Destroying Things with Force Fields in Houdini

Controlling destruction blast with additional geometry as a driver. Coding the force of the blast and augmenting the RBD (Rigid Body Dynamics) solver with custom made forces.

Houdini, Computer GraphicsbubblepinsDecember 11, 2019houdini, sidefx, destruction sim, destruction simulation, force field, control destructionComment

Basic RBD Scene Setup with Glue Constraints in Houdini

Demonstrates how to setup a simple basic RBD (rigid body dynamic) dopnet simulation scene in Houdini with glue constraints. The glue strength is adjusted to a level that withstands the gravity. This is a perfect starting point or template that can be used as a starting point before adding more complex forces.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsDecember 11, 2019houdini, sidefx, rbd simulation, rbd sim, glue constraints, glue network, destruction sim, destruction simulation, basic destruction setupComment

If Block (New Updated If Block in Houdini 17) using Sop Solver Footprint

Brief explanation on how the New if block nodes work in Houdini versus the Old if block nodes.

HoudinibubblepinsNovember 19, 2019houdini, sidefx, if block, new updated if block, new vs old if blockComment

Filtering Attributes by Value with Houdini Expressions

In this article, I explain how to filter geometry using attribute values. Houdini Expressions can be used to help debug and verify certain geometries. They help out with small tasks and can turn normal static functionality more dynamic and flexible with the use of logic.

Houdini, Computer GraphicsbubblepinsNovember 15, 2019houdini expression, houdini, sidefx, attribute name, assemble node, logicComment

Manually Creating Glue Constraints in Houdini

Constraints in Houdini define how a piece of geometry behave and how they move in the simulation when external forces are exerted upon them. Glue & Spring Constraints both behave differently in the simulation.

Houdini, Computer GraphicsbubblepinsNovember 15, 2019houdini, sidefx, glue constraints, destruction sim, destruction simulation, constraints, spring constraints, vellum constraints, constraint geometryComment

Destruction Glue Constraint in Houdini

Destruction Simulations are controlled by the way you fracture the geometry being destroyed and how the glue constraints are to be broken on impact. Check out this video, where I covered the basics of setting up a destruction simulation using glue constraints provided by the voronoi fracture and I covered some basic concepts for glue constraints, to understand some fundamentals.

Houdini, Computer GraphicsbubblepinsNovember 15, 2019houdini, sidefx, destruction sim, destruction simulation, glue constraints, spring constraints, constraintsComment

AMD Threadripper 3970X & 3960X Announcement

AMD announced on November 7, 2019 the upcoming release of Threadripper 3970x and 3960x. Both products are scheduled for sale on November 25, 2019.

Computer HardwarebubblepinsNovember 7, 2019amd, intel, amd threadripper, intel i9-7980xe, intel i9, xtrx4, amd 3970x, amd 3960x, pci-e lanes, pci e, 2990wx, 32 cores, amd 2990wx, CPU, x399 Comment

Water Simulation for Flowing Rivers

FLIP Simulation for Flowing Rivers Houdini Project File example provided with a Python Script to Auto Cook & Save File Caches

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsOctober 30, 2019houdini, sidefx, river, flip simulation, flip sim, file cache, python script, python, rock, noise, auto cook, automatically cook simulations, auto save file cacheComment

Vellum Sim & RBD Sim Interactions

Having Vellum simulations work with other types of simulations can require some creativity. The multisolver didn’t work with the Vellum solver. I started tinkering with different ways to mix the Vellum solver with a simple RBD simulation setup and came up with a multiple phase workflow to create a more realistic Vellum cloth dynamics with the RBD simulation.

Houdini, Computer GraphicsbubblepinsOctober 28, 2019houdini, sidefx, vellum, vellum sim, vellum & rbd, vellum & rbd interact, collision, phase workflow, realistic vellum rbd sim Comment

Normals in Geometry & Computer Graphics

Normals are vectors in computer graphics that define the exterior surface of a geometry and the direction the surface is facing. Normals may also be called “Surface Normals”, but usually are referred as “normals”, are used in 3D applications to help render the polygon on the screen by distinguishing the front and back side of each primitive.

