Deborah R. Fowler
Houdini Tips & Tricks
Tips and tricks related to modeling, procedural modeling, and procedural animation. Files created by Deborah R. Fowler unless otherwise noted. Click any card to download the sample .hipnc file.
See also the modeling overview section. Remember: model at the origin, there is no delete history, transformation order matters, and where you put your node in the network matters.
Topics A – Z
Add Node
Can be used for many purposes; also used in the better roof example.
Nodes
Add Node — Delete Points
Using the add node to delete all but points.
Nodes
Add Node — Follow Geometry
Using the add node to follow geometry (used extensively with animation).
Nodes
Alembic
Exporting from Houdini via ROP alembic node; reading back using import with the correct path. More information about alembics here.
Nodes
Animation Misc — Curve Movement
Animation
Attribute Paint & Bend Node (H18)
Following Jeff Lait's Masterclass on Attribute Paint. More info here.
Nodes
Bend with Variation in For-Each
pigFlower.hipnc (H18.5)
Nodes
BBox Function
The bounding box function gives access to geometry information (see also intersection analysis).
Scripting
Boolean
booleanExampleH19.hipnc
Modeling
Box (Polygon) Geometry
Fixing soft corners — consolidate points, edgecusp, facet, or vertex. Multiple solutions included.
Modeling
Callback Scripts
Simple hscript and Python callback examples. A more advanced Python version exists on my Python page (see Adding callback scripts). Another example: DoorPlacementWithCallback.zip.
Scripting
Callback — Reset GUI Parameters
Reset parameters via callback; includes how to hide a parameter based on another.
Scripting
CHOPS Hints
The limit node and a mathematical approach to flattening the peak of a sine curve.
Animation
CHOPS — Build Geometry from Curve
Using CHOPS with pointwrangle and op: format to build geometry from a curve (H18).
Animation
CHOPS — Wing Animation
Simple wing animation comparing CHOPS with expressions (H18).
Animation
CHOPS — Combine for Pause Effect
CHOPS combine to create a pause effect on a sine function.
Animation
Chramp — Color Function
chramp color function, additional file for H19.5.
Scripting
Chramp — Float Function
chramp float in both hscript and VEX (H19.5).
Scripting
Clip Node
Nodes
Color Node + Attribute Create
Similar control to the chramp example; combine color node with Attribute Create.
Nodes
Color Variation — For-Each
exampleOptionsColorVariation.hipnc (H18.5). See also looping overview.
Nodes
Color Variation — Tint Texture
colorVariation.hipnc (H18.5).
Nodes
Complex Scenes
Complex Scenes
Tips for complex scenes, includes brief render description.
Nodes
Copy Node — Simple Examples
Remember to use packed primitives or instancing.
Nodes
Copy Node Overview
For beginners (v19.5).
Nodes
Copy Node — Variation Without Stamping
Nodes
Copy by For-Each — Differing Floor Sizes
Similar to the snowman/building pointwrangle example.
Building
Copy by For-Each — Differing Width
Similar to above but with building-style varying widths.
Building
Copy — Increase/Decrease (For-Each)
forEachIncreaseDecrease19.5.hipnc
Nodes
Creep SOP
Hint — inside this file is a link to a forum post where they create a chain. See also more on creep here.
Nodes
Cull Geometry by Camera Frustrum
Volume example. See also Complex Scene Tips.
Nodes
Cull Geometry by Camera Frustrum in VEX
VEX example. See also Complex Scene Tips.
Nodes
Delete Attributes
Delete attributes or use Attribute Rename.
Nodes
Delete or Blast
Delete or blast including second input for bounding geometry.
Nodes
Door Placement
Based on copynum, or fancier version using callbacks.
Building
Edgecusp
Edgecusp, facet, and vertex can all be used to sharpen edges by uniquing their points and recomputing point normals. See also stairsFromSidefxDocumentation.hipnc.
Modeling
Labs — Grab an Edge
With SideFXLabs loaded, use edge group to curve to create geometry from an edge.
Nodes
Follow Path Constraint
Shelf tool — pathCurveFollow.hipnc.
Animation
Font Node — Randomize Characters
Expressions for randomizing alphabetical characters.
Nodes
For-Each Overview
For-Each Nodes Overview
Multiple example files at Overview-Looping.html.
Nodes
For-Each
For-Each — Vary Stacks
loopForEachVaryStacks.hipnc
Nodes
For-Each
For-Each — Random Line Length
randLineLength.hiplc
Nodes
For-Each
For-Each — Random Line Length with Sweep/Polyspline
randLineLengthMore.hiplc — using sweep and polyspline nodes.
Nodes
For-Each — Scale Up/Down
foreachScaleUpDown.hiplc
Nodes
Fuse Node
Removes duplicate points. Note: H18 fuse behavior has changed.
