interface version 1
Helper operator for PrimGroups Extract Tool qL to extract geometry pieces.
This is a helper node that encompasses multiple operations as a single node, such as:
Object Merge, to fetch a single primitive group (piece) from a single source geometry collective
Attribute Promote, to change certain attribute classifications for the extracted piece.
(This operator is usually created by the PrimGroups Extract Tool.)
Attribute Promotions
This feature allows attributes to be imported as shape attributes in Maya through the alembic format.
Once a single SOP geometry is extracted as multiple OBJ geometry pieces, each piece can internally promote certain attributes to detail class. The Maya alembic importer will recreate these attributes as attributes on the Maya geometry shape (it’s also called “extra attribute” in Maya terminology).
These extra attributes can be useful for passing all kinds of information –
the default settings on this node contains promotions for 3 attributes
(SG_surfaceShader, SG_displaceShader and SG_volumeShader.)
These can contain shader names – so a MEL script could go through all imported objects and perform the appropriate shading assignments.
With a little MEL scripting support from the Maya side, geometry with shader name information can be easily passed between Maya and Houdini (eliminating the need of assigning shaders by hand in Maya after each import).
Tip
In order to set up your own permanent settings (for attribute promotions), set up the parameters on a single Extract Piece node, then use the Save as Permanent Defaults menu item from the “gearbox” menu of a Parameter panel.
From that point, each new extracted piece will inherit your settings. (You might need to rebuild existing piece-extract node networks.)
Parameters
| Object, Group, Transform | Regular Object Merge SOP parameters (initialized by the PrimGroups Extract Tool that created this particular operator). |
| Attribute Promotions | A list of attribute promotion operations. |
To Do
Wildcard-based attribute promotion
Make sure all SG_ attribs are spelled right
Add other example attribs to the default list (e.g. arnold volume step size, etc.)
...
Release Notes
interface version 1 —
| 2014-10-03 | Fixed typo (displaceShader->displacementShader) |
| 2014-07-24 | First version. |