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lo poly model


betty

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Hi guys

Well here is the head i did a few days ago, finally got it up!! It is my first character in Houdini so it's my path to an introduction to the poly tools for character modeling. I think there are many great tools in there but it still seems to be lacking some basics, but since this is my first attempt at this i suppose many tools i may simply have not seen but are actually there, either well hidden or right under my nose. I am quite an erratic worker so hopefully i just didn't see them.

What i found to be lacking is

*shrink selection ( i know there is grow selection but cannot find "shrink". i have checked the documents and there is no sign of this while i did find documentation on growing selection. also it would be good if you could just change selections based upon shared properties without growing the selections. eg: say i have two points selected which are at opposite ends of an edge. if i now wanted to work on the edge, it would be good if i could simply hit 2 ( or whatever key ) and the selection turns to the edge which is shared by both points.)

*extrude multiple primitives as a merged region. ( i notice all primitives will extrude as individual primitives in the direction of their normal. what i have to do in the meantime is dissolve the edges within the regiion so the selected primitives then become one primitive )

*extruding points

*bevel ( this seems to me to be essential. alternatives mentioned in other posts simply don't cut it)

*the ability to flatten a primitive to an axis of your liking. options should be very open, ie; the normail of a selected point, an average of a selected elements - be they points, edges etc. ( again maybe this is just me, but trying to work with the construction plane was painful - again my first attempt )

This is just an initial observation and i didn't take down notes, i am also writing this a few days after doing the model so i'm sure i have forgotten some things.

Hopefully i can clear some of these issues up. I am also quite new to Houdini so i know there is HEAPS i don't know but i am just willing ot express my initial observations.

Now I'll go on and do a detailed model after being so impressed/inspired by DaJuice. I've actually never done detailed models, always kept them down to as few polys as possible and dead simple, so it will be a challenge.

Take care

Betty

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Very nice model, betty.

As to extruding... you're right there doesn't seem to be a way to extrude multiple primitives as a merged region... however have you played with PolyExtrude's Global option? It allows you to apply the same transformation to all polygons (so that they stick together and not go along their own normals)

I'm not sure what you mean by "ability to flatten a primitive to an axis of your liking". You can flatten any primitive to the construction plane with the Edit SOP... and the construction plane can be set to any axis using many options: there's the c-plane's handle; there are also options on the right-mouse menu that you get when you right-click on the construction plane while you're in any state; also there's orientation clicking that can set the construction plane to match planes of any primitive in your scene. What would you say is missing from the construction plane?

Thanks for sharing the cool model. What are you going to be doing with it?

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As to extruding... you're right there doesn't seem to be a way to extrude multiple primitives as a merged region... however have you played with PolyExtrude's Global option? It allows you to apply the same transformation to all polygons (so that they stick together and not go along their own normals)

...er... polyextruding with global is extruding multiple polys as a merged region. Its one and the same, they just happen to share the same tool.

As for the rest, yeah most of them are well known RFE's. And hopefully the next version will have most of them. Specifically bevel and shrink selection (my favourites :))

nice model BTW. I think the forehead should be a bit larger though.

l8r

Marc

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Marc, I think betty was talking about grabbing say two polygons, then extruding them up... but the front face would just be one face, not two. That's why, I think, dissolve was brought up, because it gives you this result. Am I right? Appologies if I'm confusing issues...

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Hi

I've just been playing with the global options but i get the impression that i have to make my move in the global parameters - ie, type in the values. I don't see an option so one can choose global rather than local and continue in the viewport which i think would have been the logical move.

Another thing which sprung to mind as i was fooling with this is with the handles. It seems that you are unable to choose a point normal for a reference in your orientation picking. So if i want to move a primitive in the direction of a points normal, well i cannot choose this....the pivot point simply jumps to this point but keeping its current orientation.

Betty

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I've just been playing with the global options but i get the impression that i have to make my move in the global parameters - ie, type in the values. I don't see an option so one can choose global rather than local and continue in the viewport which i think would have been the logical move.

Select the Polys you want to extrude & Right-Click-Hold on the handle to get a pop-up. In the pop-up, you can then select Toggle Local/Global Control. You'll notice the handle jumping to the 'center' of the selected polys. If you select the Toggle again, you'll notice the handle jumping to the first poly you selected for the operation. There you go: Local/Global Control in the viewport. B)

Another thing which sprung to mind as i was fooling with this is with the handles. It seems that you are unable to choose a point normal for a reference in your orientation picking. So if i want to move a primitive in the direction of a points normal, well i cannot choose this....the pivot point simply jumps to this point but keeping its current orientation.

