. I don't think it will need all 16 phenome expressions. That said, I really like the way the faical rigging can be done in Houdini using traditional weighted shape animation. The BlendSOP is where mixing takes place. The channells of BlendSOP can be tied via CHOPs or expressions to sliders. My preference is to have freefloating nulls that are constrained to Y axis motion as controlles for shape animation weights. Those nulls are parented to camera so they are always floating in camera view. Its just my Maya/MAX approach transfered to Houdini. Well thats all. If anyone has a suggestion, please drop me an e-mail. Someone on this board said that Houdini is easy to learn, once it clicks. I have to agree with that.

Dave Rindner