Python

Daz Studio (Daz3D) to Houdini (Arnold) QuickStart v01.05 by Bilal Malik

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Hello, This is a basic quick start guide to explain the general process of how I processed a Daz 3D exported model to Houdini and Arnold.

I created a python shelf tool for Houdini to aid in the creation of certain aspects of importing and processing a Daz model, mainly a character. This tool is available for free on my Github page. ( https://github.com/SideswipeeZ/Daz2HouNeo ). Please Check the Github Page for more details on how to install and what functionality each button/page has. This guide assumes you are using Windows OS for this operation.

Main Menu Window UI.

Main Menu Window UI.


Geometry Window Open.

Geometry Window Open.

Importing a Character (Geometry).

To import a character, you must first export the character from Daz Studio in FBX format so it can keep its material groups and bones etc. In Houdini, When you have Launched the shelf tool: Open the Geometry menu from the main window.

Click the Import FBX (Subnet) Button from the List. This will open a Prompt for you to select an FBX from Disk and then Houdini will attempt to import that file.

Houdini imports FBX files as a Subnet which will contain the Daz Data we need such as Geometry, Materials, Bones etc.

Processing the Geometry.

After we import the FBX, Select the Node from the network view and simply click the Create GEO from Subnet this will create a Geometry node at OBJ level with an object merge and material sop for each object we have imported from the FBX. We can also Create the starting Geometry for generating Hair in the Experimental Tools Button that can be used in the same way as creating the Geometry node.

Example Node Tree from GEO Process.

Example Node Tree from GEO Process.

Shader Arnold UI.

Shader Arnold UI.

Converting Shaders.

To convert the shaders from Mantra to Arnold, we need to close down the Geometry menu and click expand menu bar in the main window to extend our menu and click the Shader button to open the Shader menu.

After opening the Shader menu, Click the Arnold Button to change Ui to the Arnold Shader Options. here we have options to convert shaders and also to create shaders that are not linked to any geometry. However, we are interested in the Convert to Arnold Material Button for now. To use this function you can select One of Three node types. [Geometry, Subnet, Material SOP].

For ease of use, we will select the Geometry, by highlighting it with the mouse, that our last step has created in the network view. After highlighting the geometry node, click the Convert to Arnold Material button and the shaders will have been created in SHOP context and automatically linked inside the Material SOPs inside our Geometry.

Example internal of Generated Arnold Material.

Example internal of Generated Arnold Material.

Applying Texture Maps.

Applying the maps manually can be a hassle so this tool has a built-in texture map assignment utility. To open click the Texture Map Menu from the Shader Menu, This will change the UI to something different.

To use this Tool, First, select a shader from the SHOP by using the mouse. Then Click the Select Arnold Shader Button in the left top corner. This will obtain all the image nodes inside of the Arnold shader that our tool created earlier from the geometry we selected earlier.

To Load the texture maps you can find them in your Daz Install Library in Runtime folder (Please check your Daz preferences in Daz Studio for the location of your Texture Map Resources.).

When you have located your folder click the Load Directory Textures Button in the Top Right corner, This will open a prompt to select a folder from Disk. After selecting the folder with your textures, it will generate Thumbnails and load them with the name and location on disk.

Example UI of Texture Map Menu.

Example UI of Texture Map Menu.

To assign a Texture to a Node simply Double-Click the target image node from the Left Table so it becomes highlighted and then Double-Click a Map from the Right Table. This action will assign the target map to the target node. To verify the node had changed, the Filename Parameter on the Left Table will change to reflect the Change. You can then change the parameters inside the Arnold Shader Manually after.

To repeat the process just Select a new Node and Click the Select Arnold Shader Button on the Top Left Corner to load a new Arnold Shader to be processed.

Creating Lights and their Parameters.

Render Menu UI.

Render Menu UI.

This tool also has the ability to create Arnold Lights and a utility to edit some parameters of said Arnold lights. These Settings are found in the Render menu.

To Create Arnold Lights, Click the Create Arnold Lights Menu Button. This will change the UI. Here we have a grid of button to create various types of Arnold lights. Simply click the one you want to create and the tool will make that node in the OBJ level. (You can return to the render menu by clicking Menu at the bottom.)

To edit some parameters, You can use the Builtin utility tool to select Arnold lights and change the parameters. To Activate this tool, Click the Light Tool 2.1 Button, This will also change the UI.

To Select Arnold Lights, Simply Select them using the mouse in the Network view. (You can select multiple targets). Then Click the Select Nodes button, to verify nodes have been selected the names of each valid node will appear in the box above the button.

After this You can edit the Colour, Intensity, Exposure, AOV Light Group and Light Target parameters from the menus under. The Colour Parameter has a live preview for the colour selected. (Keep in mind that all lights selected will have the same parameters assigned to them)


Create Render Nodes.

Arnold ROP created by Tool. (With Custom NodeShape.)

Arnold ROP created by Tool. (With Custom NodeShape.)

This tool can also create Render Operators or ROPs in the OUT context. This is found in the Create ROPs section of the Render menu. To Create a default ROP click the Create Arnold ROP (Default) Button, this is a standard ROP that is created. To Add AOVs to the Mix, Click the Advanced ROP button, This will change the UI and you will be greeted by check boxed that you can tick to either create a new ROP with or to create a new one with the Selected AOVs or you can apply the AOVs to an existing ROP by selecting it from the network view and clicking the Apply AOV button.

(NodeShape is also Available from my Github. )

( https://github.com/SideswipeeZ/Daz2HouNeo )


PyQt UI Generator (Easy Generation of Code) V0.5 by Bilal Malik

(This app was created in Visual Studio with .NET framework 4 as the target build (Should work with Windows 8 and up))

Use this tool at your own discretion.

This tool has multiple features builtin, I created this tool originally to create quick UI files for new projects that Use the QT framework to be used inside of a DCC Program. Initially Built for Houdini code (Maya Support is still in progress).

Features include

  • Exporting Simple Code Framework to File (This code can be run from export inside Houdini)

  • Exporting A Finely Tuned variant of Code Framework.

  • Dump the Qt Module to disk so you don’t have to download it again.

  • Edit Environment File of the DCC Application (Houdini, Maya support is in progress)


Menu Screen (V0.5)

Menu Screen (V0.5)

Download Link: Click Me

MD5 Hash of Program (D5CA5FEF8847FCA3E1B5960434B0425D)