SideFX’s Project Grot has released two procedural tools for Houdini users, free to download and experiment with. Designed to enhance procedural workflows, these tools tackle ruin generation and organic flesh creation. But as with all experimental tools, don’t forget to test them thoroughly before throwing them into your pipeline.
Procedural Ruins and Flesh Generation Tools
Two custom tools are now available: one for generating procedural ruins and another for crafting procedural flesh webs.
The procedural ruins tool enables artists to transform rough blockout geometry into detailed high-poly meshes. By painting areas of procedural damage onto surfaces using vertex colors, artists can quickly add depth and complexity to their scenes. Think of it as controlled destruction without the cleanup.
The procedural flesh tool takes organic generation to a creepy new level. Using raycasting, it shoots curves between surfaces in the scene, which are later transformed into webs of flesh. These curves are clustered based on proximity to create an unsettlingly organic structure. It’s perfect for eerie environments—or for when you just feel like horrifying your pipeline colleagues.
The Project Grot homepage also features demonstration videos showcasing additional tools and workflows, such as generating volcanic landscapes, creating lava effects, and crafting procedural rock structures. However, supporting files for these videos are not available for download—just eye candy for now.
Tutorials for Procedural Tools
If you’re looking for guidance, SideFX hosts tutorials on the Project Grot page. These tutorials, led by Julian Bragagna, provide in-depth insights into using these tools:
- Procedural Ruins Tutorial (Sept 19, 2024): Learn to build tools in Houdini that turn blockouts into high-poly ruins for Unreal Engine, enabling fast iteration and refined experimentation.
- Procedural Flesh Tutorial (Nov 19, 2024): Explore a six-part series on crafting organic, fleshy structures that blend seamlessly with your environments in Unreal Engine. Disturbing? Absolutely. Useful? You decide.
Where to Get Them
Both tools can be downloaded from the Project Grot page on SideFX Labs. To maximize compatibility, SideFX recommends using the latest version of Houdini.
Why It Matters
Project Grot continues Houdini’s tradition of pushing the boundaries of procedural workflows, offering tools that can enhance efficiency and creativity. But as always, free tools come with the caveat of needing patience and thorough testing. Whether you’re building alien ruins or fleshy nightmares, these tools could add new layers of detail to your work—or just some new wrinkles to your forehead.
