Deborah R. Fowler
SideFX Labs
Posted Jan 6 2022Updated July 10 2022
SideFX Labs
https://www.sidefx.com/products/sidefx-labs/
SideFX Labs is a repository of cool digital assets (hdas) that are in development. This allows you access to new nodes that may be beneficial (mainly game-centric and photogrammetry).
NOTE: If you use these nodes and want to use the renderfarm you must cache your geo
- To "install" these nodes go to the shelf menu at the top and click on the plus sign and select SideFX Labs
- Go to the SideFX labs tab and click Update Toolset to show the dialog box where you will select Update
- The instructions will indicate you need to start Houdini again
so close
- Now when you open Houdini you will see the SideFX Labs shelf tab populated and you can also access all the nodes by typing labs in the tab menu in a geo container
An example would be the labs edge group to curve node as seen in this labsGrabACurve.hiplc (H19)
I made this sample file based on the description at https://www.christiancorsica.com/post/week-20-how-to-create-a-curve-from-a-cross-section-of-a-mesh-in-maya-and-houdini?lang=en (Christian is a SCAD alum)
If you dive inside you will see it is using poly path. These nodes "repackage functionality" or add new functionality.
Besides extracting a curve from geometry as described above there are many useful labs nodes
- There are also lab uv nodes you might want to try.
- There is also an entire tree tool (created by SCAD alum Ryan Gold) https://www.sidefx.com/tutorials/tree-generator/
- scifi panel (make sure you have uvs on your geometry)
- cables (take advantage of the "simulated geometry)