Houdini 17 Wishlist

[Alexey Vanzhula]

28 minutes ago, LaidlawFX said:

In this regard I agree on this. This is the Katana realm. While you can make Houdini Obj network work like this with a bit of a pipeline team, it be better if it came out of the box a little more fleshed out. This is actually a known series of RFEs.

Exactly. A bit of python and your /OBJ network will works like Katana or Clarisse Builder. I think, you can also render images on the fly and preview it in the network editor, just like in Clarisse video

Edited July 25, 2018 by Alexey Vanzhula

[koanix5]

@NNois Houdini already has that which is called as the /OBJ network where one can see the scene properly.
Just wait till the LOPs context (possibly LookDev Operators) comes out. I guess that SideFX is trying to make Houdini a complete package which can be used from start to the end of the pipeline. By bringing LOPs, they are competing with Katana and also the new Clarisse Builder. But they need to really speed up Mantra and possibly introduce GPU rendering. They are also bringing the TOPs context (possibly Texture Operators) which can compete with Mari, Substance Painter etc... TOPs could be procedural texturing like Substance Painter. With Houdini 17, you can forget about using Katana. I hope that till Houdini 19, we can forget about using Nuke as well .

[pxBomber]

I wish to have a little bit more of higher level vex functions build-in.

Like:

1) printnum(foo) ----- for debuging purposes ... write name and value, something like: 

#ifdef debug 
  printf("\n $FooName : %d", foo); 
#endif

 

2) choose(seed, listOfValues, listOfProbability)     ----------- like python numpy.random.choice() 

3) all kind of basic intersections: like lineSphereIntersection() etc.

4) some high level noise()

etc.etc. 

 

And improved vex editor.. basically integrated sublime into houdini:)

   

and unify vex syntax in vexpressions and vexcode... :

prim(surface_node, prim_num, attrib_name, attrib_index)  ..vs.. prim(<geometry>geometry, string attribute_name, int primnumber)

And one more:):

make geometryHandle (in point(), prim(), etc.) optional parameter with default value of 0. You can save a lot of ink due to that change - and maybe a forest.

 

and make all the sop nodes compilabe of course.

Cheers

 

[LaidlawFX]

4 minutes ago, pxBomber said:

and make all the sop nodes compilabe of course.

Cheers

... just add that in there at the end... no big thing

[pxBomber]

6 minutes ago, LaidlawFX said:

 

... just add that in there at the end... no big thing

yes and switch to python 3 as well and make documentation for all the vex libraries which are shipped with houdini 

[Stephen Moroz]

A simple but useful feature - have a display flag on the input nodes of a subnet. That way you wouldn't have to put a null down just to see the incoming geometry!

[Mandrake0]

5 hours ago, pxBomber said:

yes and switch to python 3 as well and make documentation for all the vex libraries which are shipped with houdini 

Thats on the roadmap now for 2020 as target.

https://www.vfxplatform.com

 

Edit:

my wish: a release date and a sneak peek... siggraph is just around the corner.

Edited July 25, 2018 by Mandrake0

[rod.vfx.td]

9 hours ago, koanix5 said:

@NNois Houdini already has that which is called as the /OBJ network where one can see the scene properly.
Just wait till the LOPs context (possibly LookDev Operators) comes out. I guess that SideFX is trying to make Houdini a complete package which can be used from start to the end of the pipeline. By bringing LOPs, they are competing with Katana and also the new Clarisse Builder. But they need to really speed up Mantra and possibly introduce GPU rendering. They are also bringing the TOPs context (possibly Texture Operators) which can compete with Mari, Substance Painter etc... TOPs could be procedural texturing like Substance Painter. With Houdini 17, you can forget about using Katana. I hope that till Houdini 19, we can forget about using Nuke as well .

Oh yeah, this will be nice... much more Houdini thinking/Methodology. I hope this will be true soon!

[rod.vfx.td]

33 minutes ago, Mandrake0 said:

Thats on the roadmap now for 2020 as target.

https://www.vfxplatform.com

 

Edit:

my wish: a release date and a sneak peek... siggraph is just around the corner.

1+ on Sneak Peek!!!

Edited July 25, 2018 by rod.vfx.td

[rod.vfx.td]

Feature request for 17 or 17+

 

1. A ISOLATE function on viewport, not at nodes... like XSI viewport Isolate function.

2. Make /img more featured to eliminate necessity of going nuke/natron/fusion to do basic/median composition things. (acutally comp in Houdini do only the very basic, but need improve.

3. Make /img network import live output from mantra to see results direct on framebufer output without needs save/reload from/to disk.

4. A some type of high performance sculpting editor, even open source Blender have it (and is very very good and fast indeed). (this is on same thinking of eliminate necessity of exit from houdini to do the basics). Sculpting in 2018 already can be considered BASICS.

5. Make a more correct HiDPI adjustment to interface. (even in .env granularity on scale, some thinks on interface not adapt, like splashscreen, viewport toolboxes , some menus editors, etc..)

