All Activity

I really want a nice setup for this as well.

wire_align_connections_v02.hipnc

Thank you again for this reference. Wondering how I might get this alignment from both ends? I've tried a few things within the for loop, like lerping between 2 different P's, but have kind of hit a wall. Again, very greatly appreciated.

Holy Cannolli!! This is a brilliantly elegant real world solution! Much better that the 'fix it in post' hack job I was thinking. This gives me a tremendous amount to work with. Let me try and implement some of this and I may return with more questions. Thank you so very much for taking the time to build this out. Greatly appreciated!

Myabe this one. wire_align_connections.hipnc

The real world

Thank you so much! Fortunately, Houdini is not the real world, it's vector math magic. What I would like is to understand is the linear algebra behind moving a group of simulated points to align to a directional vector. I apologize if that wasn't clear from the above. Any assistance with the math involved in this would be greatly appreciated.

Think how it works in the real world. If you need to align ends with the columns, maybe it must be so initially before doing wire sim?

I also just figured out something... In Character Creator to Houdini, if you don't check "Delete Hidden Faces" it will retain the expressions properly... I've already opened a conversation to Reallusion about this, but that's the work around if you use FBX Character Import.

I keep banging my head against a wall with this and know the solution may be super simple. I have a vellum wire sim where the wires snap to pts on columns. I would like to have a certain number of points at the end of the wires align to the normal of the point to which they are snapping, instead of dangling at weird angles. I would love to get this running in the solver to keep the overall wire sim looking smooth. My brain keeps farting over the vector math and now I must rest. Any direction/assistance is always greatly appreciated. Also understand if this solution can be found on another topic

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate the feedback. You are right, there is a lot of things happening now around AI, ComfyUI, GitHub tools and free stuff too. My main goal with Houdini AI Assistant is not just make another AI tool, but to build something that feels native in Houdini and helps more direct in procedural workflow. AI texturing / projection in COPs is definitely a interesting direction, and yes I agree it can make the product stronger. Right now I focus more on making the base solid first, then add more practical Houdini specific features step by step. Thanks again for your thoughts.

@raducius First of all, congratulations on your fine work, you have the basics ready, now I would suggest that you focus a little more on AI texturing projecting materials in Cops...so that the product is definitely ready. You will attract more attention...Today, what scripts exist in COMFY UI? There is little to( If not million Ways Creative now to have) talk about, I am really interested in where we are going with all this. Oh yes, on GitHub, I saw "several versions" for free, similar if not the same purpose and need, Like Yours, you know.

The GIF above shows the Subdivide SOP cooking the toy geometry at subdivision level 6 vs VEX Subdivide, while the widget updates in real time. In the next version of Houdini Supercharged I will add lightweight resource monitor widgets that provide continuous feedback on how Houdini is using system resources while you work and build networks. The widgets display CPU usage and memory usage of the Houdini process in real time, allowing you to quickly see how much of your machine Houdini is actually using at any given moment. In addition to showing CPU load, the widget also estimates effective core usage. Instead of only displaying a normalized percentage, it indicates roughly how many cores Houdini is actively using. For example: 97% 1/24 This would suggest the current task is essentially saturating a single core. Whereas something like: 85% 12/24 indicates the workload is distributed across many cores. This kind of feedback can be useful when building setups, since it becomes immediately obvious if a node or operation is effectively single-threaded versus scaling across multiple cores. The widget is designed to update in real time and remain responsive even while Houdini is busy cooking nodes, so it can act as a lightweight HUD while working. It will be available in the next major update.

I’m not sure if this is a bug, or if I might be misunderstanding the intended behaviour. When painting a specific region to limit the effect locally, it doesn’t seem to work as expected with Tissue properties (OTIS). In particular, when using Shrinkage — either through Tissue Core Rest Scale or Tissue Rest Scale — the painted region does not appear to restrict the effect to that area only. Has anyone else encountered this, or is there a recommended approach for achieving region-specific shrinkage with the Tissue setup?

