HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

MODEL A REVOLVER
Learn how to use Houdini’s modeling tools to create an old west revolver. A lot of this work will be
accomplished in the viewport where you will model interactively. Houdini’s node network will be used
for some modeling tasks and to organize your work. The revolver will be created using primarily Polygon
Modeling Tools with a focus on models that can be subdivided at render time. You will therefore learn how
to clean up models that have topology that won’t subdivide properly.
To finish up, learn how to move the revolver into the Solaris context for lookdev and lighting. Here you
will assign materials for the body and handle of the revolver. You will then render out an image of the final
model using the Karma XPU renderer.

LESSON GOAL
Model an old west revolver using subdivision surfaces then render it using Karma XPU.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

ƒ How to set up reference images in the background of the viewport panels.
ƒ How to model the Revolver geometry in the viewport
ƒ How to use tools such as Boolean, PolyExtrude and PolyDraw
ƒ How to work with Polygons and Subdivision surfaces
ƒ How to set up Texture UVs for the handle
ƒ How to move your model into the Solaris context for lighting and rendering
ƒ How to assign Metal and Wood materials for the revolver
ƒ How to render the final image
with Karma XPU

LESSON
COMPATIBILITY
Written for the features in Houdini 20.5

The steps in this lesson can be

completed using the following
Houdini Products:

Houdini Core ✔
Houdini FX ✔
Houdini Indie ✔
Houdini Apprentice ✔
Houdini Education ✔

Document Version 1.0 | Feb 2025

© SideFX
1
 PART ONE: PROJECT FILES
Model the Cylinder Go to the Foundations tutorial page on
[Link], where you likely got this docu-
To start, you will learn how to set up reference images for three of the ment, to download the revolver_lesson_start di-
views to assist with the modeling process. You will focus on one section rectory. Put a copy it into the Houdini Projects
then use reflection and rotational symmetry to build up the cylinder directory and rename it revolver_lesson.
geometry.

01 Select File > Set Project. Find the revolver_lesson

directory that you downloaded earlier and press Accept.
This makes this directory and its sub directories the place for
you to put all the files associated with this project. Most of these
directories are empty. There are reference images and textures in
the tex directory.
Select File > Save As... You should be looking into the new
revolver_lesson directory. Set the file name to revolver_01.hip and
click Accept to save. Now you will be able to access the reference
images in the Textures folder.

02 Press v to bring up a radial menu and choose Viewport

Layout > Four Views (Bottom). Using the view menu in
the top left of the Right view, change this view to a Back View.
Use the same method to change the large Persp View to a Right
Right
View and the Top View to a Persp View.

Persp Front Back

03 Hit D with the mouse in the viewport. Click on the

Background tab and set Color Scheme to Dark Grey.
On the Right tab, use the file picker to navigate to $HIP then
tex>revolver_side.png. Make sure Auto-Place Image is turned off
and set Image Scale to 0.05, 0.05 and Brightness to 0.6. Now if you
dolly in the right view the image will zoom in and out.
Then go to the Front tab and repeat using the revolver_front.png
image and the Back tab and using the revolver_back.png image. For
both of these, make sure Auto-Place Image is turned off and set
Image Scale to 0.05, 0.05 and Brightness to 0.6.

04 To bring any of these views forward you can mouse over

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

it and then press Spacebar b. Using Spacebar b on the

expanded view will bring you back to the four views.
From the menu at the top right of the Scene view, you can turn
on Lock Ortho Views. This will sync view changes in the different
orthographic views.
In the viewport, press v to bring up another radial menu. From this
menu, choose Shading >Smooth Wire Shaded. Now when you start
creating geometry you will see the wire lines.

2
 05 Press c and from the radial menu, choose Create >
Geometry > Tube . Press Enter to place it at the origin.
On the Operation Controls bar at the top of the viewport, set:
ƒ Orientation to Z Axis
ƒ End Caps to ON
ƒ Radius to 1, 1
ƒ Radius Scale to 0.12
ƒ Height to 0.225
ƒ Rows to 2
ƒ Columns to 48

06
following:
Alt-drag in the network view to create another version
of the same tube. On the Operation Controls bar, set the

ƒ Radius Scale to 0.0114

ƒ Height to 0.3
ƒ Columns to 24
This tube will be used to cut a hole in the center of the cylinder.

07 Alt-drag in the network view to create another version

of the same cylinder. On the Operation Controls bar, set
the following:
ƒ Radius Scale to 0.0345
ƒ Columns to 12
With the node selected press i to dive into it then set:
ƒ Center to 0, 0.075, 0
This tube will be used to cut a hole for the bullet for the cylinder.
Later when you set up radial symmetry, you will turn this one hole
into 6 holes.

08 In the Network pane, Press u to go back up to the object

level. Select the main tube. From the Model shelf, click
on the Boolean tool. This accepts the main tube as set A for the
Boolean. Select the two longer tubes and press Enter to create set
B. This combines the three tubes into a new network.
Press L to organize the nodes. Select the boolean node and from
the Output Geometry section, set Operation to Subtract.

PART ONE:Model the Cylinder

BOOLEAN
The boolean tool combines shapes to create more complex
geometry. You can union, intersect or subtract to get the
shape you need. You create a Set A and a Set B then apply
the appropriate operation. The shelf tool set up these groups
using the two inputs on the node. You could also feed geom-
etry into the two sides to get the node to function properly. Union Subtract Intersect

3
 USING SYMMETRY
In nature, you will find repetitions and symmetry that can
help you when modeling a shape. The revolver’s cylinder is
made up of a shape that can be flipped to create one wedge
then rotated 6 times to get a complete shape. The use of
both reflective and radial symmetry will make it easier to
build this shape. You will use the clip node to create the
base shape that can then be refined. Reflect Radial Symmetry

09 Press spacebar-b in the perspective view. Select all [n]

then press tab > Clip. In the parameter pane, make sure
the following are set:
ƒ Origin to 0, 0, 0
ƒ Direction to 1, 0, 0.

10 In the Network view, press tab > clip and add a Clip node
to the end of the chain and set its Display Flag. In the
parameter pane, set:
ƒ Keep to Primitives Below the Plane
ƒ Orient Plane with to Transform
ƒ Origin to 0, 0, 0
ƒ Rotate Z to -30

11 In the Network view, press tab > clip and add a Clip node
to the end of the chain and set its Display Flag. In the
parameter pane, set:
ƒ Origin to 0, 0, 0
ƒ Direction to 0, 0, 1
Now you can work on this one part of the model and copy it later
using symmetry to get back to the complete shape. This is a great
way to work efficiently when you are creating geometry which are
symmetrical.

12 Press tab > Mirror tool and set the following:

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

ƒ Origin to 0, 0, 0
ƒ Direction to 0, 0, 1
Select all [n] then press q to repeat the Mirror. Leave this on at its
defaults. Press s to select then n to Select All. Press tab > Copy and
Transform. Set the following:
ƒ Rotate Z to 60
ƒ Total Number to 6
Now you can see the six bullet holes.

