Scheduling Geometry Render nodes from inside OTLs

[Memo]

Sorry to be bombarding the forum with loads of questions lately, Houdini is pretty big and I'm running into a lot of walls (and I haven't slept or eaten in about 30 hours too).

 

1. I'd like to create an OTL which generates a bunch of geometry based on a bunch of settings

2. Then I'd like to create a number of instances of this OTL in the root on the scene level (/obj).

3. I'll adjust the different instances to different settings.

4. Then I want to export the geometry from each instance (the OTL has a ROP network inside it).

 

I'm running into two problems:

1. I've linked the export settings to the OTL interface, but when I press the Render or Render Control buttons nothing happens. However if I dive inside the OTL, and go down all the way to the ROP Network, then if I press RENDER on the OTL interface it renders! But i have to be inside the ROP Network otherwise it does nothing.

 

2. I understand that inside a ROP network you can link nodes and they trigger one another and you can daisy chain renders. But what I would like to do, is arbitrarily trigger the export of two different instances. E.g.

I have 5 instance of my OTL in my scene. I play with the settings of them, and then I go off on a break, and I'd like instance 1, 3, and 4 and to start exporting. Is this possible? THey are in separate ROPnetworks, each inside their own instance of the OTL?

 

I've attached a really simplified example of my setup:

OTL is at scene level, and contains a geo node, and a rop network.

In the root I have bunch of instances. 

 

cheers,

msaTestRop.zip

[Skybar]

Sorry to be bombarding the forum with loads of questions lately, Houdini is pretty big and I'm running into a lot of walls (and I haven't slept or eaten in about 30 hours too).

I suggest you go to sleep and get something to eat then. That is usually the best problemsolver in the world.

[FIELD]

Hey Memo

 

Nice to see you here ;-)

 

I think what you want to do could be achieved in an easier fashion by triggering a short python script to launch hbatch to render that particular ROP in the background.

 

I do this all the time using my fd_file_cache asset (part of https://github.com/field/FieldKit.otl

 

That way you can continue to work and tweak other parts of your network while the ROP is caching away in the background (even works across sequences if your SOPs arent time dependent)

 

hope that helps

M

Edited May 30, 2014 by FIELD

[Memo]

Hey man, that sounds perfect! I'll check it out. I'm just trying to figure out best practises on how to structure everything and automate as much as possible. It would be good to catch up pretty soon too, I have a load more questions :