Exporting Textures Tutorial
by Dubai Coder · in Artist Corner · 09/16/2008 (3:45 pm) · 8 replies
I just can't seem to figure out how to export textures correctly. I would appreciate it if anyone could list the steps or better yet make a tutorial.
#2
Have you looked at the TorqueROP examples and online help that come with Houdini?
Some other points:
- you need to use the DTS_Material node to specify the texture filename, and assign this material to the desired geometry in Houdini
- Torque only supports BMP, PNG, JPG texture formats
- the texture width and height must be powers of 2 (eg. 32, 64, 128 etc)
- the texture file must be in the same folder as the DTS shape (you can tick a checkbox in the Torque ROP to have the texture copied automatically)
- try looking at the dump.html file that is generated in the same folder as the DTS shape. The very end of this file shows the exported shape hierarchy including all materials.
09/18/2008 (3:18 pm)
@Marcas, Hesham,Have you looked at the TorqueROP examples and online help that come with Houdini?
Some other points:
- you need to use the DTS_Material node to specify the texture filename, and assign this material to the desired geometry in Houdini
- Torque only supports BMP, PNG, JPG texture formats
- the texture width and height must be powers of 2 (eg. 32, 64, 128 etc)
- the texture file must be in the same folder as the DTS shape (you can tick a checkbox in the Torque ROP to have the texture copied automatically)
- try looking at the dump.html file that is generated in the same folder as the DTS shape. The very end of this file shows the exported shape hierarchy including all materials.
#3
09/19/2008 (6:48 am)
Thanks Chris but I think I will be going back to MAX
#4
09/28/2008 (7:48 pm)
I think the built-in documentation for Torque export node and DTS Material are actually pretty good. I haven't run into any problems so far.
#5
Yes, I have.
After leaving Houdini alone for a while (When it comes to Torque-modelling) I've picked it up again and I got the textures working etc.
But I still feel that the information is lacking.
I'm working on a few basic video-tutorials that go over the fundamentals of using Houdini with Torque.
Am I the best choice for that? By my own words, not by a long shot. But no one else seems willing to do it, and I might be able to help out someone by doing it.
I personally think that GarageGames should have put up some basic How-To's on how to use houdini with Torque as soon as they started advertising it on the website.
Houdini is powerful, no doubt, but without that info readily available, there's been a lot of asking around and tinkering that shouldn't have been necessary.
The built-in information on the nodes and materials are good, but can be very confusing for a beginner.
1. They're not used to working with the nodes nor the network-style.
2. There's lacking information (Basic walkthrough's) on how to use this most awesome piece of software, with what it's advertised for, namely together with Torque.
Enough ranting for now I think.
Now, don't for a second think that I'm giving up on Houdini, not a chance. I love it.
I have nothing against it, after using it for a while.
It's just that the learning-curve that could have been greatly improved timewise for beginners and first-time-houdini-users by those who made the plugins, by SideFX, by GarageGames who advertise the program.
11/28/2008 (6:27 pm)
@ChrisYes, I have.
After leaving Houdini alone for a while (When it comes to Torque-modelling) I've picked it up again and I got the textures working etc.
But I still feel that the information is lacking.
I'm working on a few basic video-tutorials that go over the fundamentals of using Houdini with Torque.
Am I the best choice for that? By my own words, not by a long shot. But no one else seems willing to do it, and I might be able to help out someone by doing it.
I personally think that GarageGames should have put up some basic How-To's on how to use houdini with Torque as soon as they started advertising it on the website.
Houdini is powerful, no doubt, but without that info readily available, there's been a lot of asking around and tinkering that shouldn't have been necessary.
The built-in information on the nodes and materials are good, but can be very confusing for a beginner.
1. They're not used to working with the nodes nor the network-style.
2. There's lacking information (Basic walkthrough's) on how to use this most awesome piece of software, with what it's advertised for, namely together with Torque.
Enough ranting for now I think.
Now, don't for a second think that I'm giving up on Houdini, not a chance. I love it.
I have nothing against it, after using it for a while.
It's just that the learning-curve that could have been greatly improved timewise for beginners and first-time-houdini-users by those who made the plugins, by SideFX, by GarageGames who advertise the program.
#6
About the video tutorial ... please don't make the mistake I've seen in a lot of tutorials... please don't speak too fast and be as detailed as possible...
Sometimes (often...) not english mother language people like me have some trouble in understanding a tutorial that goes too fast, especially since what we study at school is GB english and that is quite different in the speach from the english spoken in many tutorials ...
I've seen a tutorial about houdini & torque but i spent a whole afternoon just to be able to find the .dts node in the list since the above tutorial was quietly detailed but (in my opinion) a bit "fast&chaotic" ...
Tnx for your effort, I'll like to follow it :-)
12/01/2008 (5:30 am)
Ehy Marcus, the video tutorial about Houdini&Torque is really wellcome... I have the same feeling about Houdini, a great tool but little effort to make the learning curve easier...About the video tutorial ... please don't make the mistake I've seen in a lot of tutorials... please don't speak too fast and be as detailed as possible...
Sometimes (often...) not english mother language people like me have some trouble in understanding a tutorial that goes too fast, especially since what we study at school is GB english and that is quite different in the speach from the english spoken in many tutorials ...
I've seen a tutorial about houdini & torque but i spent a whole afternoon just to be able to find the .dts node in the list since the above tutorial was quietly detailed but (in my opinion) a bit "fast&chaotic" ...
Tnx for your effort, I'll like to follow it :-)
#7
English is not my native language, and I will do what I can to ensure that the talking is not a problem.
In the first ones I won't go into much detail, but I will make sure to tell and show how to find the nodes etc.
I had that same problem with a few tutorials, they sort of assume that you know how to do it, how to find it, where to place them etc.
12/01/2008 (6:59 am)
Thanks JoZ!English is not my native language, and I will do what I can to ensure that the talking is not a problem.
In the first ones I won't go into much detail, but I will make sure to tell and show how to find the nodes etc.
I had that same problem with a few tutorials, they sort of assume that you know how to do it, how to find it, where to place them etc.
#8
! LOL ! ;-D
12/01/2008 (2:32 pm)
Oh yeah, now I've seen.. You are from Sweden! ...I have a friend here who is from sweden, maybe someday I will ask him to bring me to Sweden and be my guide... :-) ... But for sure it will be in summer, this winter I can be yet satisfied by all the snow we got there! ( THERE = Bolzano, Italy...) ! LOL ! ;-D
Torque Owner Marcus Fernstrom
I am stunned that GarageGames and SideFX made this deal, to advertise Houdini on GarageGames site, with the DTS exporter and all, but neither having any real info on how to use it.
Don't get me wrong, SideFX have great info on how to use Houdini, but I've found almost no info at all on how to use the exporter, and I think that, well, sucks, to be honest.