Stop talking about what?:roll:
The rumour that there is something to the rumour?

arctor
I'll buy another HD license if everyone promises to stop talking about it

probbins
Stop talking about what?:roll:
The rumour that there is something to the rumour?

arctor
I'll buy another HD license if everyone promises to stop talking about it

I don't know about Toronto, but it's still snowing here That's a fact not a rumour.

Mmmm…… spring……..

It's Spring here in Toronto, the snow all went away yesterday. The big white piles are just stored water for the garden.

SYmek

probbins
Stop talking about what?:roll:
The rumour that there is something to the rumour?

arctor
I'll buy another HD license if everyone promises to stop talking about it

I don't know about Toronto, but it's still snowing here That's a fact not a rumour.

f***ing poethry …….just like a romantic elementary school girl……

c´mon …..shoot houdini up!!!

what´s that? ….. sens of humor?! hah

better watch it… Apple might buy you, drop the price of Master to 500$, then put you out to pasture for seemingly no good reason
I'm gonna get killed over this one, but it had to be said…
MD

mattd
better watch it… Apple might buy you, drop the price of Master to 500$, then put you out to pasture for seemingly no good reason
I'm gonna get killed over this one, but it had to be said…
MD

Stranger things have happened!

The lack of manners from new posters is beginning to bother me. These parts have always been very professional and friendly, but the noise level has gone way up lately. Lots more people becoming interested in Houdini, I guess it comes with the territory. :?

Just had to get that out, carry on.

I'm a relatively recent joiner, but I have also noticed the tone of a lot of messages recently starting to get a bit rude. The thing I like best about this forum is that you get to read so much advice and techniques from very experienced (but friendly) users… I think it would be a shame for these users to be chased away by the new dynamics in the forum, or to look elsewhere for a more closed and restricted community forum. What do you think can be done to keep the tone polite and friendly while leaving open access? Is it even possible to moderate such a thing? Anyhow, thanks for all the experts out there who are willing to lend a helping hand, and to share their work and experience, you rock!

flowerdealer
What do you think can be done to keep the tone polite and friendly while leaving open access? Is it even possible to moderate such a thing?

Moderation, that should be done and SESI should devote some attention to it or soon all the experienced users will only come here to visit the Support forum.

Dragos

DaJuice
The lack of manners from new posters is beginning to bother me. These parts have always been very professional and friendly, but the noise level has gone way up lately. Lots more people becoming interested in Houdini, I guess it comes with the territory. :?

The larger a community gets the greater the range in types of people. There are a greater number of rude people here now, but at the same time there are a greater number of really helpful people too. Its just that the rude ones tend to stick out more.

Also the expectations of computer programs is different depending on when you started using a computer. Just a short decade ago there was rarely good (if any) for software. You'd have to spend hours fighting it and learning by trial and error. Now a days, thankfully, software makers have started putting a lot of resources into documenations and video tutorials. Which is great, but the drawback is it doesn't force people to spend hours learning by trail and error. Instead of exploring the application they'll just ask for more tutorials. (Which is a completely valid request, but given finite resources of the software makers, don't let that hold you back.)

Wolfwood
(snip)
Also the expectations of computer programs is different depending on when you started using a computer. Just a short decade ago there was rarely good (if any) for software. You'd have to spend hours fighting it and learning by trial and error. Now a days, thankfully, software makers have started putting a lot of resources into documenations and video tutorials. Which is great, but the drawback is it doesn't force people to spend hours learning by trail and error. Instead of exploring the application they'll just ask for more tutorials. (Which is a completely valid request, but given finite resources of the software makers, don't let that hold you back.)

the fact that i've not posted (much?) before most likely won't help my comment, but i've been dying to say it somewhere.

Before I commence, I must state that i agree with you!

