Procedural modelling in Houdini based on Function Representation

Chapter 6
Conclusion
Bas<strong>in</strong>g a project on an external library (which had to be ported first), while at the same time
tackl<strong>in</strong>g a complex SDK like the Houd<strong>in</strong>i Development Kit was certa<strong>in</strong>ly an ambitious goal. In
retrospect, the objective of br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g FRep <strong>modell<strong>in</strong>g</strong> capabilities to Houd<strong>in</strong>i while respect<strong>in</strong>g
exist<strong>in</strong>g guidel<strong>in</strong>es and UI paradigms, was achieved. Particularly the degree of <strong>in</strong>tegration
<strong>in</strong>to the Houd<strong>in</strong>i environment is very promis<strong>in</strong>g for future projects and applications.
The FRep API offers a vast set of features. Some nodes and features could not be <strong>in</strong>tegrated
given the short duration of this project. There is also a list of known issues and limitations
to the system, as discussed <strong>in</strong> Section 5.4. Choos<strong>in</strong>g the HDK over Python was the right
decision and, apart from hav<strong>in</strong>g performance benefits, offer<strong>in</strong>g a clean and solid foundation
for future development.
6.1 Applications
The technology can have applications <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dustries like film and games, especially as computers
get faster and more accurate representations of the real-world are desired. Furthermore,
be<strong>in</strong>g able to blend and morph objects regardless of topology is challeng<strong>in</strong>g us<strong>in</strong>g current
methods.
S<strong>in</strong>ce FReps are resolution-<strong>in</strong>dependent, they are ideal for use <strong>in</strong> digital manufactur<strong>in</strong>g and
3D pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g. Additional nodes could be developed to allow export from Houd<strong>in</strong>i to various
file formats like STL.
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