Hey Mike has there been a tools update for UE4.26? The current Vat script tools that convert the Jason File over to a working material is no longer showing up. The Script tool to convert the texture settings over does show up but does not apply settings. Thanks Jeremy

VAT stuff is amazing!

But is there any solution for the initial offset? I am fracturing the pieces on demand and want the leftover mesh to not have seams.

What is the root cause the initial offset?

Thanks for any feedback

Jeremy Kendall
Hey Mike has there been a tools update for UE4.26? The current Vat script tools that convert the Jason File over to a working material is no longer showing up. The Script tool to convert the texture settings over does show up but does not apply settings. Thanks Jeremy

So the Scripted actions are defined in the SideFX_Utilities_BP and this relies on the DataPrep plugin.

Make sure the DataPrep (experiemental) plugin is enabled.

bobcober0
VAT stuff is amazing!

But is there any solution for the initial offset? I am fracturing the pieces on demand and want the leftover mesh to not have seams.

What is the root cause the initial offset?

Thanks for any feedback

Hey, I'm working on that initial offset issue right now. A fix will come in the next few days.


Just to piggyback my answer to Jeremy's post on this as well: I noticed the JSON file generation script broken with VAT2.0, because some underlying system has changed. If you use VAT2.1, it should work normally. Please let me know if that's still an issue.


We are actively working on updating VAT and its content plugin. Stay tuned.

@MaiAo Hey I am still having issues with the json script.Its not adding the settings as Jeremy was saying .

VAT 2.1 should be automatically installed when you update the labs tools right?
Thanks

martinez3d
Hey Mike!

I'm using Houdini Core here, and followed the steps of the video, and everything seems to work fine, except that my final mesh seems to be inflated. Any idea why?

The issue happens only in VAT 2.1, if I switch to VAT 2.0 the mesh doesn't get inflated.

I will attach an image from the template debug inside Houdini, but the extends to unreal as well. I will also add a simple file to better illustrate the issue.

Cheers!

EDIT: Just got an email from sideFx about this issue. It seems to be a gotcha with RBD bullet solver, the workaround is to add the "rest" "pivot" and "orient" attributes as output on the RBD Bullet Solver.

I am also getting inflated geometry. I tried having the RBDBulletSolver transfer "rest", "pivot", and "orient", however this causes the LabsVertexAnimationTexturres node to throw errors when all three are exported. If less than all three are exported there are no errors but the objects are still inflated. Their rotations seem to be as expected. Has anyone else run into this? H18.5.499,VAT2.1

jumax
@MaiAo Hey I am still having issues with the json script.Its not adding the settings as Jeremy was saying .

VAT 2.1 should be automatically installed when you update the labs tools right?
Thanks

Hi, it should. You can verify that by going to Houdini main menu bar > Windows > Asset Manager > Configuration tab, set Asset Bar: to "Display Menu of All Definitions" or "Display Menu If Multiple Definitions". Then you should conveniently see which version of any node you are using on the top of the parameter interface. If you don't want the hassle or the look of the persistent bar, you can also just hold middle mouse button on VAT ROP. A grey text right under the node name shows its version number.

ejnoiz

martinez3d
Hey Mike!

I'm using Houdini Core here, and followed the steps of the video, and everything seems to work fine, except that my final mesh seems to be inflated. Any idea why?

The issue happens only in VAT 2.1, if I switch to VAT 2.0 the mesh doesn't get inflated.

I will attach an image from the template debug inside Houdini, but the extends to unreal as well. I will also add a simple file to better illustrate the issue.

Cheers!

EDIT: Just got an email from sideFx about this issue. It seems to be a gotcha with RBD bullet solver, the workaround is to add the "rest" "pivot" and "orient" attributes as output on the RBD Bullet Solver.