Nodes
Fuse Node — H18
Turn off everything except Fuse Snapped Points.
Nodes
Gears
Example using polyextrude, boolean, and groups.
Modeling
Glass
Dealing with Glass? check out the troubleshooting page.
Modeling
Groups
Groups can be very useful — groupsH16.hipnc.
Nodes
Hscript — Multi-line & For Loop
Including multi-line comments and for loop in a parameter expression. snowmanOrShrinkingTower.hipnc. There is a very useful forum post here as well.
Scripting
Hscript — Modular Version
Extension of shrinking tower to a modular version.
Scripting
Hscript — C++ Style & PointWrangle
Introducing C++-like hscript alongside pointWrangle (lecture example).
Scripting
Hscript vs Python
comparePythonExpressions15.5.565.hipnc
Scripting
Intersection Analysis
forestTowerLegs.hipnc
Nodes
Intersection Analysis — Procedural Animation
WoodenAutomataHint.hipnc
Animation
Intersection Analysis — Animated
intersectionAnalysis.hipnc
Animation
Leaf
Simple grid with texture detail — Leaf.hipnc.
Modeling
Object Merge
Useful for tidy networks and referencing geometry without bringing all nodes into the container.
Nodes
Orient — PointWrangle
Orient objects or profiles to a curve using pointwrangle.
Orientation
▶ Video
Orient to Curve — Video (H18)
Vimeo tutorial on orienting objects to a curve in Houdini 18.
Orientation
Orient — PolyFrame
Orient PolyFrame from the video tutorial.
Orientation
Orient — PolyFrame vs PointWrangle
Both work; choose based on your need for metadata. For the pointwrangle approach see WrangleNodeExampleCalculateVectors.
Orientation
Copy to Curves
Orient — Copy to Curves Node
polyframeVSpointwrangleNCopyToCurve.hipnc (H18+). If you need metadata, use orientAlongCurve.hipnc instead.
Orientation
Orient Along Curve
Orient Along Curve
If you need metadata, instead of copy to curves use orientAlongCurve.hipnc (H19+) and copy to points.
Orientation
Polyframe — Your Friend
Orientation
Orient Along a Circle
orientToCircle.hipnc
Orientation
Paint Layout
Paint Node — Layout
Very powerful technique, especially combined with the scatter node.
Nodes
Point Function
An extremely useful function to access more geometry information.
Scripting
Points from Volume
Points from Volume
More info at Nodes-PointsFromVolume.html.
Nodes
Polyfill (Polycap)
roundedFace.hiplc (H19).
Modeling
Polyextrude
Polyextrude
More info at Nodes-Polyextrude.html.
Nodes
Polyspline
lavenderH19.hipnc
Nodes
Post Placement
Building — placing posts on a platform from edge or center.
Building
Rand — Seed Variation
Seed can vary via point wrangle, create attribute, attribute randomize (H19).
Scripting
Roof — Fancy
roofsFancy.hipnc and roofsFancyMore.hipnc with a ramp-controlled version.
Building
Sample Windows
Building — windows using expressions, lines, and pointwrangles. See also Building Overview.
Building
Sample Side Windows (Depth)
Building — side window on depth, two solutions using expressions and lines.
Building
Sample Side Door
Building — side door using lines (H18). More on the point wrangle version.
Building
Scatter
Scatter Node
Very useful for layout, especially combined with the paint node. Can also scatter in a volume using isooffset or pointsfromvolume.
Nodes
Side Justify
Sample Side Justify
sideJustify.hiplc
Building
Stairs
stairs.hipnc
Building
Switch
Switch Node
switchNodeExample.hipnc
Nodes
Switch — Random Windows
fit01, rand — switchExampleRandWindows.hiplc
Building
Table Legs
Using ch reference — tableLegs.hipnc.
Building
Timeshift
Click for more info at Nodes-Timeshift.html.
Animation
Transform Order
Transformation Order
Model at the origin, not off in space. Transformation order matters.
Modeling
Transform Teapots
Order matters — TeapotTransforms.hipnc (H18.5).
Modeling
Trim / Cookie
Trim vs Cookie
NURBS: project, trim, bridge, and skin. Simple and complex examples — trimCurves.hipnc and trimmedNurbVersusCookie.hipnc.
Modeling
Tube Geometry
wheel.hipnc
Orientation
Tube — Copy onto Curves
Copy onto curves configured in any tube shape.
Orientation
Tube — Center of Each Face
Facet node used — tubeWindowCopy.hipnc.
Orientation
Tube — Copy Detail with Lines/Expressions
Measure node used — tubeWindowCopyDetail.hipnc.
Orientation
Tube — Angled
Works for angled tubes too (facet node, tube node) — tubeWindowCopyAngled.hipnc.
Orientation
Visualize an Attribute
See also second example.
Nodes
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