What if you could turn a simple prompt into a working Houdini HDA? In this demo, I use Houdini AI Assistant to generate a procedural Asteroid Generator in minutes. Houdini AI Assistant: https://rart.gumroad.com/l/HoudiniAIAssistant Instead of spending hours building node networks from scratch, the assistant helps speed up the process by generating the structure, parameters, and procedural logic from a prompt. In this video, I show: Prompt to HDA workflow AI-generated procedural asteroid setup Node-by-node inspection of the generated network Parameter tweaks and improvements Final result after just a few minutes This is not just a generic chatbot. Houdini AI Assistant works inside Houdini and helps with analyzing, debugging, generating, and automating procedural workflows. If you are learning Houdini, building tools, or trying to move faster in production, this is exactly the kind of workflow that can save a huge amount of time. Try Houdini AI Assistant here: https://rart.gumroad.com/l/HoudiniAIAssistant Thank you for all the support and feedback it really helps me improve the tool. More updates and demos are coming soon.

Wow, thats nice! Thank you!

Trying to do a simple river sim using boundary layers (similar to H16 FLIP Fluids masterclass), only made of slime rather than water. The slime has both a higher density and viscosity than water. Activating boundary layers for new flow entering and old flow exiting works, but the viscosity and density attributes on the layers both come out of the solver as 0.0, something that's confirmed by the sim itself (there's overwash at the entry and backwash at the exit). The incoming boundary layer volume sources have the correct attribute values placed on the points, same as the main source, but I can't see anywhere in the solver where they're read (diving into the solver itself shows only boundary layer surface and vel volumes). Before I resort to trying separate source and sink volumes for what the boundary layers are supposed to be doing, does anyone know if it's possible to inject different attributes into the boundary layer particles, or is that functionality set up to be pretty much only useful in simulating water? Appreciate any help or points you can provide.

I am looking for a job as a 3D animator in Maya. I want to find a studio where we can grow and improve together. I do not consider unpaid work. Showreel https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lG0RqJ https://www.artstation.com/artwork/WXNJmN Skills Key frame animation in Maya — smooth movements and expressive character animation. Application of animation principles — able to convey character weight and personality. Creating basic humanoid rigs using Advanced Skeleton. Camera animation and rendering in Arnold (Maya) and Unreal Engine. Exporting finished animations to Unreal Engine and Unity. Telegram https://t.me/Oleg3DAnimator

More or less procedural way. tennis_ball_spinning_v01.hipnc tennis_ball_spinning_v01.hipnc

Hey, I think an keyframe animation would be enough here, but it could definitely be a simulation as well. I was also thinking about using a SOP Solver

