Lego Style Brick Generator in Houdini

Hi all!
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create a procedural Lego-style brick generator in Houdini. We will create a basic Hda with a basic brick where you can change the length, width, and some features like the Stud style and the bevel. It's a beginner level tutorial, so you should be able to follow if you just have some familiarity with the Houdini interface, navigation and basics.
I hope you like it, let me know in the comment section if you want more videos like this, with other brick styles to add to the Hda.
#houdini #sidefx #tutorial #procedural #proceduralmodeling #bricks

[@27_fps]

you're a legend! helped me a lot

[@timothybridge8662]

This is so cool! Showing how to save it as a node was awesome- it is now in my Houdini library full time :D

[@neilallen2455]

I wonder how much of the Lego library could be modelled procedurally? how would you approach elements like 2420, and the recess under elements like 3069, the rules on some of the plates seem to be a little bit random. For instance the recess appears to so that you can break apart tiles as they don't have a stud to grip on to. However 65509 has 2 studs but also the recess. Can you also handle technic bricks? I assume elements like half beams (11478 and 32017 for example) would have to be a separate definition?

[@ezpepz]

at first look, a piece like 2420 or 3069 shouldn't represent a problem. Actually, I started some time ago a Brick Generator with multiple pieces (I basically started following the Iron Man helmet instruction). It's of course a slow process, cause almost for every different brick you have to think and come up with a solution to get a procedural version. As for the technic bricks, it should be fine (of course they would have to have more polygons). I recall I modelled a technic car years ago but in a non-procedural way XD

[@xThe187crew]

What is this ?

[@skadbone]

Hi, great tutorial I did it!!-up until I tried to create a subnet ;(((, I followed your direction, I selected all, and pressed shift and C, my round connectors disappear? can you please tell what i did wrong? I'd love to use this tool; I am on version 19.5.718-can I send to you a file?, please let me know, and thank you

[@ezpepz]

Hi, thanks. I'm not sure about what you mean with "round connectors disappear". Can you explain a little bit more? Yeah you can send me the scene file, maybe I'll get what the error was. You can find my mail on the About page ^^

[@skadbone]

when I press shift-c, all I get is a rectangle, no round connectors, it would mean a lot if u be so kind as to correct my file, I'm a newbie, where do i send it to?@@ezpepz

[@skadbone]

@@ezpepz hi sorry for delay; when I go from object to geo editor, the "tubes" disappear, Im on V20

[@ezpepz]

@@skadbone if the "top studs" disappears at obj level, make sure that inside the subnet, the final output node has all the meshes merged in. Sounds something like that.

[@skadbone]

thank you !-any chance I can send to you a scene file please?