Importing Render targets in Houdini

[PaGz]

Hello Juanjgon,

It is possible to import render targets in Houdini the same way as with Lightwave?
I have a look i like in LW and want to reproduce the same in Houdini.

By the way i also try to import material presets from lw and some of them work but many are crashing Houdini..
I have no problems importing the same material presets in C4D or Blender via LocalDB But in houdini it is a nightmare...

[juanjgon]

I'm afraid that importing render targets from LightWave in Houdini is not possible unless you create them as materials or something like that to export them to LocalDB.

About the crashes importing localdb materials, can you please attach a localdb material file with this problem to try to reproduce the crash here? I agree that the localdb/livedb materials are imported like a set of not very user-friendly raw nodes in Houdini, but the material should work without crashes.

Thanks,
-Juanjo

[PaGz]

Hello Juanjgon

Thank you for the quick reply.

I did a more in-depth analysis and I think I found something interesting.
It's a bit difficult to explain so I send screenshots with my explanations.
And the .orbx files from the localdb files.

My material in Lightwave is a mixed material (Universal material + Toon material with toon ramps and Dirt textures + rounded edges)
I found a way to import my material into Houdini and I will describe step by step what I did;)

1- From Lightwave I exported with octane export package as .orbx (LW_scene_test.orbx)
The next logical and simple step for me was to import this into Houdini with the LiveDB panel but no luck in Houdini (crashed). So I tried other software (C4D and Blender) Blender and Lightwave failed, but C4D managed to import the .orbx (the funny fact is that C4D created 3 shader balls from my .orbx.
(LW_scene_test, Toon Material and a Universal Material)

2- I tested each shader on a C4D model and all the shaders worked.
Then I saved the 3 shader in the LiveDB and it overwrote the original .orbx. The one that didn't work in any other software. (LW_scene_test.orbx)
Then I tried them in Blender and Lightwave with no issues.

3- then I go back to Houdini and I try the same. One of the 3 shaders failed (LW_scene_test) (ERROR: this liveDB material has a node not supported by the plugin: NT_OUT_Material) Despite these errors the LW_scene_test material appeared in the tree view.
I checked the network and found that it was possible to grab the nodes from each material and merge them together into a new material. I now have the same network I had in Lightwave but had to go through C4D! ...

I wonder why C4D is the only one that can import my .orbx from Lightwave ...
C4D was able to import easily and in one go!

[PaGz]

It is possible to Save and load Render targets in houdini?
Or add them to a preset accessible in Houdini?

[fantome]

Import / Export feature are the only area that are seriously lacking in the houdini plugin.

simply put, you have only two way to import data :
- via live DB -> but it's not practical cause it generate a huge node tree and some graph gives error. It also import in SHOP while the modern context is now MAT. I also find that you lost all the advantage of using pre made shader with the huge complexity created in the live import graph, better do them from scratch in houdini to get a clean graph.
- via the import orbx sop -> this one is useful cause you can create orbx in lightwave or standalone and read them easily in houdini. It's a useful feature, but this is a read only access you can't edit anything.

C4D and Maya are different beast on this regards, they have better import orbx feature. But liveDB in maya also has problems but it's out of topic.

for exporting data :
- you only have the ROP export arhives , it works well with static scene, but as soon as you start working on complex scene that need update reloading you are screw cause you need to export per frame orbx and in my experience when you try to export complex things. it won't work.

the general rules in houdini is that octane plugin is good and stable ( more stable than maya for ex ) but you are lock inside houdini if you want to have a pleasant experience. You lookdev and build your shader in Houdini, and you render directly in Houdini without writing archive like you would do with .ass or .ifd you just render directly inside houdini.

[PaGz]

Hello Juanjgon

I finally get a similar look in Houdini with the imported .orbx as described earlier..

I did a big cleanup of the extra nodes in the material network and need to modify a bit the network to get the same look as LW.

One thing that helped me a lot is the exellent plugin OD Houdini Shelf Tools for Houdini by Origami Digital. (Oliver Hotz) could be a perfect team with you!
His plugins help me converting my Lightwave scene to Houdini and is able to export and import Houdini Node Networks.
So i am able to do the same as in LW with my material Networks.
But it is not able to export and import render targets....

[PaGz]

You lookdev and build your shader in Houdini, and you render directly in Houdini without writing archive like you would do with .ass or .ifd you just render directly inside houdini.

Thanks a lot Fantome!

I actually still do my lookdev in Lightwave because i am still a beginner in Houdini. It is easier for me to do it in LW and then reconstruct the shader on the Houdini side.

I had found a solution to transfert all Octane material data between LW and Houdini but with the help of C4D

So at the end i had only needed to merge in the material networks and eliminate the extra nodes!