Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 26, 2019. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Since the latest major Houdini update, SideFX’s software has been expanded with a new operator context named “TOPs” (Task Operators). The TOPs are based on the new “PDG” (Procedural Dependency Graph) technology, which enables procedural pipelines & workflows inside and outside Houdini. Individual work steps and dependencies in a pipeline are accordingly intended to be easier to scale and automate. Areas of application include film, VFX, TV, games and VR, among other things. You can find more information about PDG here.
PDG for Indie Game Developers – An Introduction
The new tutorial series from SideFX shows how you can set up a simple TOP network. The aim is to create a procedural level-design system in order to work efficiently with PDGs and TOPs in the Houdini Unity Engine. The course consists of six sections, each with several videos. You can view the entire course on the SideFX website. Here is an overview of the content in the individual sections:
Section 1 | Introduction: Create large-scale environments more quickly: An introduction to TOPs & PDG within Houdini Engine for Unity.
Section 2 | Setup: This section sets up the Houdini Engine development environment in order to be able to build procedural systems later.
Section 3 | Creating Terrains: Level-building process and construction of the TOP network for generating terrain, so that level designers can plan a landscape simply and develop a full Unity terrain.
Section 4 | Scatter: This section describes how you set up an HDA (Houdini Digital Asset) to scatter points for foliage in Unity.
Section 5 | Gameplay Areas: More control over gameplay areas: Provide level designers with an HDA to define and adapt areas of the map themselves.
Section 6 | Paths & Roads: Construction of a basic path system with which paths and roads can be created for the level.
Further information: Go to the SideFX website
