Some questions of Newbie

[tschwenke]

Hi,
I'm new to Houdini + Octane. Just 2 simple questions:
- When I enable "Alpha channel", I get a black background. Is there a way to change it to another color?
- The IPR does not update in all cases. Creating a new geometry (box, sphere) or extrude a surface does not show in the IPR. I have to click "Reload." However, moving objects around or editing them does work. What's the point?
- When using Alt+Mouse to move the camera, it's really slow. It constantly freezes my Houdini camera for 1-2 seconds and I cannot move further. However, if I use the Gizmo to move the camera, everything works fine. Why is this?
- Is there a way to move the IPR to the background? It's always on top...
Best wishes,
Thomas

[juanjgon]

Hi,

In the kernel, you have an additional option to keep the environment background even if you enable the alpha channel. About the IPR update, yes, currently the objects creation or modifications at SOP level are not updated in the IPR without reloading, this is something to be improved in the future.

About your problem with the camera, this is something that I can't reproduce here. As soon as you release the mouse button, the camera is updated in the IPR. Currently, the camera is not updated until you release the mouse button, so I'm not sure when do you get this lag. Do you have this problem with any scene?

The IPR window is always on top, but I think that add an option to disable this behavior should be easy. In any case, along next year, all the IPR window is going to be refactored to work using Qt5, not a raw OpenGL window, like it works now, so at that point should be fairly easy add this feature, or even make the IPR window dockable inside a Houdini pane, like any other Houdini window panel.

Thanks,
-Juanjo

[tschwenke]

Hi,

Thanks for replying. First of all: Merry Xmas from Germany

The comments are only some thoughts I have. The plugin is already quite good!

In the kernel, you have an additional option to keep the environment background even if you enable the alpha channel.

Yes, thanks, but I don't want to see the environment or the HDRI. It would be great to choose the bg color.

About the IPR update, yes, currently the objects creation or modifications at SOP level are not updated in the IPR without reloading, this is something to be improved in the future.

Yes, definitively!

About your problem with the camera, this is something that I can't reproduce here. As soon as you release the mouse button, the camera is updated in the IPR. Currently, the camera is not updated until you release the mouse button, so I'm not sure when do you get this lag. Do you have this problem with any scene?

I usually work with Carrara + Octane plugin. I don't see a lag there. I used your plugin for the first time now. It seems that your plugin does not only transfer the camera movement to the API, but also some other information. When I press ALT and scroll with the mouse wheel, it takes up to 6-10 seconds, until the IPR and Houdini reacts. In the other plugin or the standalone version, I can move the camera without any lag.

make the IPR window dockable inside a Houdini pane

Would be great!

I look forward working with the Houdini plugin.

Best wishes,
Thomas

[juanjgon]

About your problem with the camera, this is something that I can't reproduce here. As soon as you release the mouse button, the camera is updated in the IPR. Currently, the camera is not updated until you release the mouse button, so I'm not sure when do you get this lag. Do you have this problem with any scene?

I usually work with Carrara + Octane plugin. I don't see a lag there. I used your plugin for the first time now. It seems that your plugin does not only transfer the camera movement to the API, but also some other information. When I press ALT and scroll with the mouse wheel, it takes up to 6-10 seconds, until the IPR and Houdini reacts. In the other plugin or the standalone version, I can move the camera without any lag.

I've found the problem related to the IPR camera update slowdown while interacting with it in the viewports. It will be fixed in the next 2018.1 plugin build.

Thanks,
-Juanjo

[tschwenke]

Thank you