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You can also use the clip node (clip attribute). The attribute can be generated by some random function (combined sin, cos, ...). You can clip your curve into two complement sets. One of these parts can be resampled for the dots and the other for the lines (ribbons). Here is a file with some ideas. clip_carve_lines_dots.hipnc

Here is an approach combining resample nodes with sweep, noise and polycut. The VEXpression offsets the noise for each line. morse.hip

// DETAIL WRANGLE (run once) // Input 0: a single curve/polyline primitive (uses "prim" parm) // -------------------- Parameters -------------------- int prim = chi("prim"); int seed = chi("seed"); string msg = chs("message"); float unit_len = chf("unit_len"); // unit length in curve-u (0..1) float spacing_units = chf("spacing_units"); // base dot spacing in "units" float dot_mult = chf("dot_mult"); // density multiplier for dot float dash_mult = chf("dash_mult"); // density multiplier for dash (dense dots) float jitter_radius = chf("jitter_radius"); // world-space jitter radius around curve float jitter_along = chf("jitter_along"); // along-interval jitter (0..1) int max_pts = chi("max_pts"); // Morse timing (in units) float dot_units = chf("dot_units"); // usually 1 float dash_units = chf("dash_units"); // usually 3 float gap_symbol_units = chf("gap_symbol_units"); // usually 1 (between . and - in same letter) float gap_letter_units = chf("gap_letter_units"); // usually 3 (between letters) float gap_word_units = chf("gap_word_units"); // usually 7 (between words) // -------------------- Helpers -------------------- function void frame_on_curve(int geoh; int pr; float u; vector up; export vector P; export vector T; export vector N; export vector B) { P = primuv(geoh, "P", pr, set(u, 0, 0)); float du = 1e-4; vector P2 = primuv(geoh, "P", pr, set(clamp(u + du, 0.0, 1.0), 0, 0)); T = normalize(P2 - P); vector a = normalize(cross(up, T)); if (length(a) < 1e-6) a = normalize(cross({1,0,0}, T)); B = normalize(a); N = normalize(cross(T, B)); } function int emit_interval(int geoh; int pr; float u0; float u1; float density_mult; int seedbase; float unit_len; float spacing_units; float jitter_radius; float jitter_along; int max_pts) { float du = max(0.0, u1 - u0); float interval_units = du / max(1e-8, unit_len); float base_count = interval_units / max(1e-8, spacing_units); int npts = int(ceil(base_count * max(0.0, density_mult))); if (npts <= 0) return 0; vector up = {0,1,0}; int created = 0; for (int i = 0; i < npts; i++) { if (created >= max_pts) break; float t = (npts <= 1) ? 0.5 : (float(i) / float(npts - 1)); float r = rand(set(seedbase, i, 19.123)); float u = lerp(u0, u1, t); // jitter a bit along the interval u += (r - 0.5) * jitter_along * (spacing_units * unit_len); u = clamp(u, u0, u1); vector P, T, N, B; frame_on_curve(geoh, pr, u, up, P, T, N, B); // jitter in disk around curve float ang = rand(set(seedbase, i, 3.7)) * 2.0 * M_PI; float rr = sqrt(rand(set(seedbase, i, 8.1))) * jitter_radius; vector jitter = cos(ang) * N * rr + sin(ang) * B * rr; int pt = addpoint(0, P + jitter); setpointattrib(0, "curveu", pt, u, "set"); setpointattrib(0, "pscale", pt, fit01(rand(set(seedbase, i, 77.7)), 0.6, 1.2), "set"); created++; } return created; } // Morse lookup: chars and their morse strings function string morse_of(string ch) { string chars[] = { "A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H","I","J", "K","L","M","N","O","P","Q","R","S","T", "U","V","W","X","Y","Z", "0","1","2","3","4","5","6","7","8","9" }; string codes[] = { ".-","-...","-.-.","-..",".","..-.","--.","....","..",".---", "-.-",".-..","--","-.","---",".--.","--.-",".-.","...","-", "..-","...-",".--","-..-","-.--","--..", "-----",".----","..---","...--","....-",".....","-....","--...","---..","----." }; // already uppercase before calling, but safe: string up = toupper(ch); int idx = -1; for (int i = 0; i < len(chars); i++) { if (up == chars[i]) { idx = i; break; } } if (idx < 0) return ""; // unsupported char -> treat as gap return codes[idx]; } // -------------------- Main: walk along curve-u -------------------- float u = 0.0; int total = 0; msg = toupper(msg); // iterate message characters for (int c = 0; c < len(msg); c++) { if (u >= 1.0 || total >= max_pts) break; string ch = msg[c]; // Word gap if (ch == " ") { u = min(1.0, u + gap_word_units * unit_len); continue; } string code = morse_of(ch); // Unsupported char: treat like a word-ish gap if (code == "") { u = min(1.0, u + gap_letter_units * unit_len); continue; } // For each symbol in morse code for (int s = 0; s < len(code); s++) { if (u >= 1.0 || total >= max_pts) break; string sym = code[s]; float dur_units = (sym == ".") ? dot_units : dash_units; float dens = (sym == ".") ? dot_mult : dash_mult; float u1 = min(1.0, u + dur_units * unit_len); total += emit_interval(0, prim, u, u1, dens, seed + total * 31, unit_len, spacing_units, jitter_radius, jitter_along, max_pts); u = u1; // symbol gap (but not after last symbol) if (s < len(code) - 1) u = min(1.0, u + gap_symbol_units * unit_len); } // letter gap after each character (but not if next is space) if (c < len(msg) - 1 && msg[c+1] != " ") u = min(1.0, u + gap_letter_units * unit_len); } multiple Lines // DETAIL WRANGLE (run once) // Input 0: multiple polyline primitives int seed = chi("seed"); string msg = chs("message"); float unit_len = chf("unit_len"); float spacing_units = chf("spacing_units"); float dot_mult = chf("dot_mult"); float dash_mult = chf("dash_mult"); float jitter_radius = chf("jitter_radius"); float jitter_along = chf("jitter_along"); int max_pts_total = chi("max_pts_total"); // Morse timing (units) float dot_units = chf("dot_units"); float dash_units = chf("dash_units"); float gap_symbol_units = chf("gap_symbol_units"); float gap_letter_units = chf("gap_letter_units"); float gap_word_units = chf("gap_word_units"); // ---------- Helpers ---------- function void frame_on_curve(int geoh; int pr; float u; vector up; export vector P; export vector T; export vector N; export vector B) { P = primuv(geoh, "P", pr, set(u, 0, 0)); float du = 1e-4; vector P2 = primuv(geoh, "P", pr, set(clamp(u + du, 0.0, 1.0), 0, 0)); T = normalize(P2 - P); vector a = normalize(cross(up, T)); if (length(a) < 1e-6) a = normalize(cross({1,0,0}, T)); B = normalize(a); N = normalize(cross(T, B)); } function int emit_interval(int geoh; int pr; float u0; float u1; float density_mult; int seedbase; float unit_len; float spacing_units; float jitter_radius; float jitter_along; int max_pts_cap; int prim_id; int symbol_id) { float du = max(0.0, u1 - u0); float interval_units = du / max(1e-8, unit_len); float base_count = interval_units / max(1e-8, spacing_units); int npts = int(ceil(base_count * max(0.0, density_mult))); if (npts <= 0) return 0; vector up = {0,1,0}; int created = 0; for (int i = 0; i < npts; i++) { if (created >= max_pts_cap) break; float t = (npts <= 1) ? 0.5 : (float(i) / float(npts - 1)); float r = rand(set(seedbase, i, 19.123)); float u = lerp(u0, u1, t); u += (r - 0.5) * jitter_along * (spacing_units * unit_len); u = clamp(u, u0, u1); vector P, T, N, B; frame_on_curve(geoh, pr, u, up, P, T, N, B); float ang = rand(set(seedbase, i, 3.7)) * 2.0 * M_PI; float rr = sqrt(rand(set(seedbase, i, 8.1))) * jitter_radius; vector jitter = cos(ang) * N * rr + sin(ang) * B * rr; int pt = addpoint(0, P + jitter); setpointattrib(0, "curveu", pt, u, "set"); setpointattrib(0, "pscale", pt, fit01(rand(set(seedbase, i, 77.7)), 0.6, 1.2), "set"); // super useful for shading / grouping setpointattrib(0, "sourceprim", pt, prim_id, "set"); // which input curve setpointattrib(0, "symbol", pt, symbol_id, "set"); // 0=dot, 1=dash created++; } return created; } function string morse_of(string ch) { string chars[] = { "A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H","I","J", "K","L","M","N","O","P","Q","R","S","T", "U","V","W","X","Y","Z", "0","1","2","3","4","5","6","7","8","9" }; string codes[] = { ".-","-...","-.-.","-..",".","..-.","--.","....","..",".---", "-.-",".-..","--","-.","---",".--.","--.-",".-.","...","-", "..-","...-",".--","-..-","-.--","--..", "-----",".----","..---","...--","....-",".....","-....","--...","---..","----." }; string upc = toupper(ch); for (int i = 0; i < len(chars); i++) if (upc == chars[i]) return codes[i]; return ""; } // ---------- Main ---------- msg = toupper(msg); int npr = nprimitives(0); int total_pts = 0; // You can choose: same message for every curve, or offset/seed per curve. for (int pr = 0; pr < npr; pr++) { if (total_pts >= max_pts_total) break; float u = 0.0; // per-primitive seed so each curve has a unique pattern jitter int sseed = seed + pr * 10007; for (int c = 0; c < len(msg); c++) { if (u >= 1.0 || total_pts >= max_pts_total) break; string ch = msg[c]; if (ch == " ") { u = min(1.0, u + gap_word_units * unit_len); continue; } string code = morse_of(ch); if (code == "") { u = min(1.0, u + gap_letter_units * unit_len); continue; } for (int k = 0; k < len(code); k++) { if (u >= 1.0 || total_pts >= max_pts_total) break; string sym = code[k]; float dur = (sym == ".") ? dot_units : dash_units; float den = (sym == ".") ? dot_mult : dash_mult; int sid = (sym == ".") ? 0 : 1; float u1 = min(1.0, u + dur * unit_len); // cap per-interval emission so one curve can't explode points int cap_here = max(1, (max_pts_total - total_pts)); int made = emit_interval(0, pr, u, u1, den, sseed + total_pts * 31, unit_len, spacing_units, jitter_radius, jitter_along, cap_here, pr, sid); total_pts += made; u = u1; if (k < len(code) - 1) u = min(1.0, u + gap_symbol_units * unit_len); } if (c < len(msg) - 1 && msg[c+1] != " ") u = min(1.0, u + gap_letter_units * unit_len); } }

