houdini as a animation packg.

[MatrixNAN]

Hey Guys,

I agree the rig I did is very different than the ones I did in maya. Actually extremely different. However if I see a good idea in one package I will try to find a way to bring it into another package. For instance, there is a way to change the color of a bone when it passes a certain degree of rotation to let the animator know they just broke the arm but at the same time not limiting the animator from breaking the arm. I built this rig for a particular purpose in Houdini and that is for hand to hand combat animations. You might have noticed that I even included the ability for the user to clinch the fists with the small knuckle drop on the two smaller knuckles that you will notice happening if you make a fist correctly. One of the first things I tried in Houdini was using metaballs but I have come to not like them very much at this point. The are hard to control meaning they change as a system if you try to scale them up or down as a system. They do not maintain shape but instead breakdown or grow into one big blob. Oh as far as using OTLs yes I do. I have made several OTLs in the interest of rigging mainly. Yeah I love OTLs and I was making a reference to it when I wrote earlier I think I refered to them as Digital Assets because I believe if my memory is not off that was how SideFx introduced the OTLs calling them digital assets. So I am sorry for any confusion I was trying to be a bit more generic. The Blend OP Sequence is a great tip I am going to check it out. Thanks for telling me about that. I think I have used Blend OP before but not in that way so thanks a million. That will make my rigs easier. Mind you my original post was not an attack on Houdini for rigging. SideFx's people have stated that the reason Escape has not been released because they are not finished with all of their character tools. So thats why there is not a price tag on it. That was what I was making a reference to and not that Houdini was weak when it comes to rigging. Like I said I left Maya to come to Houdini for Rigging and some other things but probably rigging more than anything. You get a tremedous amount of control using Houdini that I have just not been able to find in the other apps that I have used so that is why Houdini is my favorite 3D app. I know maya, lightwave, max, houdini, and have only toyed with XSI.

Cheers,

Nate Nesler

[edward]

Hey Matrix,

Thanks for the comments! I'll be around the Houdini User Meeting for sure. Just ask any of the SESI ppl to point me out.

As for "Synthesis of Complex Dynamic Character Motion from Simple Animations", there was better stuff from last SIGGRAPH. ie. "Efficient Synthesis of Physically Valid Human Motion". Maybe even more this year?

While slightly off-topic, does anyone think that there's a better system than doing capture weighting?

[TheUsualAlex]

While slightly off-topic, does anyone think that there's a better system than doing capture weighting?

Howdy Ed,

I'll make sure to comment on it if I get a chance to play more with it at "the ranch".

-A

[michael]

ed is easy to spot : he's about 6'8" long wavy blonde hair and a shaggy beard.

ed > what!?

[MatrixNAN]

Hey Matrix,

Thanks for the comments! I'll be around the Houdini User Meeting for sure. Just ask any of the SESI ppl to point me out.

As for "Synthesis of Complex Dynamic Character Motion from Simple Animations", there was better stuff from last SIGGRAPH. ie. "Efficient Synthesis of Physically Valid Human Motion". Maybe even more this year?

While slightly off-topic, does anyone think that there's a better system than doing capture weighting?

12952[/snapback]

Hey Edward,

Really well thats what happens when I am a student volunteer instead of going as a student and just paying for the ticket which is what I am doing this year. I pretty much missed the conference last year because I was working it. I love the courses. Oh and I am going to be going to that Houdini party man that looks fun. I did however buy the DVD on papers last year so I will try to find it there if you know if it was presented as a paper or not. I will look for it on there. That DVD was worth every bit of the $60 I paid for it. I love the papers. Still I believe the idea of "Efficient Synthesis of Physically Valid Human Motion" would be good because people that have to do TV animations or what not have to do extremely fast turn arounds on production which generally henders quality so this might be a strong plus for houdini so that better and stronger animation can run through pipeline of an animation studio on extremely time critical contract. Cool I will hunt you down there.

Cheers,

Nate Nesler

[edward]

Huh?

[MatrixNAN]

Hey Guys,

Huh I could not see these postings until I went to post myself and then they appear in the posting section. Something is wrong with the forum. On the 3rd page part of the bottom of it is missing. The icons are just gone. Weird. Sounds like I won't have a hard time finding Ed then.

ed is easy to spot : he's about 6'8" long wavy blonde hair and a shaggy beard.

Hummm when I first read that I got the image of a tall blonde wookie. Then it came to mind that we would know who would be the bigger man. The only reason I am mentioning this is because I am assuming Arctor is joking based on this:

ed > what!?

and then of course Ed's reponse is equally encouraging:

Huh?

Cheers,

Nate Nesler

P.S. Ed if by chance you are:

ed is easy to spot : he's about 6'8" long wavy blonde hair and a shaggy beard.

then I mean no harm.