6. Bring Save presets to 21 century, not overriding all parameters!

7. Make all nodes show all attributes/inputs/variables available. (actually only few nodes shows, forcing user manually enter attributes and need remembering whats available)

8. please document everything, so much "new nodes" without any documentation, just a short explanation is available. So many old nodes with new parameters have not updated documentation too. Including very important ones as FEM sutff.

9. A more easy way to create Shape animation, like XSI where proportional editing creates shapes automatically. (or something similar)

10. More intuitive way to create "XSI Link with/Maya Diven Keys" (maybe with a dedicated curve/link editor?)

Edited July 25, 2018 by rod.vfx.td
corrections

[CinnamonMetal]

7 hours ago, Stephen Moroz said:

A simple but useful feature - have a display flag on the input nodes of a subnet. That way you wouldn't have to put a null down just to see the incoming geometry!

What do you mean ?

[rod.vfx.td]

11. Ability on mantra ROP to point candidate/force/matte objects to nodes (like object merge node), and not only at object level path (current situation).

Edited July 25, 2018 by rod.vfx.td

[CinnamonMetal]

2 hours ago, Mandrake0 said:

Thats on the roadmap now for 2020 as target.

https://www.vfxplatform.com

 

Edit:

my wish: a release date and a sneak peek... siggraph is just around the corner.

What for is this roadmap ?

[Mandrake0]

39 minutes ago, CinnamonMetal said:

What for is this roadmap ?

It's for the developers in the studios and for the tools a guideline that all use the same frameworks and lib's. It reduces versioning conflics and developments know what the studio has on there system. 

And we know whats coming 

[LaidlawFX]

16 hours ago, Mandrake0 said:

And we know whats coming 

Skynet... ?

[Mandrake0]

2 hours ago, LaidlawFX said:

Skynet... ?

haha no i mean more like when you know what type of lib's they use example VDB you can expect the new function from these lib's inside your tool.

[LaidlawFX]

17 hours ago, Mandrake0 said:

haha no i mean more like when you know what type of lib's they use example VDB you can expect the new function from these lib's inside your tool.

Lol, just having a bit of fun  

[Stephen Moroz]

On 25/07/2018 at 7:48 PM, CinnamonMetal said:

What do you mean ?

When you create a subnetwork, you have them grey 1, 2, 3, 4 input nodes. I'm suggesting that there should be a blue display flag on them nodes too so that you can easily see what's coming into the subnet.

[CinnamonMetal]

When creating a DOP Net within the SOP (Object) context, I would like to have a similar block context as does the forEach SOP so one can select the DOP Net and the SOP Network, and have it joined together as one to keep things together more in a pack style, rather then the DOP Net orphaned anywhere in the OBJ window pane; keeping things together one knows the DOP Net is associated with the SOP network.

Also, it's great some of the things SideFX is doing, but lets not dummy down too many things in Houdini, it then reaches a point where SideFX is hiding the old bits in return for easy and convenience to appease some users.

As for sculpting in Houdini, it's a nice suggestion but honestly zBrush and 3D Coat do a excellent Job in this arena; adding topology modifiers is great but, multiple features would have to be packed into one node, for example bevel; so one can bevel and extrude in one, without additional edit nodes or bevel nodes being added. 

I suppose we can wait to see what SideFX does in H17, or then again you could use Modo/Maya for modeling which as Houdini Artist\Technical people we like to have an advanced tool but we should not forget modeling hasn't gone to the stone age, neither has texture paint too such as Substance which I'm personally not a fan of, or Mari, which I am personally a fan off The last bit I thought about sharing my personal software preferences

Edited July 29, 2018 by CinnamonMetal

[CinnamonMetal]

On 7/25/2018 at 6:48 AM, pxBomber said:

I wish to have a little bit more of higher level vex functions build-in.

Like:

1) printnum(foo) ----- for debuging purposes ... write name and value, something like: 

#ifdef debug 
  printf("\n $FooName : %d", foo); 
#endif

 

2) choose(seed, listOfValues, listOfProbability)     ----------- like python numpy.random.choice() 

3) all kind of basic intersections: like lineSphereIntersection() etc.

4) some high level noise()

etc.etc. 

 

And improved vex editor.. basically integrated sublime into houdini:)

   

and unify vex syntax in vexpressions and vexcode... :

prim(surface_node, prim_num, attrib_name, attrib_index)  ..vs.. prim(<geometry>geometry, string attribute_name, int primnumber)

And one more:):

make geometryHandle (in point(), prim(), etc.) optional parameter with default value of 0. You can save a lot of ink due to that change - and maybe a forest.

 

and make all the sop nodes compilabe of course.

Cheers

 

Using an external editor isn't horrible, you can do alot with the files in an external editor, that is not possible within a wrangler; although I do see your point of view. 

printnum(foo) Maybe I still need to learn more C/C++