Houdini Tutorial - Radial Menus - Speed up your workflow and save time using Radial Menus in Houdini

If you like this, visit www.parameter3.com for more Houdini tips and tricks.
In this fast and quick tutorial, I'll discuss how and why you should be using radial menus in Houdini in order to speed up your workflow. Many times, Houdini users hit tab to get some of their favorite nodes, or use the shelf tools. This can be slow if you do it over and over again.
By using radial menus you can speed up your workflow dramatically by accessing your favorite nodes in just a couple clicks. Watch this tutorial video to discover how it all works.

[@NeroIsCute]

Thanks for the tutorial! Good stuff

[@YonnideHaar]

This is really useful, almost makes me wanna model things in Houdini ;-)

[@RMAFIRE]

You really are an artist!🔝💫

[@FaddyVFX]

I enjoyed watching the video,, Looking forward for a great opportunity to learn from your channel, . 😊👍👍

[@patricebeauchesne7772]

Super helpful! Yay!

[@workflowinmind]

I use the network ones a lot

[@TomCushwa]

You can extrude in the X Y or Z axis by clicking the "Transform extruded front" box in the polyextrude node. You don't have to put down an attribAjustvector node although that is pretty cool.

[@mrbennelson]

ah super good tip! Thanks, I didn't know that.

[@irql2]

lets see some basic procedural modeling tutorials! :)

[@rd-cv4vm]

Can you add your own hda?

[@strangeapprentice]

This is great! Where can I get more phython scripts for modeling? That would be awesome

[@mrbennelson]

Tbh I don’t know of any specific sites with premade scripts. You can always try coding your own, using the Houdini hou Python module documentation will help.
Also depending on how comfortable you are coding, you could always try ChatGPT or any LLM and see if it can generate some scripts you are wanting.
LLMs can be great for things like this, but I usually have to edit the code manually as there are errors some of the time.

[@Staglaitor]

Cool! - and what is more prefferable to know: python or vex in houdini?

[@mrbennelson]

That depends on your use case -- I primarily use VEX for doing a lot of effects or things that already use the houdini nodes (aka tools).
That being said, if you want to create your own nodes (hdas) then knowing python is pretty useful for programming functionality into ui controls such as buttons.
I'd say focus first on creating whatever you want to create, and then you'll find out soon enough when you need to use some vex vs python.
I hope that is helpful.

[@spectronimo7964]

I'd say that if you're comfortable with vex, you have a strong starting point for python, and vice versa. pretty much no worries there. I use vex in almost every one of my projects, so I think vex is more solid as a first.