4
 13 Set the Display Flag on the third clip node. Press n to
select all the geometry. Press tab and from the menu,
start typing Polydraw. Choose the Polydraw tool which adds a
1
topobuild node to your network. This will get placed between the
clip and the mirror nodes.
Click on the Split tool [Shift-3] in the Operation Control bar and on
2
the front face of the cylinder, click on the first point and then the
MMB- second point and shown here. MMB-click to finish.
click to
finish

1
14 Continue using Polydraw/topobuild to split up the face
as shown in the image on the left. You want to split the
faces to make sure there are only quad [4-sided] polygons.
2
When you finish, press Shift - Delete to remove any unused points.
3 It is possible that you clicked somewhere and added a reference
point which you don’t want when you continue modeling.
4

6
5

15 Set the Display Flag on the first mirror node that creates
the back end for the cylinder. Make sure to select this
node so that it highlights yellow.
1 2
Press spacebar-b to go back to a four view layout. In the Right view
you can see a squarish notch in the cylinder. You want to add some
edge loops to help you create this detail.
From the Polygon shelf, get the Edge Loop tool and add a loop to
the top of the cylinder geometry that aligns with the notch in the
cylinder. Press q to repeat this and add a second loop next to it that
aligns with the end of the notch.

16 Go back to a perspective view. Press 4 to get face

selection and select the face shown. Press tab >
Polyextrude. Under Extrusion, set the following:
Select Delete
ƒ Transform Extruded Front to ON
ƒ Transform Space to Global
ƒ Translate Y to -0.008
This keeps the edges of the face aligned with the ZY plane.
After the extrude, use the Select tool to select the primitive that is
on the line of symmetry and press the delete key to remove it. A PART ONE:Model the Cylinder
blast node will be added to the network.

EDGE LOOPS
Edge loops run around a piece of geometry to add topology to your model.
The Edge Loop tool, found on the Shelf and the Tab menu, creates a Poly-
Split node. It allows you to create the loop with a single click whereas using
PolySplit directly would require more than one click. The MMB scroll wheel
can add snap points to create a more accurate split.
You could also create a loop with the Split mode in the PolyDraw/Topobuild
tool by using a Shift click.

5
 POLYDRAW
Polydraw is a node that lets you create and edit geometry using a single
node without worrying about construction history. You can build from
scratch, use it to edit existing geometry or use it to trace an existing
topology. This shelf tool creates a topobuild node.
Build Slide Split Brush Smooth
This tool has several different modes. Build and Split will be the main ones Shift-1 Shift-2 Shift-3 Shift-4 Shift-5
you use the most but others may come into play. Sometimes PolyDraw adds
points you don’t need. Always press Shift-Delete to clean them up.

17 Select all [n] then press tab > Transform and set the
following:
ƒ Rotate X to 30
1
ƒ Under Pivot Transform set Pivot Translate to 0, 0, 0
2
Select the top two faces shown and press tab > Polyextrude.
Under Extrusion, set the following:
3
ƒ Transform Extruded Front to ON
4
ƒ Transform Space to Global
ƒ Translate Y to -0.014
Delete the four extra faces.

Polydraw:
Split 18 Select all [n] then press tab > Polydraw. Choose the
Split mode then use the Scroll Wheel on your mouse to
create three guide points. Use the middle point to snap as you split
the three polygons on the left side of the shape. When you finish,
MMB-click to stop splitting.

MMB-
click to
finish

Polydraw:
Build 19 Now go to Build mode and select the middle point at
the end of the split you just made. Drag it to snap to the
corner of the polybevel.
Next select the top edge of the polygon under the extrusion and
drag it up. Move first to the point on the left and then to the right
and MMB-click to stop. This adds a new polygon and fuses all the
parts together.
Move the corner point around a bit to make sure that they are
connected. Undo once you are sure they are connected.

Polydraw: Polydraw:
20 Now go to Edge Slide mode and select the left edge
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

Edge Slide Split of the polyextrude. Move it to the left next to the
neighboring edge.
Choose Split mode then use the Scroll Wheel on your mouse to
create three guide points. Use the middle point to snap as you
create an edge loop at the end of the extruded section.

6
Edit:
Move Points 21 Now go to the top end of the extruded shape. Press S
to go to the Select tool then 2 to go to Point selection.
Select one of the points belonging to the highlighted polygon and
press the Move tool. This adds an edit node to the network. RMB-
click on the handle and choose Align Handle > World. Tweak the
point. Turn off Secure Selection then tweak the two middle points
to round out the end of the inset. Do not to edit any of the points
on the shape’s profile.
The goal is to make the shape a bit a rounder.

[Link]
first Edge
C

F
22 Go to the Select tool. Press 3 to go to Edge selection.
Click on the first edge of segment A. Press Shift - A and
click on the second edge to select all the edges for segment A.
B
Press Shift then click on the first edge of segment B then press
A
Shift and A and click the second edge. Use this method to select
G
D
the other segments indicated in the diagram. Be sure to use Shift to
4. Press
Shift - A and select a new edge and Shift A to select a whole segment.
2. Press Click on Edge
Shift - A
Press tab > PolyBevel to bevel these edges then set the following:.
and Click 3. Press Shift ƒ Distance to 0.002
on Edge and Click on
Edge ƒ Divisions to 2
E

23 Select the edges at the back of the notch and the top
edges on the sides. Don’t choose the lower edges. Press
tab > Crease and set Crease to 2. This will sharpen the shape when
you subdivide the shape.
Press Shift + to turn ON Subdivision display. You can see how some
edges are sharp and some soft. In the viewport, press v to bring up
x x another radial menu. From this menu, choose Shading >Smooth
Shaded. Now you can see the model without the wire lines.

24 The shape isn’t smooth where the parts meet. Set

Display Flag on the copy node. Go to the Select tool.
Press 2 to go to Point selection. Press n to select all the points then
press tab > Fuse to connect all the parts.
The grooves are a bit flat. Set the Display flag on the edit node
just before the polybevel. Press 3 to go to Edge selection. Select
the 2 edges in the middle of the groove. While the edit node is still
selected, set the Display flag on the fuse node. Now you can move
the edge up and down to get the right curvature. You are able to PART ONE:Model the Cylinder
visualize one node while editing another one up the chain.

25 At the end of the chain, add a Transform node and set

Rotate Z to 30. This rotates the cylinder to align with the
reference images. Add a Null node and name it CYLINDER_OUT.
Go to Object level and name this object to cylinder. Turn off its
Display Flag to hide this object for now.

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 PART TWO:
Create the Front of the Revolver Body
The front of the Revolver requires a bit of planning to make sure there are polygons where you will need them down the line.
Learn how to create and combine shapes then use Polydraw to fuse everything together with good topology. PolyExtrude will
then be used to build out the shape.

01 Press Spacebar-b to go out to a four view layout. Move

your cursor over the Front view and press Spacebar-b
again. Dolly in until you are focused on the cylinder area.
From the Create shelf, click on the Circle tool and press Enter to
place it at the origin. In the Network View, Double-click on the
circle_object node to dive into it. Select the circle node and set:
ƒ Uniform Scale to 0.037
ƒ Center Y to 0.076
ƒ Divisions to 12
Press v and select Shading > Wire frame Ghost.