Sony Pictures Imageworks is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We are committed to respecting traditional lands, and working with communities towards reconciliation. Sony Pictures Imageworks Canada Inc. 658 Homer St Vancouver, BC V6B 0T5 Sony Pictures Imageworks is an Academy Award®-winning visual effects and animation studio known for photoreal live-action visual effects, dynamic creature and character animation, and full-CG features. Role Review: We are looking to expand our development team dedicated to enhancing our Creature Effect, Crowds, Environment, and FX tools and workflow. We are looking for a highly proficient Technical Engineer to focus on the development and implementation of robust, high-performance, and domain-specific procedural toolsets using SideFX Houdini. This role requires strong technical leadership and the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision alongside a Lead Software Engineer or Architect. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced production environment where priorities can shift quickly. What You’ll Be Doing: Design, develop, and implement scalable procedural systems and workflows within Houdini for various departments (FX, Creature, Crowds, Environments). Create, maintain, and optimize robust Houdini Digital Assets (OTLs), ensuring stability, ease of use, and adherence to production standards. Extend the core pipeline by developing, integrating, and supporting tools that manage data flow, asset publishing, and version control. Collaborate closely with artists (Creature, FX, Lighting) to gather requirements and troubleshoot technical issues, providing support for both in-house and commercial tools. Partner with engineers across other teams (Shading, Lighting, Rendering) to ensure seamless integration of procedural assets into the overall rendering and compositing pipeline. Document tools and workflows thoroughly for use by the wider artistic and engineering teams. Required Technical Experience & Skills: 3-5+ Years of professional experience in developing procedural workflows and tools in a VFX, Animation, or Game production environment. Demonstrated knowledge of the Houdini environment, including tool creation, optimization, and workflow techniques. Strong proficiency in Python and VEX for writing efficient, custom nodes, and tool wrappers. Proven experience developing and supporting production pipeline tools and asset delivery. Experience leveraging the Houdini API and other DCCs like Katana. Strong grasp of 3D math, linear algebra, and data structures as applied to geometry processing and simulation. Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a collaborative approach to problem-solving. Capable of delivering on multiple competing priorities with little supervision. Preferred skills: Applies curiosity and judgment to identify broader or systemic issues and recommends creative approaches that address wider issues. Documented experience with desktop application development using PyQt/PySide to create custom user interfaces. Experience with C++ for high-performance plugin development. Experience with data science, machine learning, or complex simulation techniques (e.g., fluid dynamics, cloth) in a production context. Bachelor’s or Master's Degree in Computer Science, Digital Media, or a related technical field. The anticipated base salary for this position is within the range of $100,000.00/yr - $120,000.00/yr CAD (up to $150K for Senior candidates). The final compensation package will be commensurate with the candidate's professional experience, technical interview performance, and specific alignment with our team's requirements . Benefits are per company policy: which include healthcare, tuition reimbursement, RRSP's, Sick and Vacation leave, standard increases as applicable. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position. We value unique perspectives, and want diverse, unique talent to work with us. We encourage candidates from all identities to apply. *Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics. Job Posting Link: https://www.imageworks.com/job-postings/4376

Do you mean physics simulation or just animation?

Hello everyone, I would like to ask for some advice. I’m not entirely sure what the correct term for this effect is, but I really like this animation of a tennis ball spinning on top of another ball. Could anyone please guide me on how to achieve this effect? Any tips, recommended techniques, or tutorials would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help. clip.mp4

Hi everyone, I’m having trouble achieving the expected muscle definition using OTIS in Houdini. For some reason, I’m not able to get the same level of visible muscle detail that I can achieve with Vellum (please see the attached reference images). In terms of realistic muscle deformation, the results from OTIS appear much flatter and resemble something that could easily be achieved with a simple blendshape, rather than exhibiting natural muscle bulging and volume shifts. Additionally, I’ve noticed that OTIS does not seem to produce realistic muscle behavior similar to Ziva, where muscles naturally bulge and shift upward during contraction. Instead, the deformation feels limited and lacks dynamic volume change. I’ve attached my Houdini file (Version 21.0.631) in case anyone would be willing to take a look and help me understand what I might be missing or setting up incorrectly that’s preventing proper muscle definition with OTIS. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Ottis Leg1.rar

I'm still digging around in KineFX but have yet to stumble across how to do this--I have an animated FBX, and I would like to make the animation "looser"/more exaggerated. Secondary Motion doesn't do it because I'm trying to modify the primary motion. I feel like CHOPs might be the answer--I think a spring CHOP would do a lot of what I'm looking for (if the .fbx animation throws his arm a little I want him to throw it a lot--to flail!). I've just yet to find a way to get my motion clip into CHOPs. I'm having some early promising RND results just animating a "rigged" line using rig pose and applying a spring CHOP to individual joints, but I've not yet figured how to get that to happen with the .fbx's animation. (I've also tried transforming the motion trail after a motion clip extract, but didn't have luck there.) Any pointers are appreciated, and I'm happy to go through an hour long KineFX class if the answer is five minutes in the middle--I'm still learning KineFX and am happy to be taught how to fish. Thanks! ADDENDUM: I had another thought that might be possible, but I'm not sure how to implement it--since joint movement is all rotation, I can calculate angular velocity using the point velocity node and then multiply that in a wrangle, but I'm not sure how I would then apply that back to the joints. A solver, perhaps?