How can I recreate the metaball effect from c4d?

[boyle]

Hi guys,

Houdini newbie here :-)

I'm looking to do exactly this: 

.

I.e.: take several spheres and make them into a new single object by wrapping a skin around them.

I've searched a while but couldn't find the answer to this: What is the preferred way to do this in Houdini?

Thanks alot!

 

[Sepu]

You can use Metaballs in Houdini or VDB.

Here a quick example with metaball node

Metaballs.hipnc

Edited October 2, 2016 by Sepu

[boyle]

16 minutes ago, Sepu said:

You can use Metaballs in Houdini or VDB.

Here a quick example with metaball node

Metaballs.hipnc

yes, but (1) you need to start off with metaball objects and (2) they have to be very close to each other to get fused.

I am looking for a way to wrap a unified skin around whatever objects I want and no matter how far they are from eachother.

Edited October 2, 2016 by boyle

[Sepu]

You can make an object to act as a Metaball, just use the Copy node. in the video the guy just show 3 to 4 spheres he make them into metaballs, that's exactly what I've done. then you can play with the radius and weight and the different kernel functions to make it the way that you want. You can also use Vdb if you want more control as I mention on my second post.

[boyle]

Im afraid I've tried but don't quite get it :-)

1) how can I get the skin to wrap around the red sphere too? (see file)

2) how can you make an object act as a metaball using the copy node? For instance how can you turn a torus into a metaball?

3) how can you use VDBs to control this?

sorry I'm quite new to Houdini :-)

 

Metaballs2.hipnc

[mestela]

the copy node puts a copy of whatever is connected to the first input, to every point of the second input. take a metaball and a torus, feed both to a copy sop, and tweak the scale of the metaballs small enough, and/or the number of points on the torus, you get a metaball torus.

or a metaball pig. in a metaball torus. with metaballs floating around doing silly metaball things, with their scale and falloff tweaked to do sillier things.

Metaballs3.hipnc

 

[boyle]

18 hours ago, mestela said:

the copy node puts a copy of whatever is connected to the first input, to every point of the second input. take a metaball and a torus, feed both to a copy sop, and tweak the scale of the metaballs small enough, and/or the number of points on the torus, you get a metaball torus.

or a metaball pig. in a metaball torus. with metaballs floating around doing silly metaball things, with their scale and falloff tweaked to do sillier things.

Thanks so much Matt, that's a great file to study. Thanks for posting that!