02 Press c and select Model > Polygons > Polyextrude.

Under Extrusion, set:
ƒ Inset to -0.03
ƒ Divisions to 2
ƒ Turn off Output Front

03 In the Network View, press u to go to the object level.

Alt-drag on the circle_object node and move it to the side.
Press i to dive into the new object.
Select the circle node and, set:
ƒ Uniform Scale to 0.0175
ƒ Center to -0.06, 0.017, 0
ƒ Divisions to 8
ƒ Rotate Z to 24
Select the polyextrude node and set Inset to -0.0175. This will
create some overlap which will be dealt with in a later step.

04 In the Network View, press u to go to the object level.

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

Alt-drag on the first circle_object node and move it to the

side. Press i to dive into the new object. Use the Transform handle
to center it over the lower circle. Select the circle node and, set:
ƒ Uniform Scale to 0.012
Make sure these two center
ƒ Center to 0, -0.0001, 0
rings don’t overlap ƒ Divisions to 6
ƒ Rotate Z to 30
Select the polyextrude and set Inset to -0.019. The center ring of
this shape shouldn’t overlap the center ring of the top shape.

8
 05 Press c and from the radial menu, choose Create >
Geometry > Grid . Press Enter to place it at the origin.
Press i to dive into the new object. Select the grid node and, set:
ƒ Orientation to XY Plane
ƒ Size to 0.095, 0.11
ƒ Center Y to -0.1
ƒ Rows to 7
ƒ Columns to 3
This creates a grid that you can use to shape the lower part of the
revolver’s body.

06 Press v and from the Radial menu, select Shading >

Smooth Wired Shaded. You can see that the polygons
are blue which indicates that they are facing away from our current
view. In the Scene View, press tab > Reverse.
Press n to select all the primitives and Enter to accept. Now they
are facing the right way.
Press w to toggle to Wireframe Ghost. This will make it easier to
create the shape that is needed.

4 5 6
07 Press 2 to go to Point selection.. Select the three points
on the top of the bottom two primitives. Press t to go to
the move tool which adds an edit node to the Network. Move the
points down near the bottom of the shape. Now do the same for
3 Shift-E the next two edges points to align with the background.
2
Now Select the top four points on the left side of the shape. RMB-
click and choose Evenly Space Selection [Shift-E]. Repeat this for
1
the four points in the middle and the four on the right.

PART TWO:Create the Front of the Revolver Body

08 Select the three points at the bottom of the grid and
press e to bring up the scale handle. Scale along the X
Axis to match the background image. Now do the same for the
other points as shown so they match the background.
All of these edits are accomplished by the edit node. While many
geometry nodes have a single selection/action, the edit node allows
for different kinds of edits with the final shape stored in the node.

TO BE PROCEDURAL OR NOT TO BE PROCEDURAL

One of the benefits of the node-based approach in Houdini is that you can make changes to
a node higher up on the chain and watch the changes will cascade to the final output. That
is not always the case. PolyDraw/Topobuild caches its output and ignores its input once you
start making edits. Changes to nodes above a PolyDraw do not carry through.
The Edit node also has limitations. If you change the topology of the model before the Edit
then the point numbers change and Edit make changes to the wrong points. The revolver
model is not meant to be completely procedural therefore it is fine to use these nodes.

9
 09 Go to the object level and select the three circle_object
nodes and the grid_object node. On the Modify shelf,
select Combine. Now you have the four objects inside one object
with a Merge node tying the four chains together.
Press w to go back to Smooth Wired Shaded to make sure that all
the polygons are facing the right way. If the other shapes need to
be reversed then you can move the reverse node to the end of the
chain after the merge.

10 Set the Display flag on the polyextrude node belonging to

the biggest circle. With the Select tool, press 4 then Shift
and select three of the polygons at the lower left of the outer ring.
Press the Delete key to blast those polygons
Set the Display flag on the polyextrude node belonging to the circle
at the bottom. Select two polygons from the top and bottom of the
outer ring and Delete them.
Set the Display flag on the polyextrude node belonging to the circle
at the side. Select three polygons from the top right of the circle
then Delete them. Set the Display flag back to the reverse node.

11 Press tab > Polydraw. This gives you a topobuild node

but doesn’t ask you for a surface to work from. Make
sure you have the Handle tool selected and in the top bar the Build
mode is active. Select and move the points shown in this diagram.
You can click-drag on them to move them.
In some cases, do not let them connect with any other points. You
will connect them in the next step. Make sure that you don’t edit
any of the points on the inner rings on the three main circles If you
click in empty space and a yellow point is added to the model, you
can press Shift-Delete to remove it.

12 Select an edge at the top of the grid. Move the outline up

and snap to the bottom point on the lower circle. You will
see it snap into place. Press and drag to move the other point to the
edge. Use the background image to guide you. Now take the new
guides and snap to the next two polygons shown here. Continue
2 4
doing this right to the edge of the shape. MMB-click to stop.

1
3
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

CLEANING UP WITH POLYDRAW/TOPOBUILD

When you need to clean up a model, PolyDraw offers you a toolset that can split, de-
lete and build polygons. You can do many actions all in one node which is convenient.
This node caches your work and prevents edits up the chain which is generally fine
because you do your cleanup once you have things all worked out.
The Topobuild tool was designed to take an existing piece of high resolution geometry
and retopologize it. PolyDraw uses the same node but has a different Tool name to let
you know that it can be a creation and cleanup tool for any polygon model.

10
 13 Use the same technique to connect the other open
spaces as shown. There are the two polygons at the top
of the bottom circle and a few on the right side.
In the end, all of the polygons should be connected into a single
shape with three holes in the middle.
Press Shift-Delete to remove any unused points.

14 Press Spacebar-B to change to a four view layout. Press

tab > Transform and press n to select all the geometry.
Use the transform handle to move the profile in front of the
cylinder. It is hard to see the geometry in the Right view but you
can use the handle to position it. Press tab > Polyextrude. Pull
on the handle to extrude the shape to the end of the body. In the
Parameter pane, set:
ƒ Divisions to 2
Under Output Geometry and Groups, turn on Output Back. If the
shape is blue then add another Reverse node to the end of the chain.

15 Press 2 to get Point selection and from the Front view,

select and Move the points to match the background
image underneath. Select the 6 points at the top right of the shape
and drag them up to align with the background. All of these edits
will get put into an edit node.

16

PART TWO:Create the Front of the Revolver Body

ct t
hese Primiti ve
s
In the Perspective view, tumble around to the front of
le
Se
the geometry. Press c then choose Model > Polygons
3
2 4 > PolySplit. Click the two corner points labelled 1 and 2 in the
1
screengrab then press Enter. Press Q to repeat and click on the
other two corner points labelled 3 and 4 then press Enter.
Press S to get the Select tool then press 4 to get Primitive selection
and in the perspective view, select the four faces at the top of the
shape.

17 Press c then choose Model > Polygons > PolyExtrude.

Drag the handle in the Right view until the shape aligns
with the end of the cylinder. Press q to repeat and drag the handle
1 2 to the end of the shape.

11
 18 Select the four faces at the bottom of the original shape.
Press c then choose Model > Polygons > PolyExtrude.
Use the Handle to drag it out to the beginning of the grip.

19 Press 2 switch to Point selection and in the Right view,

box select the points at the bottom of this extruded
shape. Press M to get the Move tool and drag these points down
to align with the Background image.