The interesting thing in the video is indeed the fact that adding ramp points adds geometry. I found a quick way of doing this, maybe a bit dirty but it looks like it's working ! chrampedgeloop.hipnc

I wanted to share a quick visual comparison between the SideFX recording of my Houdini HIVE Tokyo 2025 session "Adaptive Fracture Synthesis and Propagation in VEX using OpenSubdiv Limit Surface Derivatives" and my own local QHD capture. The SideFX version is completely fine for watching the presentation, but my recording was captured directly from my display source with no compression loss, so it preserves a lot more clarity across the entire presentation. This includes all geometry details, colors, UI elements, and text. This is one of the main reasons I am preparing my own edited cuts. The attached images show the difference between the two versions. The full END-JPN cut will be posted next, followed later by the English-only version. These edited cuts will be available exclusively to paid members on Patreon.

I spent a fair bit of time trying to figure this out today so I figured I'd post a quick tutorial for posterity. The only other guides and info I could find were specific to getting pscale and Cd into C4d for Redshift. Nothing on orientation or other attributes generally. Long story short: - Unless your attribute is explicitly typed (i.e. Vector, Quaternion, Matrix instead of 3flt, 4flt, 9flt) C4d will read it as a float (or "Real") - Orientation is handled by the "Alignment" TP channel, so you need to convert your @orient to a matrix3 before export Hope this saves someone else some time.

I'm pretty new with houdini, so I am sure there is a better way. randomselection.hiplc