Re: path vs curve

For something like 'path' shelf setup, I think the best place to ask is Houdini forum, maybe there is someone from SideFX team able to say about reasons for such setup. Don't believe a lot of Houdini users use this thing.It is setup, by structure (not by functionality) similar to Maya shelf

Re: Maya Manipulators How to keep them in the vieport.

If you mean Softimage COG transform mode for single object, that's not entirely possible in Maya. You can use MMB to move selected object (without having visible manipulator), once Move Tool is active. Shift + MMB is constraint to certain XYZ axis. It's possible to have a center of rotation

Re: The Maya Chronicles - or how retarded that software is...

Well, by looking at Maya default hotkeys, these typical MMB+ctrl+ hold+ something,  I'd say this must be done for someone with eight or more tentacles :)Generally, I think this analogy has sense - certain extraterrestrial solution must be great for crew of Borg cube, but... not really for

Re: Houdini : non VFX jobs?

Pooby, is there something specific you want to know.By my calculations, consolidation is going to happen between 2025 and 2007 (2007 because sometimes it's going backward :) ), we are somewhere in middle...From my small experience, VEX is a way to go, node or code whatever you like. So for rule

Re: Houdini : non VFX jobs?

Shape editor in Maya 2017 has a Bay Raitt style shape fixers. Some comments are

Re: Houdini : non VFX jobs?

About epiphany :) expected after few months or so, well, still nothing here :), after four years and more than thousand of hours in front of H.  I'd say, H is really special case, where usual story about adaptation to another DCC doesn't work. First of all, this app is already 'adapted' to all

Re: Houdini : non VFX jobs?

Yeah that one could be used as introduction of Autodesk Fusion 360 advertising, or some else CAD app - ''ok now stop with that small Houdini joke, let's see what procedural, powerful NURBS modeler can do, brought to you by Autodesk''. That is, mentioned AD app has usable, easy to use

Re: Houdini : non VFX jobs?

About that 'node vs code', I think Matt Estela already gave answer, that with noises ''definitely worth using vops as a sketch pad for this kind of thing''. Story is, that building a custom deformation as somehow typical ICE task, also fits into "using as sketch pad'', where the core of job is

Re: Set Driven Key Copy/Paste in Maya

Copy-paste of selected nodes, makes a copy of everything connected to selected nodes, including hidden connections to layers, Node Editor bookmarks, so on. ''Safe way''  could be saving a copy of scene, deleting everything else (including layers and such), copying back to original scene.

Re: The Maya Chronicles - or how retarded that software is...

It always been like that. I think my first responsibility in 3d world could be described as ''hypershade boy'' :), it was a Maya class where I had to start earlier, to launch Mayas and Hypershade windows, so other students would be able to use them before end of class (or something like that).

Re: Maya's reassign locally?

It highlights the particular joint weights by selecting in list of Paint Weights Tool ToolSettings - equivalent of selecting in list of SI Weight Paint Panel - that's what I've used in SI, too, method suggested by Stefan. Otherwise, Ng skin tools has a number of SI like options, like smoothing

Re: OTish - todays Maya rant and Q - selecting items

Could be something with selection priority, considering that you mentioned the rig in scene. If there is joint somewhere, it will shows its priority somehow in that way. However I wouldn't suggest you to play with preferences related to selection priority, as one particular option could create

Re: end of another era

A bit direct question, anyway:Let's say I'm using older MR version. So, with 'knowledge of raytracing algorithms' , of course without obvious errors like well known 'Barnyard instancing case' :) would I be able to get mentioned 20x for global illumination and related, like in last version? If

Re: end of another era

Houdini Mantra has a nice capabilities here, from different sampling methods for volume and hard surfaces, to full GI. Has zero problems with overlapping volumes of different types, as you wish...From: Saeed Kalhor To: Official Softimage Users Mailing List.