1 2 3
20 From the Polygon Shelf, select the Edge Loop tool. In the
Right view, add a loop that lines up with the end of the
cylinder then press Enter. Press q to add a second one a little to the
right and a third one to the right of that one.

21 Select the six faces at the top of the area you just created
with the edge loops. Press c then choose Model >
Polygons > PolyExtrude. Use the Handle to drag it up.
Press 2 switch to Point selection and in the Right view, box
select the points on the left side of the extruded shape. Press m
to get the Move tool and drag these points up to align with the
Background image.

22 Select the four faces at the bottom of the top area. Press c
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

then choose Model > Polygons > PolyExtrude.

Use the Transform Extruded Front to drag it down. Set Transform
Space to Global and set Translate Y to -0.035.
Add a Null node and name it BODY_FRONT.

12
PART THREE:
Create the Back of the Revolver Body
To finish up the revolver body, you will create a half sphere and boolean it into the main shape. You will also carve out the
revolver’s gate which will also require another boolean and some tweaks to the points. This will complete the main body of the
revolver which you will use to build out parts such as the barrel and the handle.

01 In the Network view press tab > Sphere. Place the node
down and set its Display Flag. Set the following:
ƒ Orientation to Z axis
ƒ Rotate Z to 18
ƒ Uniform Scale to 0.25
ƒ Rows to 12
ƒ Columns to 10

02 Go to the Select tool. Press 4 to get Primitive selection.

In either the Front or Back views, box select the polygons
in the center. Press Delete to put a hole in both ends of the sphere.
Press 3 to go to Edge selection and in the perspective view double
click on the edge of one of the holes. Press tab > PolyFill then set:
ƒ Fill Mode to Quadrilateral Grid
ƒ Tangent Strength to 2
ƒ Corner Offset to get the orientation shown here.
Select the edge of the other hole and repeat. Make sure you set
Corner Offset to match the same as the first one.

03

PART THREE:Create the Back of the Revolver Body

Press n to select all the geometry. Press tab > Flatten to
add a flatten node. Set Direction to 0, 0, -1.
In the Network view, add a Transform node and in the Right view
move the sphere to the back of the cylinder.

04 Press 2 to get Point selection and from the Back view,

box select, so you get the points at the back, then move
the points shown to match the background image underneath.

13
 05 Press s to get the Select tool then press 4 to get
Primitive selection and in the perspective view, box select
the primitives inside the shape you just set up. Press tab > Split to
add a split node and turn on Invert Selection.
RMB-click on the first output of the split node and find the PolyFill
tool. Click to place down the node and set its Display Flag. Set Fill
Mode to Quadrilateral Grid. This fills the empty area with polygons.

Select this
primitive 06 Alt drag the polyfill node over to the right. Wire the
second output of the split node into this polyfill.
Get the PolySplit tool and click on the second point at the top then
click about the same distance in on an edge in the middle of the
shape and then tumble around and click on the second point at the
bottom. Press Enter to accept.
Press s to get the Select tool then press 4 to get Primitive selection
and in the perspective view, select the primitive at the top of the
shape

07 Get the PolyExtrude tool. Under Extrusion > Front

Transform, turn on Transform Extruded Front and use the
handle to position the extruded front as shown. You can Translate
[T], Rotate [R] around Y and Scale [E] along X as you position it.

08 Press s to get the Select tool and in the perspective view,

select the opposite two primitives at the bottom of the
shape on. Press Q to get the PolyExtrude tool. Set Divisions to 3.
Under Extrusion > Front Transform, turn on Transform Extruded
Front and use the handle to position the extruded front as shown.
You can Translate [T], Rotate [R] around Y and Scale [E] along X as
you position it.

09 Press 2 to get Point selection and from the Back view,

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

box select and move the points shown to create the

shapes shown in this screenshot.
Add a Null node after the edit and name it GATE. Add another
Null node after the polyfill on the other side of the split and call it
HALF_SPHERE.

14
10 Add a Boolean node in the Network View. Wire the
BODY_FRONT Null node into the first input of the
boolean node. Wire the HALF_SPHERE node into the second input.
Set Operation to Union to bring
the shapes together.

11 Set the Display Flag on the GATE node. Tumble around

and select the primitives at the edge. Polyextrude a little
bit to create an overlap on this edge.

12 Tumble around and select the primitives from the original

half sphere so only the outer edge remains. Press Delete
these remove these faces.
Add a PolyFill node to the end of the chain. Set Fill Mode to
Quadrilateral Grid. This will close up the open area.

13

PART THREE:Create the Back of the Revolver Body

Get the Select tool and click on the Select by Normal
button on the Operation Control bar. Click on one of the
primitives on the flat area of the shape to select the whole area.
Press T to get the Move tool and use the handle to move these
faces out along x to add some depth to the shape.
Turn off Select by Normal then move the inner faces shown to
ensure that there is a bit of an overlap
Add a Null node and call it CUT_OUT.

14 Add a Boolean node in the Node View. Wire the first

boolean node into the first input of the new boolean node.
Wire the CUT_OUT node into the
second input.
Set Operation to Subtract. Now
there is a cutout shape from the
main body of the revolver for the
gate to sit.

15
 PART FOUR:
Cleanup Topology
The booleans created a lot of n-side polygons which makes for a messy topology. Learn how to clean up the model using tools
such as PolyDraw and PolySplit. The goal will be to create quad polygons that will subdivide properly down the line. This lesson
will tackle a number of topology issues. You may find more that you can fix using these techniques.

1
01 Looking at the new cutout shape, press tab > PolySplit
then click on once at the top and then at the bottom.
Press Enter to accept and the model will be split from top to the
bottom.

2 3
2

3
02 Tumble around to the revolver’s back looking down at
the model. Press q to do another Polysplit and add a split
from the intersection of the circle with the top. Add a second click
at the centerline then tumble around to add a point on the other
side. Repeat for the second intersection point.
1

03 On the back face, select the 4 edges that run from the
top to the circle. Press Delete to dissolve those edges.
The back faces are all quads so these lines weren’t needed.
Now press tab > Polydraw and Press N to select the whole model
then press Enter. Press Shift-3 to get the Split mode and add two
Select These Edges
edges at the corners to connect the circle to the main shape. At
And each corner click once on each point then MMB-click to complete
Delete/Dissolve Split at these corners the split.
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

QUAD GEOMETRY
A clean, quad-based model creates topology that is
easy to work with that provides the best outcome for
subdivisions. In Houdini, these subdivision render at a micropolygon level
which looks great when rendered properly.
However, if you have n-sided polygons there can be kinks and bad smoothing that
ruins your model. In the case of the revolver, creasing also assists in controlling the
subdivision of the model. Bevels can also help with this.

16
POLYDRAW: DELETE EXTRA POINTS
When using the PolyDraw node’s Build mode, you are able to place points in
space as snapping guides to assist as you draw shapes. Any un-used points, or
points made by accidentaly by clicking in empty space will become part of you
model’s topology. This has been said a few times already...
It is important that you press Shift-Delete when you are finished using the node
in order to remove these extra points. Even if you are not sure you made any of
these points it is safer to just use Shift-Delete as often as possible.

04 Go to the back of the revolver. Split from the corner to

the line from the half sphere. Repeat for the other side.
Now split the center of these two lines.
Press Shift-2 to get the Edge Slide mode. Select and move the
points to square off the primitives. Edge slide will keep the points
on the same plane.