It works for me. You might want to make sure you're using Local control before 'Orientation Picking'. Alternatively, try using Alt-Click. Not sure it'll work but no harm giving it a try.

Please let me know how it goes. :)

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Hey betty, cool model, it works well as both low-poly and high-poly.

As for changing from local to global, you have to Shift+right click (or was it Ctrl+right click?) on the transform handle during your extrude operation and and toggle it from local to global in the menu. I think that's what you meant.

Another thing which sprung to mind as i was fooling with this is with the handles. It seems that you are unable to choose a point normal for a reference in your orientation picking. So if i want to move a primitive in the direction of a points normal, well i cannot choose this....the pivot point simply jumps to this point but keeping its current orientation.

Betty

Exactly! This would have saved me a bunch of time. It's worsened by the fact that the handles can't be moved vertically on two axes.

Here's hoping for the next release. :)

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Hi Steve

Thanks for the tip on the global/local ( i'm pretty slack, should have picked up on that ).

But the orientation thing i cannot work out. I've tried it out in local and global settings with the same results - no go.

I'll keep working at it.

Betty

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Hi Steve

Thanks for the tip on the global/local ( i'm pretty slack, should have picked up on that ).

But the orientation thing i cannot work out. I've tried it out in local and global settings with the same results - no go.

Let's try this in a new Houdini:

Put down a Box SOP, PolyExtrude the Right Poly (prim number 1) & then append a Point SOP. Select all by typing 'a' & right-click to complete. Select Add Normals & PolyExtrude the top poly of the extrusion (prim number 7).

Now, we'll do Orientation Picking. Turn on Point Normal and Number & select Point 7's normal. Notice how the Handle orient itself to the normal? Now extrude the Poly & you'll notice it's not correct. Use the Rotate Handle to set it right.

I hope the above works.

Cheers!

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Hey Steven

Thanks heaps for walking me through, i guess my big mistake was not appending a PointSOP - just thought they would be there....!?

Just like to say a big thanks to everybody for all feedback + it's great to see this forum is sparking up!!

Just started another one....

best

Betty

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Hey Steven

Thanks heaps for walking me through, i guess my big mistake was not appending a PointSOP - just thought they would be there....!?

Just like to say a big thanks to everybody for all feedback + it's great to see this forum is sparking up!!

Just started another one....

best

Betty

Nope, the Point Normals are not there by default but I'm glad it's working for you.

You're welcome.

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Hi Betty,

I really like the progress you're making with your model. Can I ask how long it's taken you so far? And are you speeding up with modeling in Houdini?

I feel there is a whole range of untapped power in using the Construction plane during modeling - have you or anyone been using this at all?

Cheers!,

Jason

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Hi Jason

Well, i'm glad you mentioned the construction plane. So far i have found it to be a pain to use. And the way i model, well i really need this.

Obviously it is another area where i need to work at, which i will do today. Again the documentation seems pretty basic.

mmmm......more work.

Oh, and regarding how long it took, well i haven't had an eye on time but it took me quite a while as i haven't done a head/character for months and it was my first one in Houdini. But yes, by the end of it i was got up to speed quite quickly with the basics and people on the forum have taught me heaps. When i figure out the constuction plane i'll have a better understanding of the true workflow, but as it i know it's not bad at all.

Actually, do we really need the construction plane? I would think that all points of reference could be chosen from your model, along with the options of the XYZ world axis.

Betty

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I'd love to see Cristin Barghiel from Side Effects (the programmer whose brainchild the Plane is) use it. I'm pretty sure that a good modeler, unlike me ;) willingly to learn how to bend it to his/her will can get some really good results out of it. Sometimes I find it invaluable even just moving stuff around the scene in the Objects viewport and I'm pretty sure that orientation picking and flattening things to the plane, etc, can be a very powerful modeling aid.

The problem is that learning "The Plane" is something completely perculiar to Houdini and won't help you much with modeling in other packages... then again, isn't the whole of Houdini like this?

It'd be great to have some modeling Real movies done by someone (SideFX?) on the Plane..

In fact, if anyone creates a tut movie, we'd be glad to host em! :)

Cheers,

Jason

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