8 replies to this topic

[unxetas]

hi I'm currently working on a small project with a friend.. we have 2 characters so we'd like to start animating both at the same time. Is there a way to import an animated character into the scene?.. I'm guessing there's some kind of format to export and import animation...

well, any help is appreciated

thanks!

[frading]

one huge thing with houdini is that you can copy/paste operators ( with their animation channels ) from one houdini file to the other. Simply select your operators in the source file. type Ctrl C, then open the target file and type ctrl V. and that is it!
but you can also use the opscript command in order to generate a creation script of your operators.

[Mcronin]

You should watch the OTL videos. You can make OTLs out of your characters and pass them back and forth to each other. When the characters get updated, you just install the updated OTL and, presto, the character is updated in all your scenes. It's very useful.

Good luck on your project guys, glad to see you guys decided to use Houdini.

[FrankFirsching]

If you don't want to use the much more powerful otl-way, you can still use the "Merge..."-command in the file-menu and import the complete hip-file where the animated character is stored. A bit more easy, but it could result in much work, if you suddenly decide to change your characters later.

[unxetas]

thanks for the replies We've decided to use the OTL's, seems just perfect for what we need right now!

have phun,

Tiago

[unxetas]

we'll it seems from a decision to an action there's a long path to walk...

Major problem:

both our characters are skinned and ready to animate.. problem is, the bones were skinned with the same names.. So copying and pasting doesn't work, houdini automatically changes the names and screws up the skinning...

OTL's.. well I failed miserably on this, the first step is the first one to go wrong! I tried to collapse my character's objects into a subnet and bang.. the path to the bones changes, skinning goes to hell, my blood pressure levels go through the roof...

Anyone got suggestions?  

[thekenny]

you just have to go to the DeformSOP in you character once you have done the OTL/subnet thang.
you will see a field for skeleton root path or something, i can't rember i'm away from my machine. if you use `opfullpath("../..")` including the back ticks you will have the deform working fine. If you look at the data  on a captured geometry with a middle click on the sop before the deform  you will see a bunch of attributes, detail, and point. One of them is Skelroot. It allows you to mocfiy the root path the deformSOP needs to find the bones so it knows how and what is deforming the bones. The Deform allows you to adjust it so it can be relative to your bones once you put it in a subnet/OTL.

you can have the two characters have the same bone names and channel names as long as you have them contained in the OTL. so in the end you will have two character OTLs with all their parameters promoted to the top level.

snazzy stuff.
hope that helps.
-k

[Mcronin]

Adding to that, it's actually a good thing to use an OTLs and have your bones named the same. Then you can make standard animation control OTLS that automaticly snap to the correct bones through a script, since the bone names are the same. This was demoed at Siggraph, and SESI should be posting examples of this in the not too distant future.

[unxetas]

oh man that was so helpful

That's the kind of stuff that should be err.. easily found everywhere! I would've never guessed...

So I'm guessing the command tells the deform sop to start looking for the bones two levels up?.. That would be:
/obj/subnet/char_body/deformSOP/../..

right?.. which is..

/obj/subnet/

Well I just tested it and it works like a charm, thanks so much for the help

Tiago

EDIT: I see your point MCronin... The OTL's seem like a very nice feature, I saw it at siggraph and I thought it was something I'd definately use.. Just had some problems getting it to work right, the tutorials at sidefx only describe creating otl's for much simpler stuff.. I'd never know about the opfullpath thing.. I was messing around on the Skeleton Root field, but couldn't find a way to make it work!

Thanks a lot guys!!