I am also getting inflated geometry. I tried having the RBDBulletSolver transfer "rest", "pivot", and "orient", however this causes the LabsVertexAnimationTexturres node to throw errors when all three are exported. If less than all three are exported there are no errors but the objects are still inflated. Their rotations seem to be as expected. Has anyone else run into this? H18.5.499,VAT2.1

Hi, could you show us a HIP file to help you debug?

MaiAo

ejnoiz

martinez3d
Hey Mike!

I'm using Houdini Core here, and followed the steps of the video, and everything seems to work fine, except that my final mesh seems to be inflated. Any idea why?

The issue happens only in VAT 2.1, if I switch to VAT 2.0 the mesh doesn't get inflated.

I will attach an image from the template debug inside Houdini, but the extends to unreal as well. I will also add a simple file to better illustrate the issue.

Cheers!

EDIT: Just got an email from sideFx about this issue. It seems to be a gotcha with RBD bullet solver, the workaround is to add the "rest" "pivot" and "orient" attributes as output on the RBD Bullet Solver.

I am also getting inflated geometry. I tried having the RBDBulletSolver transfer "rest", "pivot", and "orient", however this causes the LabsVertexAnimationTexturres node to throw errors when all three are exported. If less than all three are exported there are no errors but the objects are still inflated. Their rotations seem to be as expected. Has anyone else run into this? H18.5.499,VAT2.1

Hi, could you show us a HIP file to help you debug?[/quote}

Definitely, here's a stripped down test HIP file.

ejnoiz

MaiAo

ejnoiz
I am also getting inflated geometry. I tried having the RBDBulletSolver transfer "rest", "pivot", and "orient", however this causes the LabsVertexAnimationTexturres node to throw errors when all three are exported. If less than all three are exported there are no errors but the objects are still inflated. Their rotations seem to be as expected. Has anyone else run into this? H18.5.499,VAT2.1

Hi, could you show us a HIP file to help you debug?[/quote}

Definitely, here's a stripped down test HIP file.

Hi, I looked at your file. The bug is triggered (not to say it should be by design, but it currently is) by missing point attribute @name on your packed geometry. If your final node to render has @name on points, it will work. It's also generally good practice to have @name on your pack points before and after destruction sims. It makes some point wrangling a lot easier.

If you are interested: the reason why the bug was happening was that VAT ROP contains a switch node that checks for the presence of point attribute @rest, @orient, and @pivot. When all these 3 attributes are present, it will expect @name from points as well (which you didn't have; therefore it triggered the error message).

When those 3 point attributes are not all present, VAT implicitly tries to retrieve them by unpacking your packed geometry. Those attribute, along with @name, can usually be found in the unpacked output of DOP sims. In this case, it looks for @name as a primitive attribute instead of a point attribute, because @name often is a primitive (and sometimes both primitive and point, depending on how user set it up) attribute coming out of DOP sims.

In Monday's daily Labs build, I will make a change to VAT ROP to remove the point @name dependency.

Hi,
I need to import a RigidBody simulation in Unreal exported by VAT, but after I'm defining the material values and textures the asset has holes. How can I solve?
Another question: How can I create LODs for my simulation with vertex animation?
I used Houdini 18.5.499, VAT 2.1 and Unreal 4.25 and 4.26

Mary537
Hi,
I need to import a RigidBody simulation in Unreal exported by VAT, but after I'm defining the material values and textures the asset has holes. How can I solve?
Another question: How can I create LODs for my simulation with vertex animation?
I used Houdini 18.5.499, VAT 2.1 and Unreal 4.25 and 4.26

Hi, what you captured in the screenshot is a known bug with VAT-Rigid export mode. The fix is very very soon (April 27th Edit: the release data was pushed back; expected to come early May 2021). Stay tuned!

To your second question, you will unfortunately have to export separate meshes and textures for LOD purposes and control LOD using BP or code. Because the textures and exported vertices of the mesh are intrinsically mapped one-to-one, you cannot LOD the mesh in the traditional way and still be able to use the same vertex animation textures.

