[SOLVED]Houdini Unable To Read .OBJ File?

[Atom]

Hi All,

I came across something strange, Houdini won't read an .obj file. The file comes up fine in Blender. It also worked fine on my other machine running Houdini Indie.

I copied the file to my Apprentice machine, running H15.5.673 and the File node errors out?

Can someone try this .OBJ file on their system if you have the time?

Thanks

palm_trio.obj

Edited January 27, 2017 by Atom

[dimovfx]

Works just fine for me. H15.5.717

I remember there was other thread with the same complaint, but don't remember what was the solution if there was any.

 

[Atom]

Thanks for testing.

I guess it is upgrade day. I'll try the 717 build.

[Atom]

Hmm...same error after upgrading to H15.5.717.

The main difference between my two machines is the one with Windows 7 will read the OBJ and the Windows 10 will not.

 

Does Houdini have a text log that will explain in more detail what the error is?

Edited January 26, 2017 by Atom

[Mandrake0]

can you convert the file with gwavefront?

when i'm correct houdini uses this small program to open the obj files or even create obj's.

example: gwavefront fileIn.obj fileOut.bgeo

it's in the houdini bin folder.

[Atom]

I tried your test and it worked. I can manually convert .obj to a .bgeo and load the .bgeo using the gwavefront.exe.

So the problem must be an error in the File node itself. "I told you not to let the intern write code..."

Here is the default cube as exported from Blender which fails to load using the File node.

# Blender v2.78 (sub 0) OBJ File: ''
# www.blender.org
mtllib cube.mtl
o Cube
v 1.000000 -1.000000 -1.000000
v 1.000000 -1.000000 1.000000
v -1.000000 -1.000000 1.000000
v -1.000000 -1.000000 -1.000000
v 1.000000 1.000000 -0.999999
v 0.999999 1.000000 1.000001
v -1.000000 1.000000 1.000000
v -1.000000 1.000000 -1.000000
vn 0.0000 -1.0000 0.0000
vn 0.0000 1.0000 0.0000
vn 1.0000 0.0000 0.0000
vn -0.0000 -0.0000 1.0000
vn -1.0000 -0.0000 -0.0000
vn 0.0000 0.0000 -1.0000
g Cube_Cube_Material
usemtl Material
s off
f 1//1 2//1 3//1 4//1
f 5//2 8//2 7//2 6//2
f 1//3 5//3 6//3 2//3
f 2//4 6//4 7//4 3//4
f 3//5 7//5 8//5 4//5
f 5//6 1//6 4//6 8//6

 

cube.obj

Edited January 26, 2017 by Atom

[Mandrake0]

on my side it works.

the simplest cube obj would be:

# test
v 1.000000 -1.000000 -1.000000
v 1.000000 -1.000000 1.000000
v -1.000000 -1.000000 1.000000
v -1.000000 -1.000000 -1.000000
v 1.000000 1.000000 -0.999999
v 0.999999 1.000000 1.000001
v -1.000000 1.000000 1.000000
v -1.000000 1.000000 -1.000000
g 
f 1 2 3 4
f 5 8 7 6
f 1 5 6 2
f 2 6 7 3
f 3 7 8 4
f 5 1 4 8

 when that doesn't work then it's a build error.

 

 

[f1480187]

Probably a filepath problem. It cannot find the file on disk. If you try any random non-existent geo path you will see same message. Make sure if the file exists on Windows 10 machine there, then try to load the file from different places and finally submit a bug.

[Guest tar]

Looks like the $HOME variable is set wrongly. Try the file path from $HIP or without a variable. 

[Atom]

Thanks everyone, I got some help from SESI support. It is related to having an invalid path in your Houdini.env file. At some point I considered loading Redshift on my machine and altered the PATH to point to the Redshift folder. But now that folder does not exists.

My guess is that when the File node tries to load something it reviews the environment path looking for a shortcut to pathing. However, when it finds the PATH variable, it is assuming the path is valid and not checking to see it if actually exists. It then constructs a path that is invalid and the file load fails. I guess I would consider this a bug. The File sop should be more robust and not be easily clobbered by an invalid environment path when the full path is provided in the text field of the node.

 

Hopefully it will be fixed, but the work around is to simply review the pathing in your Houdini.env file and make sure all paths still exists if you run into this problem.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Atom

[Guest tar]

On 30/11/2016 at 4:56 PM, art3mis said:

Feedback from sesi finally figured this out

My houdini.env was at fault

Missing C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini 15.5.632/bin; in my PATH variable

Funny; that's exactly the same error that art3mis got a few months ago, and, both of you are programmers