Unit 41 – Assignment 3:
Student name: Ali Ghanem
▪ Development software interface:
➢ Files:
• Opening a new file: in Houdini, you always have the option to open a new file
and easily too. As opening a new file in Houdini was pretty easy for me. As
whenever I opened the software for the first time, I started doing some work
and, in the end, I saved the work in a file name of my choice in the directory
that I want.
• Loading: Loading files is so flexible in Houdini. It was so easy to me, and to
everyone I guess, because it is so simple for anyone to access any file. As all
what the user must do is to click on “File”, “Open”, and then click on the file
that the user is looking forward to access and edit. However, if the file was a
one that he was recently working on, then it is even easier, as there is an
option that says “Open Recent” and this will show you the recent file/s that
you working on and gives you the option to open that file easier and faster.
• Properties: a file created and edited in Houdini will have an extension of
“.hipnc” so it is a HIPNC File.
,• Merging: to merge files in Houdini, you can simply click on “File”, then click
on “Merge…”. But a user has the option to use a shortcut which is “Alt + M”.
• Importing: to import a GLTF scene, it is done by choosing “File” in the main
menus ▸ Import ▸ GLTF Scene.
,• Saving: saving a file in Houdini is straightforward as well. It works as normal
as other software, which is by pressing Ctrl+S is the user wants to use a
shortcut, or by going to “File”, then click on Save. A user can also use the
“Save as” option and this depends on his case and what he intends to do.
, ➢ Viewports:
• Configuring viewports: In Houdini, a user can always switch to the camera
tool in the viewer by holding Space or Alt. Then he/she can use the mouse to
change the view.
• Viewport control: in Houdini, viewing certain object specifically, from a
certain point, or even the whole project, is flexible. As there is a lot of ways
where the user can change the viewport in order to view his work properly
from a certain angle. Not just that but shading and lighting are flexible to be
set and toggled. Examples:
To change the viewport layout, by default the scene view shows a single
perspective viewport. Click the viewport layout menu in the top right corner
of the scene view pane and choose a layout.
To Change the type of view in a viewport, click the Viewport options menu in
the top-right corner of the viewport, and open the Set view submenu.
I want to add something from my own experience, as I wanted to do
something which I needed to select some points first, therefore, I managed
to change the view so that I am able to select the points I wish to select, I
changed it from Perspective to view front.
To resize the viewports within a layout, move the mouse over the divider
between two viewports and drag.