05 Press Shift-1 to go to Build mode then select the edges

at the bottom of the circle that don’t connect with the
circle. You will need to tumble to get the edges on both sides and
the bottom. Press Delete to dissolve them.
Earlier when you selected the edges and deleted them you got a
dissolve node. This time the dissolve is part of the polydraw node
therefore no extra node is created.

06 Press Shift-3 to go to Split mode Split the bottom area

from the points on the circle down. You can use the Right
and Left views to split them straight down. If you drag the line from
the intersection point down past the base of the shape, you will
create all the points on one side. Repeat for the other side then
connect them on the bottom.

PART FOUR:Cleanup Topology

07 There is one oddly shaped polygon at the corner where

the two shapes meet. Press Shift-1 to go to Build mode
then drag the lower point up until it snaps to the top point and joins
everything together.
If you are unsure if it joined then you can jiggle the point to see if
everything moves properly. Just press Ctrl-Z to undo after this edit
to move things back.

17
 08 Press Shift-3 to go to Split mode Split from the
intersection points to the back of the shape. You can
again use the Right and Left views to split them straight to the back
then reconnect them on the back face.

09 Inside the revolver, you created a small overlap between

the half cylinder and the body. This needs to be cleaned
up. Continue using PolyDraw to remove primitives then add new
ones. The video that comes with this lesson goes into more detail
about this cleanup process.

10 When you are finished, the polygons should be mostly

quads and all flush to the same plane. The odd triangle is
fine in the middle of the shape because that area is all flat.
At this point there are still some non-quad polygons and a few
other areas that could be cleaned up but there is more modeling to
do and the cleanup can happen at the end.

11 RMB-click on the output of the polydraw node and

choose Group. Place the node down and set:
ƒ Group Name to crease_edges
ƒ Group Type to Edges
ƒ Enable Base Group to OFF
ƒ Enable Include by Edges to ON
ƒ Turn on Min Edge Angle and set it to 55
ƒ Turn on Max Edge Angle and set it to 180
This will find all the edges between the main shapes.

12 RMB-click on the output of the group node and choose

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

Crease. Place the node down and set Crease to 10.

Add a Null node at the end of the chain and call it BODY_OUT.
Press Shift + to turn ON Subdivision display. In the viewport, press
v to bring up another radial menu. From this menu, choose Shading
>Smooth Shaded. Now you can see the model without the wire
lines. The creasing is doing its job to harden up the edges.

18
PART FIVE:
Create the Barrel
When you modeled the front plate of the revolver body, you used three rings that will now be used to create the barrel. PolyEx-
trude will bring out this shape and add enough detail to accommodate some of the smaller parts such as the sight. Because this
is being extruded from the main body, the barrel will be well connected to the overall shape.

01 On the front face of the shape, get the Select tool and
press 4 to get primitive selection. Select one primitive
on the inner ring then press Shift-A and MMB-click on a second
to select the whole ring. Press Shift and select a primitive on the
smaller ring then press Shift-A and MMB-click on another primitive
to select the second ring.
Press Shift and select the primitive that connects the two rings to
complete the selection.

02 Press tab > Polyextrude. In the Right view drag the

handle out to the to the first line shown here. Now press
q to repeat and add four more extrusions to the lines shown here.

5 4 3 2 1

03 Select just the end of the main barrel and Polyextrude

three times as shown here.

3 2 1
PART FIVE:Create the Barrel

04 Select the end of the small part of the barrel and

Polyextrude once.

19
 05 Press 4 to get Primitive selection. Select one of the
primitives inside the hole shown here. Press Shift-A and
MMB-click on the next primitive. This will select the whole ring.
Press Delete to remove these faces.
Press 3 to get Edge selection. Double click on the edge of the circle
and press tab > Polyfill. Set Fill Mode to Quadrilateral Grid.

06 Select the rings that surround the two remaining holes

using the Shift and A keys. PolyExtrude them a little bit
to add detail.

07 Near the end of the barrel, select the following five

primitives that cross over the two cylinders. PolyExtrude
using Transform Extruded Front to use the handle to pull all of the
parts out the same amount.

08 Press 3 to get Edge selection and select one of the edges

on the extruded shape. Press t to Move it. Select and
Move edges until you get the shape shown here. You may want to
confirm these edits in a Front view.

09 Select the second edge from the end of the barrel.

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

PolyBevel to create the revolver’s sight. Set the

following:
ƒ Offset to 0.0025
ƒ Shape to Solid
ƒ Divisions to 2

20
10
settings:
Press 4 to go to primitive selection and select the newly
created shape. PolyExtrude the sight with the following

ƒ Divisions to 3
Press 2 to get point selection and in the Right view, edit the points
to reshape the sight as shown here.

11 Press 4 to go to primitive selection and select the 3 faces

that create the opening in the ejector rod casing. Press
Delete to remove the outer faces then select the 3 inner faces and
Delete them too.

12 Press 3 to get edge selection. Get the PolyBridge tool.

Double-click on the outer edge of opening of the ejector
rod casing for the first profile. Double-click on the inner edge of the
opening for the second profile and press Enter.
Set Divisions to 1.

13 In the Network view, move the group and crease nodes

to the end of the chain, just before the BODY_OUT
null node. This makes sure that all of your new changes are being
creased properly.
Because the group node selects edges based on angles, it can be
moved and still function properly.

PART FIVE:Create the Barrel

14 Set the Display Flag on the BODY_OUT null node. Go

back to object level. Turn on the display of the cylinder
and now you can see both shapes together. Make sure Subdivision
display is set for both of them.
Save your work.

21
 PART SIX:
Model the Trigger Guard and Handle
To create the Trigger guard and the handle, you will learn how to use tools such as PolyBridge. There will also be various edge
loops, polydraws and tweaked polygons along the way. Some of these steps will be repeated from earlier in the lesson but
practice makes perfect and each of these parts of the model come with their own challenges.

01
Shaded.
Turn off the cylinder then dive into the body object. Turn
off Subdivision display and set display to Smooth Wired

Add a Box node to the network and set its Display Flag. Set the
Template flag on BODY_OUT so you can see the existing model.
On the new box node, set the following:
ƒ Size to 0.1, 0.01, 0.38
ƒ Center to 0, -0.187, -0.0625
ƒ Rotate X to -6.5
ƒ Axis Divisions to 5, 2, 2

02 In the Scene view, press tab > Edge Loop. Press Q to

repeat it 5 more times to add the edges shown here.
These edges are needed to make edits and to create the trigger
guard using a PolyBridge.

1
2
3 4 5 6

03 Press 2 to go to Point selection. In the Right view, select

and edit Points to match background image as shown. Be
sure to box select each of the points before moving them to ensure
that you select all five points.

04 Press s to get the Select tool. Click in empty space to

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

make sure that nothing is selected. Press c and choose

Model > Polygons > PolyBridge.

Start Tumble to show the bottom of the shape, select the 2 primitives
labeled as start. Press Enter. Now select the 2 primitives labelled as
end. Press Enter.
In the Parameter pane, set the following:
End
ƒ Divisions to 20
ƒ Spine Shape to Curved

22
05 On Pairing tab, set: Implicit Pairing to Use Edge Counts
On Footings tab, set:
ƒ Under Depart set Depart to Along Explicit Direction
ƒ Under Destination set Arrive to Along Explicit
Direction.
This will orient the bridge properly. You may need to tinker with
handles to get the exact shape you need.