Re: SISideBar in Maya

Actually there is match transform functionality in latest Mayas. However it's still not possible to use just one toolbar for everything possible by SI main command panel, or this plugin. For editing multiple parameters at once, one has to switch to Channel Box, while Channel Box does not

Re: H16 Constraint behavior

Well if you're insisting, Houdini seems to follow Maya style pivoting, where pivot is just a position in parent space, so it can't be rotated. There are three parameters to control the pivot in Maya and H, not nine like in SI. Now, in Maya, if someone wants to override that behavior, usually

Re: H16 Constraint behavior

moo...@gmail.com> To: Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.com>; Official Softimage Users Mailing List. https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__groups.google.com_forum_-23-21forum_xsi-5Flist=DwIFaQ=76Q6Tcqc-t2x0ciWn7KFdCiqt6IQ7a_IF9uzNzd_2pA=GmX_32eCLYPFLJ529RohsPjjNVwo9P0

Re: OT - Maya extrusion explained?

no one of them is able to serve as general purpose toolbar. That said, "Maya is good for animation", that works because, as long, people won't be using any of them (AE, channel box) when animating. From: Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.com> To: Official Softimage Users Mail

Re: H16 Constraint behavior

That would  be great. Last time I created a rig in Houdini, somehow it was faster and easier to create Houdini style rig in Softimage, first, then the to re-assemble it in H, step by step. However, evaluation was unacceptable slow, whatever I tried, so I don't see any future when it comes to

Re: OT - Maya extrusion explained?

And, yeah, what I've suggested in previous post, it works if curve and cross section are not parented under anything. In case of some component parented to something, most likely there's new set of rules - or maybe not, I really don't have willing power to investigate. From: Morten

Re: OT - Maya extrusion explained?

Basically, it's 'component pivot', 'use profile normal' 'fixed path' and 'tube' as extrude type. Difference against all normal 3d apps is,  that Maya considers SRT of cross-section too, and there is option to have a custom pivot of cross section... and to make things even more complicated, it

Re: H16.5

Actually, 'regular' stuff could complain sometimes, here it happens with missing shader parameters, not existing in new version. In H 15 I had to fix the rig I made in H 14, because Blend object worked differently. Also custom rig controls appeared randomly, I believe they limited number of

Re: Multiple objects copy

From: Olivier Jeannel <facialdel...@gmail.com> To: Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.com>; Official Softimage Users Mailing List. https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__groups.google.com_forum_-23-21forum_xsi-5Flist=DwICaQ=76Q6Tcqc-t2x0ciWn7KFdCiqt6IQ7a_

Re: Multiple objects copy

Yeah next time I should read a bit more than two first sentences From: Olivier Jeannel <facialdel...@gmail.com> To: Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.com>; Official Softimage Users Mailing List. https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__groups.google.com_forum_-23

Re: Multiple objects copy

I know you know for instances,  if it's about closer equivalent to ICE. ICE use instances, not ''real" copies. Expression to spread multiple objects by Houdini instancer, I think it was (in times of H 14) something like../../instobj`$myid` where instance candidates are named instobj1, instobj2

Re: Maya - what were they thinking 2 - transforms

connect is simply not enough to get things to work.Transformations are different story, connect here works immediately, making possible to build really nice and complex interactions. From: Jason S <jasonsta...@gmail.com> To: Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.com>; Official Sof

Re: Maya - what were they thinking 2 - transforms

odesk.com> Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 5:05 PM Subject: Re: Maya - what were they thinking 2 - transforms On 09/15/17 5:15, Anto Matkovic wrote: There's neutral pose in SI. However, that ''hidden parenting'' could be a risky business, too.  I'm sure sometimes access to some und

Re: Maya - what were they thinking 2 - transforms

There's neutral pose in SI. However, that ''hidden parenting'' could be a risky business, too. For example, XSI built in biped rig creator has a nasty habit to ''zero out'' the rotation of COG (hips) controller. So, by moving and keying that controller horizontally, in Animation Editor there's

Re: Maya - what were they thinking 2 - transforms

While it won't help with global-local switching - just in case you don't know already when it comes to 'motion path' thing -  there's relative new feature called "editable motion trail", basically is function curve in 3d viewport, imho it's nice feature, worth to try. From: Morten

Re: OTish - Maya equivalent to weightmap in Softimage?

> > Steve > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 8, 2017 at 9:45 AM, Morten Bartholdy <x...@colorshopvfx.dk> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > Thanks for clarifying Anto - I sort of suspected that much :/ > > > > > > > > MB > > >

Re: OTish - Maya equivalent to weightmap in Softimage?

