I am feeling reluctant to poly model in Houdini.

[mightcouldb1]

Ok so I have a few modeling problems that are probably from my lack of understanding of how to model in Houdini. If someone could set me straight, I will promise to model awesome stuff... and be grateful of course.

So I have tried to extrude this edge loop forever, checking and unchecking every box in the manipulator right click menu, but I still have the same problem. One of the edges will not follow the other edges, it likes to go in either the opposite direction or not move at all. (image below)

[brianburke]

Ok so I have a few modeling problems that are probably from my lack of understanding of how to model in Houdini. If someone could set me straight, I will promise to model awesome stuff... and be grateful of course.

So I have tried to extrude this edge loop forever, checking and unchecking every box in the manipulator right click menu, but I still have the same problem. One of the edges will not follow the other edges, it likes to go in either the opposite direction or not move at all. (image below)

The points are trying to move in their own spaces, so along their normals. These normals are odd because they're trying to be interpolated smoothly. Try right clicking on the handle and setting the tool in gobal mode (you can also switch the the global tab of the poly extrude sop's parameter pane). I think you'll find the points will move more predictably this way.

[mightcouldb1]

Thanks for the response Brian. Is there a way to set the global/local toggle to a hotkey? It's kind of time consuming to right-click and to un-check local mode to do an extrude when you are doing 10 of them in a row.

[ofer]

You can set the option on one node, and save it as a default state for hat node, using one of the icons on the top of the parameters pane. This way, every extrude you make will be in the mode you want right away.

And you can always revert it to default if you want.

[blackchicken]

This is problem with houdini, faces do the same thing, when you scale inside faces after extrude one of them always go bad.I never use transform along normals, only if I really need some specific where normals need. In maya I always use global transforms, you are sure that there is no deformation. So I solve this problem to reselect back to points becouse they change always to global transform and from this you could do any transform without deformation, in global mode but better than nothing so, select edges extrude zero then "s" for select mode "2" for points "t" for translate(rotate, scale). Looking wired but works fine. I create at this time two realy brutal models in houdini one titanic and one my personal spaceship transporter. All poly modeling as much detail as I can. This transform method I use as hardsurface poly modeler very very often. Hope it helps ....BC...

[jim c]

one titanic and one my personal spaceship transporter. All poly modeling as much detail as I can.

Any pics or WIP for these? I'm always interested to hear what other people model in Houdini.

[stu]

Any pics or WIP for these? I'm always interested to hear what other people model in Houdini.

I actually like to model in houdini, specifically polygonally (just look in my profile for any of the topics that I've started )

I find that many of the problems that people run into with houdini as a modeller occur as a result of the inclination to shoehorn houdini into another software's workflow or approach.

As opposed to describing the problem that you're having, I'd like to know what the result is that you'd like to achieve and speak to that.