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MayaToHoudini
From Odwiki
Contents |
Concepts
Similar Concepts
- In Maya, what is called an attribute is called a parameter in Houdini; so the concept of "attaching attributes" in Maya becomes "adding SpareParameters" in Houdini.
Different Concepts
Base Architecture
- Although Maya does have what it calls History laid out in the DAG, its not the default way of working. It becomes an advanced user task to rewire the DAG. Houdini's expected way of work involves constant rewiring of operations, especially in non-modeling tasks. That said, the inputs and outputs are simpler in Houdini - basically plugging output mesh connections into input mesh connections. There is no concept of other connections between nodes, besides indirect connects formed by things like Houdini Expressions. These connection can be drawn in the Houdini NetworkEditorPane by hitting "d" over the pane and enabling the option.
- In Houdini, node types are very strictly sorted into categories called "Networks" applicable to a a specific realm of functionality. For instance, object types, modeling/geometry manipulation types/compositing types/dynamics types/etc. In Maya, these co-exist in the same network. Besides the hardcoded existence of one of each of the types of Networks, Houdini's Networks and contain other Houdini Network types and so you can build specific structures to perform a multitude of tasks. This is called NetworksWithinNetworks and is the basis for building encapsulated node structures called HDAs.
Geometry
- GeometryAttributes - data can be attached to points and primitives and forms a major part of Houdini usage. The major difference is that this infomation is attached to the geometry and is not a separate mapping structure, as it is in Maya.
- In Maya, you cannot have multiple unconnected NURBs meshes or curves under one Shape Node. In Maya it becomes useful because each mesh has its one transform node but can be extremely heavy if you consider having a hair system where there may be 250000 hairs where it has to maintain transforms and shape nodes for every hair. It becomes a conscious effort in Houdini to separate meshes (like the Maya Separate tool). In Houdini, see ConnectivitySOP and the DeleteSOP and the ObjectMergeSOP.
Operation Map
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Sphere | SphereSOP |
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Cube | BoxSOP |
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Cone | TubeSOP : tubes and cones |
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Plane | GridSOP |
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Torus | TorusSOP |
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Circle | CircleSOP |
| Create> NURBS/Polygon Primitives>Square | GridSOP : 1 division |
| Create> Lights | LightObject |
| Create> Cameras | CameraObject |
| Create> CP/EP Curve Tool | CurveSOP |
| Create> Pencil Curve Tool | CurveSOP |
| Create> Arc | CircleSOP |
| Create> Text | FontSOP |
| Create> Locator | NullObject |
| Create> Set | Bundles and OperatorGroups |
| Polygon> Create Polygon | CurveSOP |
| Polygon> Append To Polygon | Similar to CurveSOP |
| Polygon> Combine | MergeSOP and ObjectMergeSOP |
| Polygon> Transfer | AttribTransferSOP |
| Polygon> Booleans | CookieSOP (works on open polygons too) |
| Polygon> Mirror | MirrorSOP |
| Polygon> Mirror Cut | MirrorSOP with ClipSOP |
| Polygon> Smooth | DivideSOP with "Smooth" option |
| Polygon> Smooth Proxy | ? |
| Polygon> Unmirror Smooth Proxy | ? |
| Polygon> Average Vertices | similar to SmoothSOP |
| Polygon> Triangulate | DivideSOP - max edges set to 3 |
| Polygon> Quadrangulate | DivideSOP - max edges set to 4 |
| Polygon> Cleanup | CleanSOP, or FacetSOP with Remove Inline Point and Orient Polygons |
| Polygon> Quadrangulate | DivideSOP - max edges set to 4 |
| Polygon> Reduce | PolyReduceSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Subdivide | SubdivideSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Split Polygon Tool | PolySplitSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Extrude Face/Edge/Vertex | PoyExtrudeSOP (old:ExtrudeSOP) |
| Edit Polygons> Append To Polygon | Similar to CurveSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Append To Polygon | Similar to CurveSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Chamfer Vertex | PolyBevelSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Bevel | PolyBevelSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Cut Faces | no equivalent |
| Edit Polygons> Bevel | PolyBevelSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Poke Faces | similar to StarBurstSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Wedge Faces | ? |
| Edit Polygons> Bevel | PolyBevelSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Merge Vertices | FuseSOP or FacetSOP with "Consolidate" on |
| Edit Polygons> Merge Edges | ? |
| Edit Polygons> Split Vertex | FuseSOP or FacetSOP with "Unique" on |
| Edit Polygons> Flip Triangle Edge | EdgeFlipSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Bevel | PolyBevelSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Collapse | EdgeCollapseSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Delete Vertex | BlastSOP or FacetSOP with "Remove Inline Points" |
| Edit Polygons> Delete Edge | DissolveSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Bevel | PolyBevelSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Duplicate Face | DuplicateSOP or CopySOP |
| Edit Polygons> Extract | ? |
| Edit Polygons> Separate | See SeparatingConnectedMeshes |
| Edit Polygons> Make Hole | HoleSOP or BlastSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Fill Hole | PolyCapSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Sculpt Polygoons Tool | SculptSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Colors > Apply Color | ColorSOP or PointSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Colors > Prelight ... | BakeVexSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Colors > Paint Vertex Color Tool | PaintSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Vertex Normal Edit Tool | PointSOP / GeometrySpreadSheet / CombSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Set Vertex Normal | PointSOP |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Average Normals | SmoothSOP with Other Attribute set to "N" |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Set To Face | FuseSOP Unique, then FacetSOP Recompute Normals |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Reverse | ReverseSOP or PrimitiveSOP>Face/Hull>Vertex>Reverse or PointSOP for PointAttributes |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Conform | FacetSOP with Orient Polygons |
| Edit Polygons> Normals > Soften/Harden | EdgeCuspSOP or FacetSOP with Cusp |
anyone else like to continue?