I see, thanks for checking it! I had a "name" prim attr, I guess it just expected a point attr, or failed. It would be good to document having a point "name" attr as a requirement / failure condition. Thanks again for clearing this up.

MaiAo

ejnoiz

MaiAo

ejnoiz
I am also getting inflated geometry. I tried having the RBDBulletSolver transfer "rest", "pivot", and "orient", however this causes the LabsVertexAnimationTexturres node to throw errors when all three are exported. If less than all three are exported there are no errors but the objects are still inflated. Their rotations seem to be as expected. Has anyone else run into this? H18.5.499,VAT2.1

Hi, could you show us a HIP file to help you debug?[/quote}

Definitely, here's a stripped down test HIP file.

Hi, I looked at your file. The bug is triggered (not to say it should be by design, but it currently is) by missing point attribute @name on your packed geometry. If your final node to render has @name on points, it will work. It's also generally good practice to have @name on your pack points before and after destruction sims. It makes some point wrangling a lot easier.

If you are interested: the reason why the bug was happening was that VAT ROP contains a switch node that checks for the presence of point attribute @rest, @orient, and @pivot. When all these 3 attributes are present, it will expect @name from points as well (which you didn't have; therefore it triggered the error message).

When those 3 point attributes are not all present, VAT implicitly tries to retrieve them by unpacking your packed geometry. Those attribute, along with @name, can usually be found in the unpacked output of DOP sims. In this case, it looks for @name as a primitive attribute instead of a point attribute, because @name often is a primitive (and sometimes both primitive and point, depending on how user set it up) attribute coming out of DOP sims.

In Monday's daily Labs build, I will make a change to VAT ROP to remove the point @name dependency.

There is a minor bug in latest VAT Plugin (18.5.538) that prevents the Mat Instance Scripted Action from working ... The Mat Instance Scripted Action Blueprint is hardcoded to always use a Rowname of "Soft", while the VAT Exporter correctly sets it to "Rigid". Changing to Rigid to fixes it.

bobcober0
There is a minor bug in latest VAT Plugin (18.5.538) that prevents the Mat Instance Scripted Action from working ... The Mat Instance Scripted Action Blueprint is hardcoded to always use a Rowname of "Soft", while the VAT Exporter correctly sets it to "Rigid". Changing to Rigid to fixes it.

Noted. Thanks for reporting this.

Hi. I'm using 2.1 with unity and the scale of some items of start positions look to be off



This is what the rest looks like in the Houdini sim



I've attached a hip, hopefully it's just something really simple i've missed. I have noticed that in the

/out/vertex_animation_textures1/objects/debug/rigid_vertex_shader

that once that is enable things look off. Any ideas what I could investigate?

Thanks

Once you have your VAT set up in UE4, is there a way to add the instanced material/control it in the sequencer, so it doesn't keep looping?

kypo
Hi. I'm using 2.1 with unity and the scale of some items of start positions look to be off


This is what the rest looks like in the Houdini sim

Image Not Found

I've attached a hip, hopefully it's just something really simple i've missed. I have noticed that in the

/out/vertex_animation_textures1/objects/debug/rigid_vertex_shader

that once that is enable things look off. Any ideas what I could investigate?

Thanks

Hi, the HIP file you attached is missing dependent assets, so it's tricky to debug it. If you can share those, that would be great! If you can't share them here, please contact SideFX support and we can do it through the private channel. Thank you!

Hey MaiAo

Sorry, I mistakenly forgot to add the FBX. I've attached it to this post.

I did try and remake the FBX in Houdini but had some extreme results in unity



I've also attached

LevelGen_Test.hip

Thanks

I'm using the VAT method to create RBD simulations for Unreal. Is there a way to create collision geometry? I created prim groups per piece that are named with this code:


It seems like the VAT ROP does not export the group membership. Is it possible to collide with VAT geometry? Is there an demoscene that illustrates how to do it?