Computer Graphics, Houdini, BlenderbubblepinsOctober 28, 2019houdini, sidefx, normals, blender, vector, surface normalComment

Destruction Sim in Houdini

Destruction simulation Houdini Project example files available for download

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsOctober 18, 2019houdini, sidefx, hiplc, download examples, download Houdini project, destruction sim, destruction simulation, tutorial videosComment

Outlining Geometry with Unshared Edges in Houdini

Outlining geometry with unshared edges. Explanation of how Houdini references edges using points.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsOctober 18, 2019houdini, sidefx, outline geometry, outlining geometry, unshared edge, shared edge, points outline geometryComment

RBD vs Bullet Solver in Houdini

Bullet Solver vs RBD Solver, comparison between the two and how to choose between the two. The Rigid Body solver has the option to choose between using the Bullet solver engine or RBD solver engine to calculate the dynamics of the simulation.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsOctober 18, 2019houdini, sidefx, rbd, rigid body dynamics, rbd sim, rbd simulation, bullet solver, rbd solver, rbd vs bullet, proxy volume, collision Comments

Coloring Points vs Primitives in Houdini

So what happens if a color is assigned to the points instead of the primitives? What is the difference between assigning color to points versus assigning color to primitives? Sometimes we experience color bleeding onto other primitives of the geometry, this article explains why.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsOctober 18, 2019houdini, sidefx, points, primitives, coloring points vs primitives, points vs primitives, primnum, point number, color pointsComment

Vellum Simulation (cloth sim) in Houdini

Demonstration of different types of Vellum sims, along with corresponding Houdini files.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsOctober 7, 2019Houdini, sidefx, vellum, vellum simulation, vellum sim, soft body, rigid body, blendshape, download Houdini project, download examples, cloth simulation, cloth sim, balloon sim, balloon simulationComment

Delay Sim on Frame with Houdini Expressions

In this post, I’ll demonstrate how to delay the effect for a simulation inside the SOP Solver. This technique can be used for any other simulation in Houdini and doesn’t have to be limited to the SOP Solver.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsSeptember 29, 2019houdini, sidefx, Delay Simulation, delay sim, visual effect, delay visual effect, SOP Solver, if condition, if statement, switch node, houdini expressionComment

Houdini Expressions & Functions

Houdini expressions are functions available to help you calculate values in the parameters of the nodes. You may have seen $HIPNAME which returns the name of the current hip file. Or the centroid one that I use most often for procedural modeling, $CEX $CEY $CEZ, which returns the centroid vector component.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsSeptember 27, 2019houdini, sidefx, math, fit range, ptnum, point number, remap values, random function, rand(), fit(), random seed, height data, height, terrain, texture map, height map, houdini expressionComment

Disintegration & Growth Effect in Houdini

Using a simple technique to produce Disintegration and Growth effects in Houdini. I then add a variation at the end of the effect to generate a variation of the disintegration effect.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsSeptember 27, 2019houdini, sidefx, disintegration, volume, vdb, vdbadvect, growth effect, foreach loop, sop solver, vdbcombine, visual effect, disintegration effect, special effectsComment

Output Terrain Texture Maps (Houdini Height Fields)

How to generate texture maps for terrains generated from Height Fields in Houdini

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsSeptember 25, 2019houdini, sidefx, terrain, texture map, height field, height field output Comment

SOP Solver in Houdini

If you want something to grow over time or maybe shrink over time, SOP Solvers make it easy. SOP Solvers are perfect for animations where you have an object evolving over time, from frame to frame.

Computer Graphics, HoudinibubblepinsSeptember 23, 2019houdini, sidefx, sop solver, foot print example, foreach loop, SOP Solver vs Foreach, loop, evolve Comments

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