There is no weight map property usable for everything in Maya, neither in Max. Weight map for modulating the deformer, like blend shape, is tied to deformer, perhaps even stored with deformer node. For Hypershade and rendering, you can use vertex colors and vertex color painter, if your

Re: OTish - Soft2Maya transition list

Well this seems to be fixed in Update 4, released few days ago. Yesterday I had unbelievable experience :) in one year of Maya: modeling session without problems, around five hours long Sounds like a story for grand-kids, hehe From: Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.

Re: prim array to per point

Outside of VOP, Attribute Promote SOP could give you first point number in primitive, something like promote point number from point to primitive with minimum as option. Knowing that, you use some subtract, add, whatever in VOP, later. Attribute Promote SOP seems to be a way faster than these

Re: OTish - Soft2Maya transition list

: softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com [mailto:softimage-boun...@listproc.autodesk.com]On Behalf Of Anto Matkovic Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2017 5:34 AM To: Official Softimage Users Mailing List. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/xsi_list <softimage@listproc.autodesk.com> Subject: Re

Re: OTish - Soft2Maya transition list

Well it's not that serious, I'd say it's more something between lobotomy and permanent headache. Depends on level of immunity of user...Now seriously, it's not bad at all when it comes to some traditional tasks like rigging and animation. Despite the horrible ergonomics of Node Editor (unit

Re: OTish and F****** Mayaish rant - or the multiple UV sets conundrum

I think Relationship Editor is only way through UI. Action in Relationship Editor creates UV Chooser node, which then allows to choose something else than first member of array of UV Sets, so theoretically it's possible to invoke this by some script, and un-hide the node in Hypergraph (it's

Re: Anybody finding the Houdini example files I've posted useful?

After playing a bit, got a memory leak here on win 7 sp 1, through entire Houdini session. As far as I know, not unusual with scenes from older versions in H, or custom nodes (or exactly, original VDB nodes). So, perhaps is good idea to link directly to newer examples from openvdb.org, they are

Re: maya timeline

You can write them in userPrefs.mel directly, "workingUnitTime" "pal" or else, "workingUnitTimeDefault" is able to set default, too. Can't say anything about possible consequences :) From: Eugene Flormata To: Official Softimage Users Mailing List.

Re: Maya Time Editor

As far as I know, it takes keyable and animated channels. You could use Channel Control window to set what is keyable, or just displayed in Channel Box.Or, you could make a certain channel keyable, locked, nonkeyable or else, directly in Chanell Box. Tip: Maya Channel Box works with multiple

Re: [Houdini] Working with strands the Softimage way

Hello, Thanks for linking. Actually I was able to keep the amount of loops, similar to ICE variance, all that in SOP network or 'modeling stack',  by swapping attributes between primitive and points, using options from Attribute Promote SOP, like summary, min, max and such. Plus a lot of modulo

Re: OT Houdini build Array VOP question (and a bit of rant)

how Houdini works instead, everything will eventually start to make sense :) On 3 March 2016 at 05:43, Anto Matkovic <a...@matkovic.com> wrote: Nope. I think the only way to create an array directly in VOP, is pcfind (pcopen that returns array), or array version of point neighbors. Or, to

Re: OT Houdini build Array VOP question (and a bit of rant)

Nope. I think the only way to create an array directly in VOP, is pcfind (pcopen that returns array), or array version of point neighbors. Or, to stack the 'append' node several times :). There are examples how to loop over arrays of indices, later in network,

Re: mib_illum_hair_x?

According to pictures from this link http://blog.mentalray.com/2014/11/06/xgen-hair-and-custom-shaders/, more or less the same as Muh Hair or pHairTK. That is, single scatter Marschner model.Perhaps one of the best short explanations, what it trying to do, belongs to docs of Muh Hair.  

Re: realistic hair shading SI-MR

of the box. Red Shift too, if I understood correctly. So entire Renderman mystification became fairly irrelevant, today. From: Rob Chapman tekano@gmail.com To: Anto Matkovic a...@matkovic.com; softimage@listproc.autodesk.com softimage@listproc.autodesk.com Sent: Sunday, December 7, 2014 6

Re: realistic hair shading SI-MR

Custom Rman shaders available around, they are only 'core' part. Even you can apply them as 3dl property, you can't get proper point-based GI in most cases, especially not path traced GI, MIS an so on.Custom color mapping, coming from SI, won't work too, of course.All of free Marschner Rman