SideFX Houdini 20.5.278: Unleashing Unparalleled Creativity in 3D Animation and Visual Effects
Emma fired up Houdini 20.5.278, the latest version of the software, and got to work. She started by creating a basic layout of the scene, using Houdini's powerful modeling tools to build the environment. Then, she began to set up the simulation, using a combination of nodes and parameters to control the storm's behavior.
Detailed release notes for the 20.5 cycle and technical guides can be found on the Official SideFX Documentation site Safety Note:
- Helpful Feature: Attribute Paint in the Viewport (Solaris). You can now paint mask attributes (e.g.,
primvar:roughness) directly on USD geometry inside the Solaris viewport without jumping back to OBJ level. - The Fix: The
usd_skelexport now properly handles joint influences >4 per vertex, preventing "skinny deformations" in Unreal Engine.
Introduction
This release marked a significant shift toward making Houdini a more "all-in-one" package for VFX artists.