06 Go to the Bridge tab and scroll down the to set up

Thickness section. Set Thickness to 0.5 then use the
Scale Ramp to pinch the start and end of the bridge. You can use
this Ramp to shape the trigger guard .
This makes the guard skinny in all directions which isn’t quite what
you are looking for. You need to thicken the guard along the x
direction.

07 If your guard is not matching the reference image

properly then use the handles on the Bridge tool to
tweak the shape until it matches. As a result, you may want to
further tweak the Thickness Scale Ramp.

08 Press 4 to get Primitive selection then press n to select

PART SIX:Model the Trigger Guard and Handle

all the geometry. Press tab > Clip to cut the model in half.
Leave the Direction set to 1, 0, 0.
Press 2 to get Point selection. In the Front view, select all the
middle points on this shape. Press tab>Flatten. Now set the
following:
ƒ Direction to 1, 0, 0
ƒ Origin to 0.025, 0, 0.
This gives the guard a bit more thickness in the x direction.

09 Press tab>Mirror and then press n to select all the

primitives then press Enter.
The polybridge process placed some extra polygons along the seam
that aren’t needed. Press tab>Fuse. Press n to select all the points
then press Enter. Set Snap Distance to 0.1 and the points along the
seam will be fused together.

23
 10 Press 4 to go to Primitive selection. Select four primitives
from the bottom as shown then tumble around and
select the same four from the top. Delete all the to create an
opening.
Press 3 to get Edge selection. Get the PolyBridge tool. Double-click
on the lower edge of opening then press Enter. Double-click on the
upper edge of the opening for the second profile and press Enter.
Set Divisions to 1. This creates the hole for trigger which you will
build later.

11 Move the Group and crease nodes again. Add a Null node to
the end of the chain and call it TRIGGER_GUARD_OUT. Add
a Merge node and feed the BODY_OUT and TRIGGER_GUARD_
OUT nodes into it. Set the Display Flag on the crease node.

12 In the Network view, press tab > Polydraw and place it

into the network off to the side. Set its Display Flag and
set the Template Flag on the merge node. Make sure the Handle
tool is active and using Build mode draw out the handle to trace
the revolver’s handle.

13 Press 3 to get Edge selection. Double-click on part of the

outer edge to select the shape’s profile.
Press tab > Dissolve node. Set the following:
ƒ Operation to Dissolve Non-Selected
ƒ Collinearity Tolerance to 0
This leaves you with just a filled in profile shape.
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

BRANCHING NODES
One benefit of working with nodes is that you can branch off in one direction to
create the handle frame and then in another for the handle itself. Both sides are
working off the same source but you can apply unique operations that are appro-
priate for each side.
In many cases, an edit to the original shape can cascade to change both sides of
the chain. With Houdini you always have the option to model straight ahead or
plan things out and using nodes to your advantage.

24
 14 Press 4 to get Primitive selection. Press n to select all the
faces. Press tab >PolyExtrude. Set the following:
ƒ Inset to 0.036
ƒ Under Extrusion > Output Geometry and Groups, turn
off Output Front.

15 Press n to select all the faces. Press tab>PolyExtrude. Set

the following:
ƒ Distance to 0.05
Press n to select all the faces. Press tab>Match Size. Set the
following:
ƒ Justify Y to None
ƒ Justify Z to None
This centers the shape along X. Add a Null node and name it
HANDLE_FRAME.

3. Move Points
16 Press 2 to get Point selection. Select the three points at
the top of the handle and use the Move tool to them to
align with the reference image.
Press 4 to get Primitive selection. Go to the Select tool and select
2. PolyExtrude Up
the two primitives at the top of the handle shape. Press tab >
1. Move Points Polyextrude and drag the profile up and set Divisions to 2.
Press 2 to get Point selection. Select the points on the right side of
the shape and move them to align with the reference image. Shift-
select this node’s Template flag to add it to the templated shapes.

17 Press 4 to get Primitive selection. Go to the Select tool

PART SIX:Model the Trigger Guard and Handle

and select the primitives on the side of the handle’s top
shape then tumble around and shift-select the primitives on the
opposite side.
Press tab > Polyextrude and drag the profile out to match the back
of the revolver body. This would set the Distance to around 0.023.

18 Branch off another polyextrude from Polydraw node and

set its Display Flag. Press n to select all the primitives and
press tab > Polyextrude. Set Distance to 0.05. Press q to repeat
and set Inset to -0.0075.
Press n to select all the primitives and press tab > Transform. Set
Translate X to 0.025. This moves this part of the handle to just
outside the handle frame.

25
 19 Go to a Front view. Press 2 to get Point selection. Select
the points at the side of the handle and use the Move
tool to them to tweak them to match the reference image.

20 Add a UV Flatten node after mirror then add a Subdivide

node to smooth the shape of the handle.
Add a Mirror node and mirror along the X axis.
Add a Null node and name it HANDLE.

21 Add a Merge node in the Network view just before the

crease_edge Group node. Feed the BODY, TRIGGER_
GUARD, and HANDLE_FRAME null nodes into it.
Add a Merge node in the Network view just before the REVOLVER
Null node. Feed the HANDLE null nodes into this new null node.

22 Go back to the Object level, display the Cylinder and set

up Subdivision display to review the model so far.
There are a few details to add such as the trigger and the hammer.
For the hammer, you will need to boolean the back of the revolver
to create space for it.
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

SETTING UP UVS FOR THE REVOLVER

Right now you have set up UVS for the handle but not for the rest of the
revolver. This is because only the handle uses a texture map while the rest of
the model will use a reflective metal material.
If you wanted to add dirt maps or other details then UVs would be needed for
the whole model. This can be done using the same UV Flatten that was used with
the handle. It would make sense to set up UVs for each of the parts then use a UV
Layout tool to organize the parts in the end.

26
PART SEVEN:
Model the Trigger and Hammer
You will start building both of these shapes using polydraw then extrude and center the shapes. Transform nodes will be set up
to create rotation points for the shapes. The hammer requires that you cut a box out the back of the revolver which will again
require cleanup. The revolver is getting very close to being ready.

01 In the Network view, press tab > Polydraw and place it

into the network off to the side. Set the Template flag
on the Revolver null node. Make sure the Handle tool is active and
using Build mode draw out the polygons to trace the revolver’s
trigger. Press Enter to complete the shape.

02 Press 4 to get Primitive selection. Press n to select all the

primitives. Press tab>PolyExtrude. Set the following:
ƒ Distance to 0.025
ƒ Divisions to 2
Press n to select all the faces. Press tab>Match Size. Set the
following:
ƒ Justify Y to None
ƒ Justify Z to None
This centers the shape along X.

03 Add a Transform node. Press the Insert key to turn on

Pivot Mode. In the Right view move the pivot to the
top of the trigger where the screw is in the reference image. Press

PART SEVEN:Model the Trigger and Hammer

the Insert key again to go back to transform. Make sure the Pivot
Rotate is 0, 0, 0.
RMB-click on Rotate Y and Rotate Z and from the menu choose
Lock Parameter. Now you can rotate around X to test the trigger.
Undo to rotate it back. This could be animated later.
Add Null and name it TRIGGER_OUT.

