Learn how to use the new Ruler tool found in SideFX Labs.


The Ruler tool is an nodeless viewport state for measuring distances on geometry. With it, you can quickly get values for the rough sizes of different features on the geometry, and use the measurements to inform your decisions about parameter settings. For more precise measurements, you can turn on point snapping or grid snapping. You can also enable angle-snapping, for locking your measurement to make a specific angle with regards to the x, y, or z axis. 

The measurements can be copied to the clip board for quick pasting into parameter fields. You can add as many measurements as you like, but keep in mind they are ephemeral and will disappear once you exit the viewer state.

You can access the tool through the SideFx Labs shelf, or from the Tab menu while your mouse is over the viewport.

The tool currently only works inside a SOP network, and you must have the display flag on a node.

CREATED BY

michaelb_
MICHAEL BUCKLEY

3D Software Developer at SideFX

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COMMENTS

  • neRahulgirish 4 years, 5 months ago  | 

    Super useful!
    Any way to somehow not have them ephermeral?
    As an Architect I create a lot of measurement annotations in other CAD programs however having a tool to do this in Houdini would be a game changer...
    Loving SideFX Labs!

  • BabaJ 4 years, 4 months ago  | 

    I've made my own measurement tool that colors parts of my model that fall below a certain threshold.

    I make models for 3d printing and depending on the material to be used there are certain tolerances that need to be kept.

    This tool is a nice addition to what I am using.

    But out of curiosity was the viewport elements of this tool done primarily with 'Python States' of Houdini?

    At some point I'm thinking of diving in that part of Python in Houdini to develope other tools.

    Seeing tools like this is encouraging if that is the case (Python States, et al.)

  • michaelb_ 4 years, 4 months ago  | 

    @Rahulgirish
    Having the measurements be ephemeral was a design choice. In an early version of the tool there was a mechanism for outputting the measurements as line geometry, but then it leads to this becoming a modelling tool versus a tool for inspection. If you need the measurement to remain, it is possible to accomplish a similar result with the Curve SOP. You can lay down the curves, and then wire it into a Measure SOP set the measure the Perimeter of the curves.

    @BabaJ
    Yes, the tool is essentially a nodeless python state. You can find the code for it on the Sidefx labs github.

  • BabaJ 4 years, 4 months ago  | 

    Thanks

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