Houdini 13.0 Nodes

interface version 1

Visualization of geometry groups (points or primitives).

This operator applies color to geometry components, based on their group memberships.

Tip

This node is very useful as “visual checkpoint” when constructing complex effects involving more geometry groups. It’s good practice to keep (maintain) visualizer node(s) at important points of the node tree.

  • Visualizing three primitive groups, prefixed "partition" (created by a Space Partition qL SOP).

For visualizing memberships, a group mask is to be specified. Each group will be assigned an own color from a color ramp, and group members will be colored accordingly.

Additionally, a "hilite" mask can also be specified – geometry that are members of a “hilited” group will be applied a color with a different brightness (hilite intensity – as opposed by regular group color intensity). This functionality allows highlighting one (or few) particular group(s).

  • Visualizing primitive groups (prefixed "piece") created by a Voronoi Fracture SOP (with a few pieces highlighted).

Warning

This operator currently cannot detect overlapping groups (i.e. primitives belonging more than one group in the specified group pattern).

Parameters

Input

Select which geometry input to visualize. Two (2) input slots are available.

Workflow-wise this allows to connect a “before” and an “after” state, and quickly switch between them for comparison.

Points / Primitives

This radio button group specifies the type of groups to be visualized (point or primitive).

Group Mask

A list (or pattern) of groups to be visualized.

Hilite Mask

An optional list of individual group(s) that should be visualized with a highlighted color intensity. (Usually a single group, but multiple elements can be used as well.)

Display Points

Visualize points by turning them into particles (point groups only).

Keep Points Only

Delete all geometry component types except points (point groups only).

Apply Highlighting

If this switch is disabled, Hilite Mask_s won't be applied. Keep Highlighted Only: Delete all geometry except the pattern specified in _Hilite Mask.

Group Colors (Ramp)

A ramp to pick colors from for each individual group.

Intensity (Regular, Hilite)

Color intensity (brightness) for both the regular and the highlighted geometry pieces, if a Hilite Mask is specified.

Brightness, Lookup Offset, Frequency

These parameters affect which color from the ramp will be mapped to each geometry group.

Tip

If a frequency of 0 is given, all groups will get the same color from the ramp (which can be changed using the offset parameter). This can be useful if you want to use hilite-ing but without visual flamboyance.

Display Gamma

Setting of the gamma-correction applied to all group colors.

Default Color

Color of geometry components with no or irrelevant membership.

Todo

  • Add a “number of groups” mode (to visually indicate how many groups an element belongs to)

  • Implement coloring by name attribute (both points/primitives)

Release Notes

interface version 1 —

2014-09-16

  • Added “Clear” buttons for highlight mask fields

  • All inputs are now “reference” types

2014-09-09

  • Fixed “the usual miscount-by-one” bug in color ramp lookups

  • Fixed hilite parameters' popup menus

2014-08-28

  • FUG BIX: Primitives/Keep Highlighted Only toggle wasn’t working – fixed.

2014-08-01

  • Major optimizations for both points and prims (ported all to VEX);

  • Added various convenience params (apply hilite, keep hilite only, brightness);

  • Slightly incompatible behaviour (regular/hilite brightnesses only apply if there’s a hilite mask specified)

  • Fixed inputs (2nd input now works again – all input-related UI stuff is imported from Attr Visualize qL SOP)

2014-07-31

  • Minor UI changes;

  • Help card update.

2013-04-19

  • Added descriptive parm (additional info displayed in network editor).

2013-02-28

Fix: for exactly 2 groups, point group display displayed the same color for both, this is now fixed (applied to primitive mode, too, to prevent similar possible problems).

2013-02-07

  • Performance improvements (way faster for primitives, much faster for point groups. More improvements come as soon as Houdini supports vex processing of primitives.)

  • Default ramp colors are less more aesthetic, responds better to hilite brightness adjustments.

2012-11-09

First version.

Note

The implementation could be slow on large amounts of geometry. (Once the exact functionality details are agreed upon, some internals could be replaced with python code – especially the primitive processing parts.)