04 In the Network view, press tab > Curve and place it

into the network off to the side. Set Primitive Type to
Polygon. Make sure the Handle tool is active and using Draw mode
trace the revolver’s hammer. Click on the first point at the end to
close the shape. Press Enter to complete the shape.
In the Network view, add a Resample node after the curve node.
Turn off Maximum Segment Length and turn on Maximum
Segments. Set Segments to 42. This creates evenly spaced
segments which will be better for defining this shape.

27
 05 Press n to select the new shape. Press tab > Polyextrude.
Set Inset to 0.008. Select the curve node and turn on
Select/Edit mode.
Press Shift + to subdivide the shape then adjust points on the
original curve node to create a shape that matches the reference
image. You may want to untemplate the Revolver null node to get a
clearer picture.

06 Select the polyextrude node. In the Scene view, press tab

> PolyDraw. Make sure the Handle tool is active and
using Build mode to fill in the center.
When you finish, press Shift-Delete to remove any stray points.

07 Press 4 to get Primitive selection. Press n to select all the

primitives. Press tab>PolyExtrude. Set the following:
ƒ Distance to 0.035
ƒ Divisions to 2
Go to the Select tool. Press n to select all the faces. Press
tab>Match Size. Set the following:
ƒ Justify Y to None
ƒ Justify Z to None

08 Add a Transform node. Press the Insert key to turn on

Pivot Mode. In the Right view move the pivot to the
bottom of the hammer where the screw is in the reference image.
Press the Insert key again to go back to transform. Make sure the
Pivot Rotate is 0, 0, 0.
RMB-click on Rotate Y and Rotate Z and from the menu choose
Lock Parameter. Now you can rotate around X to test the hammer.
Undo to rotate it back. This can be animated later.
Add Null and name it HAMMER_OUT.

09 In the Network view, press tab > Tube and place the new
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

node next to the hammer nodes. Set the following:

ƒ Radius to 0.011, 0.011
ƒ Height to 0.058
ƒ Rows to 2
Use the translate handles to move the part until it aligns with the
shape next to the hammer.
Go to the Select tool. Press 2 to get Point selection. Box select the
points at the end of the tube. Press e to get the Scale tool and scale
the top down around 0.25.

28
10 Go to the Select tool. Press 3 to get Edge selection.
Select the edges at the end of the shape. Press tab >
Polyfill. Set the following:
ƒ Fill Mode to Quadrilateral Grid
ƒ Tangent Strength to 0.1

11 Add a Merge node in between the matchsize and

transform nodes in the hammer network chain. Feed the
polyfill node into the merge node to bring the two shapes together.
Set the Display flag on the HAMMER_OUT node.
Select the transform node and rotate around X to test the combined
shape. Undo to rotate it back. This can be animated later.

12 In the Network view, press tab > Box and place the box
node down. Set the following:
ƒ Size to 0.038, 0.3, 0.25
ƒ Center to 0, 0.72, 0.265
Now add a Boolean node into the Network view just before the
BODY_OUT node. Feed the new box node into the second input
and under Output Geometry, set Operation to Subtract.
You have now cut out a shape from the main body.

13 Now add a Boolean node into the Network view just

before the HANDLE_FRAME_OUT node. Feed the new

PART SEVEN:Model the Trigger and Hammer

box node into the second input and under Output Geometry, set
Operation to Subtract.
This cuts out a small notch from the top of the frame.
These cuts create some topology issues which you can easily fix in
future steps.

14 Get the Select tool and press 4 to get Primitive selection.

Double-click on the shape to select it all and then press
tab > Polydraw and use Build mode to remove the primitives inside
the shape then build up the proper quad topology one polygon at
a time.

29
 SUBDIVIDE NODE VS SUBDIVIDE DISPLAY
When modeling in Houdini, there are different ways to subdivide your model. The Subdivide node adds topol-
ogy and smooths out the surface a bit but it still leaves you with polygons. You used this node on the handle.
Subdivision display that you get with Shift + shows what would happen if the model stayed the same but the
polygons were subdivided taking creases into account. This lets you test out a surface before rendering.
To subdivide at render time you need to check off Render Polygons as Subdivision when you move the model
over to Solaris. This will allow Karma to render the surface as a subdivision with micropolygon level accuracy.

15 Use Split mode to connect all the lines on the corner of

the booleaned shape. This will extend the topology and
create quad primitives. Repeat for the other side.

16 Go to the Boolean node that is part of the Handle frame

and set its Display Flag. Get the Select tool and press 4
to get Primitive selection. Double-click on the shape to select it all
and then press tab > Polydraw and use Split mode to connect all
the lines inside the cut out area.
This will take a number of steps with lots of tumbling around. In
some cases you may need to go to the select tool then back to the
Handle tool to get things to work properly. Check out the video too
see all the steps.

17 Set the Display flag on the Revolver null node. You will
see that the Gate is missing. In the Network view, find
the gate null node and Tumble around to show the other side of the
model. Connect this node to the merge node in front of the crease
node. This way the gate will be creased as well.
If you want to you can add a Transform node for the gate similar to
the one used for the trigger and hammer. If you do then be sure to
move the pivot to the rotation point for the gate.

18 Go back to the Object level, display the Cylinder and set

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

up Subdivision display to review the model so far.

There are a few details such as the Base Pin and Ejector Rod needed
to complete the model.

30
PART EIGHT:
Add Details
There are a couple of finishing touches to finish up the model. The base pin will be built out of a half sphere and the ejector rod
will use a Helix to create the spring and PolyWire to surface it. These small details add to the look of the revolver and are worth
taking the extra time to create.

01 In the Right view, pan over to the Base pin. In the

Network view press tab > Sphere and place the node.
Set the following:
ƒ Orientation to Z Axis
ƒ Radius to 0.5, 0.5, 0.5
ƒ Center to 0, 0, 0.25
ƒ Uniform Scale to 0.035
In the Scene View, select the sphere. Press Tab > Clip. Turn on Fill
Polygons along Clipping Plane. Select the flat primitive and press
Tab > PolyExtrude. Pull the face out. Press q and repeat 10 times.
1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 10

02 Go to the Select tool box select all the polygons in the

areas where there are notches. Press tab > PolyExtrude
and set a Distance of around -0.0031.
When you finish tumble around to the back of this shape and select
the inner primitive and use Shift-A and MMB to get the ring of
primitives at the end. Press Delete to blast them away.
Add a Null node and name it BASE_PIN.

03 In the Network view, feed the BASE_PIN node into the

merge node just before the crease. This way this shape
will be creased before any subdivision.

04 In the Network view, press tab > Tube. Place the node
PART EIGHT:Add Details

down and set its Display flag. Set the following:

ƒ Radius to 1, 1
ƒ Radius Scale to 0.009
ƒ Height to 0.55
ƒ Turn on End Caps.
Go to Edge selection and double click the edges on both ends.
Press tab > Polybevel and set:
ƒ Distance to 0.002
ƒ Divisions to 2

31
 05 In the Network view, press tab > Helix. Place the node
down and set its Display flag. Set the following:
ƒ Transform > Rotate X to 90
ƒ Transform > Translate Z to -0.27
ƒ Height to 0.54
ƒ Start Radius to 0.011.
ƒ Turns to 60
ƒ Divisions per turn to 10.
This creates a helix that wraps around the tube you just created.

