Hi! Currently struggling with working with the camera in Solaris. I would love to pull the camera into a Sop Create node, do some things, roll back out and render. I know it can be done but am still stuck on stupid. Thanks in advance!

What would you like to do?
This there is a way to import LOPs camera into OBJ to view in SOPs and you can drive parameters from inside SOPs through parameter referencing the Camera in the LOP. Let me know if you need more info. It seems a bit round-about and there may be a better way...

Thank you so much for your help! I have done all the necessary steps you showed, just that my knowledge of referencing is minimal, so am just gonna have to learn how to do that. Again, thank you so much PHENOMDESIGN!

Cool. I can help if you let me know what you want to parameterize or change about the camera.

I basically would love to be able to set up a Lops camera, import it into a Sop Create, have control over translation, rotation, focus distance, DoF, things of that nature. What threw me off was the final step in the demo setup you showed me with the null, add node and transform. I know the null is where you add parameters to reference the imported camera, am juzt not sure how to do it and I guess the add and transform nodes might have something to do with a look-at constraint? I appreciate you taking time out of your day to help me out.

Ya, I was not sure what you wanted to do so I just imagined controlling the position as the "do something" until I got more info.
So you need to control the parameters in the SOP programmatically or is this to just position and view what you would see? You might not need the parameters.

1. You should be able to lock the camera looking through the LOPImported camera in the view select.
2. Open another pane, and show the other parameters. I am getting out of subnet errors doing all the nested reference.

Probably the most straight forward uncomplicated way. Is to just pin the direct parameters from the LOPCamera.

Exactly! I want to be able to animate in a Sop Create, frame my geometry and animate the camera. When I use the LopImportCamera I cannot see any geo whilst inside the Sop Create but soon as I jump back out to Solaris, its all there...so annoying. Will keep playing with it and hopefully figure it out.

One more thing though, have you noticed when working in a Sop Create there is no way to see geo that is in another Sop Create, like you would if you worked in the regular Obj context? This forces the artist to work in only one Sop Create node. Maybe its just me but I've been bangin my head on the wall with no solution to this day. Houdini will be the death of me.

Yes, as a Designer I am very frustrated with the Use Experience and information architecture with the software. That is why I am developing my own "version" with custom setups.

Houdini is like a "workshop" with a bunch of tools and toolkits that were left around. You can "happen upon" many things but there is no facilitation of human creative intent due to the Interface's Information Architecture.

[www.codecademy.com]

Would it be better to do everything in OBJ/SOPs and import into Solaris later?

You're right. I will go back to working in the Obj context and import into Lops. I only wanted to be compliant and work in Solaris like they said is the intent going forward. I really wish SideFX would do launch tutorials man, its crazy out here. I have a C4D background and those guys throw out detailed tutorials on everything new...in depth. For awesome software like Houdini, it is a bit of a letdown having a plethora of features that are awesome but murky on the details. I love the documentation but would be great to just check out a video tutorial then dip into docs and battle it out if a deep dive is necessary. Good luck on developing your custom setups bro, hopefully I will do so one day after I level up. Blessings!

Does anyone know how to make a camera rig in Solaris? How to run a camera on a curve?