Mastering Houdini 20.5: A Quick Tour of the Latest Updates

Are you ready to take your 3D game to the next level? Houdini 20.5 is the only place to look! A captivating sneak peek of SideFX's most recent release was recently released, and it's full of features that will make any artist's heart skip a beat. With its amazing VFX and modeling features, this upgrade is sure to change the way you work. As we explore the fascinating world of Houdini 20.5, fasten your seatbelts!

What’s New in Houdini 20.5

1. Modeling & UX Enhancements

Image from SideFX

• Clip Tool: Works with high-density meshes now and has the ability to seal all holes to maintain airtight models.
• Sculpt SOP: Reworked interactive viewport state, non-destructive workflow, additional brushes, stroke kinds, and masking capabilities are among its features.
• Quad Remesh (Beta): Maintains precision while providing control over the final mesh.
• Info Panel: Improves the working experience of artists with node networks.

2. VFX Improvements

• MPM Solver: Simulate many materials, such as dirt, snow, and soil.
• RBD Car Rig: A new rig for rigid body dynamics.

Image from SideFX

• Copernicus: A GPU-based 2D and 3D image framework for Slap Comps, NPR/toon shading, and procedural texture maps.

3. Character Animation & Rigging

• Animation Layers: Streamline keyframing of character motion.
• Tags: Using pre-built rig components makes the building of generative character and beast rigs easier.

4. Lookdev & Rendering

• Solaris Workflows: Layout, lookdev, and lighting enhancements.

Image from SideFX

• Karma XPU: Now with Adaptive Sampling for faster rendering.

5. UX Improvements

• Node Info Window: Improved readability and dockability with other panes.

Image from SideFX

• Planar Inflate & Sculpt: Planar Inflate is used to shape geometry, and Quad Remesh (beta) is used to add details and clean up topology.
• Point Cloud Measure: interprets disorganized points without trying to turn them into volumes or surfaces.
• Recipes: Save parameter values or network items as named recipes for easy reuse.

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Source: SideFX