PointVOP Basics in Houdini
Download Houdini File: Quicktip_PointVOP.hiplc
Inherited values from connected parent node
Everything inside a VOP (visual operators) node is multi-threaded and makes use of the multiple cores in your computer. You are given a wide range of attributes that inherit the values from the connected parent node, which can then be used for further manipulation inside the Point VOP node.
In the example project file available for download, I demonstrate how to add noise to a polygon geometry using the Point VOP. It is a very simple example and the intention is to give you an idea of how a VOP node works.
The example project file uses a basic noise and adds it back to the original P, positions of the geometry in order to displace it. This creates a random shape based on the noise. The process is demonstrated in the video on the left titled, Point VOP in Houdini. The purpose is to show you a basic technique of displacing geometry using noise and hopefully you can use this concept and expand on it to create even more interesting shapes and custom noise.
Volume VOP Concepts
This concept should build up to the next lesson where I introduce a Volume VOP node used for manipulating Volumes and Height Fields, because Height Fields are actually volumes.
I also prepared an introduction video for basic volume concepts, titled “What is a Volume? in Houdini for Beginners | Core Concepts”. It explains how volumes are constructed from voxels. It describes how voxels store density values and a brief mention about volume primitives.
The grand ambition was to lead this to Height Fields and further expand your knowledge into how you can manipulate Height Fields with Volume VOP’s. I hope to demonstrate the power of using Volume VOP’s in Height Fields, which offer limitless possibilities.
If you are new to Height Fields, I also prepared an introduction to Height Field video titled, “Height Fields for Beginners” in hopes to bridge the gap for those that have never touched the Height Field nodes in Houdini or maybe you just need a refresher.
Feedback
I hope you find these videos helpful. I have put in a lot of consideration when planning out my videos, but they contain a lot of flaws. I’m human. It’s hard to find a balance between explaining details and overwhelming the viewer with too much information. I’m still finding my style in the channel.
Related Videos
The last two videos I have to offer are “Height Fields for Beginners”, which is helpful if you’ve never worked on Height Fields in Houdini before or maybe you just want a refresher.
The video I mentioned above that I ambitiously tried to build up to from all the other videos is titled, “Mainpulate Height Fields with Volume VOP in Houdini”. There is also a complementary post that goes with the Volume VOP video where you can download the Houdini Project file and I discuss the power of using Volume VOP’s and Height Fields together.