The (at least one) “problem” is that us newcomers do not have the history with the application. So, to look at an app that is on version 9.1 and have no experience with it, we see a gazillion options and a plethora of knowledge to digest. Furthermore, when a “new feature” is introduced in a new version of an app, it has usually been carefully thought out by those that have used the sw before. So, to those individuals the additional tool makes total logical sense, but to someone starting from scratch, it really is a, “huh? wha?” experience. (In some cases we might not even know there was a “problem” that needed fixing!)

This is even more apparent when a “pro” writes a book or a tutorial and skips steps. (Note: nothing off to the top of my head, just speaking generally here.) They don't do it to be cruel or even because they are rushed… they have just become so good at what they do that they do it naturally … like, breathing and therefore don't remember to slow it down and spoon feed it to us noobies! ;o)

Honestly, I've read a few “rant” threads these past few days and I think it is amazing that the Hard Core / Old Skool Posse maintain their composure and continue to attempt to help some of the denser of us. FWIW, this is appreciated… greatly.

Not only will this win over more ppl, it will instill this pattern of helping. This in turn will foster more growth and … well, I'm sure we can all agree that “growth” in and of itself is a good thing, yes? Best be a moving target or one will get caught or surpassed.

You have a fine product (albeit a bit different than most if not all the competition) and an excellent support group that I hope to be counted as one, someday… soon and for the rest of my life. (here's looking at you, kid.) ;o)

Lastly, if you hadn't already dispatched the hounds on me yet, would you give me a head start even if I told you I don't own or use a Mac?

The (at least one) “problem” is that us newcomers do not have the history with the application.

This has never changed.

Even when I picked up PRISMS (Houdini's predecessor and you can experience the PRISMS “stack” when you use 3d Studio Max ) way back in 1993 it was that way. PRISMS already had 8+ years of workflows and nodes piled in to it. Perhaps that is why the “old school” users understand this learning curve and have a great deal of patience with new users.

Heck, has that learning curve ever changed for me? I am always figuring out spanky new ways of doing the same thing. That is why I enjoy looking at any new user files. Keeps me fresh.

Houdini9 has some “instant gratification” buttons on the shelf now but don't be fooled. There are over 20+ years of tips and techniques in there. Most of these techniques are captured in Operator Help Card files. Possibly the “best” way to master Houdini IMHO.

If you are bored, plop down a random operator, open it's help and browse the example files for that operator. Lots of operator comments! At least that is what I do when I have a few spare cycles. That or build new ones.

houdiniuser42
Lastly, if you hadn't already dispatched the hounds on me yet, would you give me a head start even if I told you I don't own or use a Mac?

No need to run, I agree with everything you said.

I think the only time when I personally get annoyed, (and this isn't directed at you), is when a new-ish user expects/demands to be helped when its apparent that they haven't put forth any effort at all on their own. Sometimes its easy to fall into the trap of just asking instead of trying to figure it out for yourself. (I say this as I just posted something stupid in the support forum, where if I had spent just 5 more minutes I would have seen the overlooked VEX function. ) :?

I can't count the number of times I've hit a problem, struggled with it until 11pm, given up, posted a “wtf?!? X is broken!” message on the forum, then woken up at 4am with a light bulb over my head. Thank god you can delete your own posts, otherwise I'd appear even dumber than I do already. :-)

Props to the SESI crew for their unbelievable patience.

mark_visser
Props to the SESI crew for their unbelievable patience.

Amen.

OMG!!! :shock: The Mac touchy-feelies have invaded our forum.
I knew this was a bad idea :roll:

The Mac touchy-feelies have invaded our forum.

As long as these users haven't, I okay with that

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2008/03/apple-settles-m.html [featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com]

(some LCD panels only use 6bit processing instead of 8bit, for a paltry 262,000 colors, rather than the full 16.7million that you can't differentiate between)

twod

The Mac touchy-feelies have invaded our forum.

As long as these users haven't, I okay with that

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2008/03/apple-settles-m.html [featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com]

If those users ever show up here … please … please …. give me moderator status. :twisted:

ps) I don't understand why Houdini has so many SOPs. The Add SOP does everything you need.

I vote Jim for Forum Overlord!