06 Go to the Select tool and double-click on the curve to

select it. Press tab > PolyWire and set:
ƒ Wire Radius to 0.002
ƒ Divisions to 6
Add a Merge node in the Network and wire in the Helix’s polywire
node and the Tube’s polybevel node.
Next add a Transform node and set:
ƒ Translate to around -0.6, 0.01, 0.475
Add a Null node and name it EJECTOR_ROD.

07 Feed the EJECTOR_ROD into the merge node near

the end of the chain. This geometry doesn’t need to be
creased. If it doesn’t seem to be positioned in the opening properly
then play with the Transform node to make sure it fits

08 Go back to BODY_OUT part of the network and set its

Display Flag on the polydraw node. With the Select tool,
select the four primitives at the top of the body just above the
Cylinder opening.
Press tab > PolyExtrude and set a Distance of 0.0065. Now all the
primitives are connected. What is needed is one for the right and
one for the left. This is where you can use the Split Group option.

09 Turn on the Split Group option then click on the Select

HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

Geometry arrow icon. Press 3 to get Edge selection and

then Shift-select the two edges separating the two halves. Press
Enter to accept and now there are two extrusions.

32
 10 Use the Select tool to select the two edges at the front
end of this extruded shape. Press tab > transform. RMB-
click on the transform handle and select Align Handle > World.
Push these two edges backwards to reshape the front of the sight.

11 Go to the Object level and select the select the body

object and then Shift-click on the cylinder node. On the
Modify shelf, click on the Combine tool. Now all the modeling
nodes are in one network.

12 Delete the display_merge node. Hide Inputs on the

Cylinder null node and move it next to the other parts of
the revolver’s body. Feed it into the merge node before the group
and crease nodes. If you want to, you can RMB > Inputs > Hide
Inputs on the null nodes to make it easier to visualize the network.

13 Go back to the Object level, There is only one object

called body. Rename it revolver. Press Shift-+ to turn on
Subdivision display. The model is complete.
Now you can set up the model for rendering.

PART EIGHT:Add Details

NODE TYPE | LOPS

You have used object nodes and dived into them to create geometry using Surface Operators
or SOPS. You are now going to move your work to Solaris which is the Lighting Operator or
LOP context in Houdini. The Solaris environment can be found in the /stage network.
Here you will place nodes for bringing in geometry, assigning materials and adding lights and
cameras. The Solaris environment converts everything into USD [Universal Scene Descrip-
tion] which is an open source format created by PIXAR. The Solaris/LOPS context allows
you to work with USD which is needed to render to the Karma XPU renderer.

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 PART NINE:
Render the Revolver
To render the revolver, you will learn how to bring the geometry into the Solaris context to add materials and lights. This will
involve adding a name attribute to separate handle from the body for rendering purposes. You will then build a background
shape and add a textured material. You will then render using the fast Karma XPU renderer.

01 Dive into the new revolver object. In the Network view,

add a Name node after the crease node and set its Name
to body. Alt-drag on that node and place it just after the HANDLE
node and set its Name to body. These name nodes will help define
the geometry for use when you bring it over to Solaris.

02 Change the desktop to Solaris. Make sure you are looking

at the Stage in the path bar.
In the Network view, press tab > Scene Import and click to place
the node down. Name this node revolver. Click on the node selector
button next to Objects and choose the revolver object. In the
Scene Graph you can see the revolver and under it the body and
handle primitives. In the Parameter pane, scroll down to Geometry
Handling and turn on Treat Polygons as Subdivision Surfaces.
Click on the Persp menu and set it to Karma XPU. You can tumble
around to see how XPU works interactively.

03 Add a Material Linker node to the end of the chain. Click

on the Catalog tab in the Parameter pane and drag the
MetalIron and WoodDark materials to the Material List section.
Click on the Rules tab and drag the MetalIron material over. Now
from the Geometry Tree on the right, drag the /revolver/body
primitive to the material section of the rule. Now use the same
technique to assign the WoodDark to the /revolver/handle primitive.
Right now the revolver looks very dark because there is nothing for
it to reflect. You will use a Dome light to add an hdri image.

04 Add a Dome Light node to the end of the chain and set
HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

its Display Flag. Click on the File selector button and

from the sidebar select the $HFS/houdini/pic/hdri/ to go to that
folder. Select the HDRIHaven_skylit_garage_2K.rat and press Accept.
Now you can see reflections in the metal and a garage in the
background. Lets cover up the garage with some background
geometry.

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 05 Add a SOP Create node and feed this node into the
revolver node. Rename it background and double click to
dive into it. Add a tube node and set:
ƒ Radius to 5, 5 & Height to 10
ƒ Columns to 30.
ƒ Under Geometry Handling turn on Treat Polygons as
Subdivision Surfaces.
Add a Clip node and set Direction to -1, 0, 0. Add a UV Flatten
node then add a UV Transform node and set Scale to 3, -3, 3. Set
the Display flag on uvtransform and go back to the stage level.

06 Add Quick Surface Material node and name it

bkgd_mtl. Feed it into the background node then go to
the materiallinker node and link the bkgd_mtl to the /background
primitive. Keep the Display flag on the end of the chain.
In the Base section, click on the icon on the left of the Color Map
field and choose Set or Create. Next to Color Map click on the File
Chooser button. Go to the $HIP/tex/fabric/ directory and get the
fabric_diffuse.rat file. Go to the Bump section and set the Bump
Height Map to $HIP/tex/fabric/fabric_bump.rat
Now there is a fabric pattern on the background object.

07 From the No Cam menu in the top right corner, choose

New Camera. Click on the Lock camera to view
button. Use the View tools to tweak the position the camera.
In the Network View, press tab > Karma to add a Karma Render
Settings and USD Render ROP node. Add them into the end of the
chain. Set the Display Flag on karmarendersettings and set Engine
Settings to XPU parameters. On the Image Output > Filters tab set
Denoiser to nvidia Optix Denoiser to turn the denoiser back on.
Select the usdrender_rop node and press Render to Mplay to render
the revolver.

CONCLUSION
Congratulations! You
have built this revolver
model from scratch using
background images to
guide you on your way.
You have learned how to use modeling tools such as PolyExtrude,
PolyBevel, PolySplit and Boolean. You have worked with PolyDraw
PART NINE:Render the Revolver
to manage the topology of the model as you split and repair polygons.
You have learned how to work in both the Scene View to model interac-
tively and to use the Network view to manage your nodes. The node-based
workflow lets you keep track of all the steps in the modeling process although
some nodes such as PolyDraw can block the flow of data.
This is fine because the goal of this lesson was not a procedural model but rather
one that renders properly with subdivision smoothing. This involved cleaning up the
polygons to focus on quads. This lesson probably didn’t catch all of them but you can
always go back and tinker if you see any kinks in the model.
To complete the model, you brought it into the Solaris context to add materials, lights and a camera
and render. You then created and textured a background shape and rendered with Karma XPU.

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 HOUDINI FOUNDATIONS

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