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Houdini Indie Released
Posted on Aug 16, 2016

    Houdini Indie Released

    Side Effects Software has launched Houdini Indie, a $199/year version of Houdini that contains all of the animation and VFX tools and is available under a limited commercial license to independent animators and game makers. As well, they have launched an Indie version of Houdini Engine, a $99/year version of Houdini Engine available for limited commercial use.

    Houdini Engine Indie provides an inexpensive way to make Orbolt assets available to Houdini, Maya, and Unity users for limited commercial use, as well as to Cinema 4D, 3D Studio Max, Unreal Engine, and other tools in the future.

    Houdini Indie and Houdini Engine Indie will both use a new limited-commercial file format for digital assets. Orbolt will soon support this file format, both for uploading and downloading assets.

    The full details are available here.


Maya Orbolt Browser!!
Posted on Aug 16, 2016

    Maya Orbolt Browser!!


    With advent of Houdini Engine, assets created in Houdini can be used and shared across many different host applications. Integrated workflow between Orbolt and Houdini Asset Browser makes the process quick and easy. To improve the user experience, a new feature has been added to the Maya Engine Plugin. Just like Houdini, Maya users now have access to their own Orbolt Asset Browser!

    It can be accessed by going to Houdini Engine menu and choosing Orbolt Asset Browser. This will open a new window that shows all the assets the user has downloaded. Using the asset is as easy as just clicking on the asset icon. This will instantiate the asset in the scene. The browser automatically keeps track of all the assets that the user downloads from Orbolt so they are available both in Houdini and in Maya versions.




    Easy of use is an important factor in making Digital Assets accessible and fun to use in other applications through the Houdini Engine and its respective plugins. Let us know if you have any suggestions on how to improve the process even more.support@orbolt.com

Orbolt's out of beta!!
Posted on Jul 15, 2014

    Orbolt's out of beta!!


    We're out of beta!! Many improvments have been made to make the user experience more enjoyable, both from the content creator side as well as from the artist side.
    Firstly, we have added asset requests area. If you don't find the asset you need you can request one! The page also includes comment and votes section so you can discuss asset ideas and submit your votes for other peoples requests.

    Asset requst page

    Second, we now support partial uploads. You can upload your asset in multiple stages (otl files, screenshots, icons). The asset info will be editable so changes to any section can be made at any time before you decide that it's ready to be submitted for review.
    Asset upload page

    Let us know if you have any questions or comments support@orbolt.com

Engine Asset Creation!
Posted on Aug 16, 2016

    Engine Asset Creation!


    Here's a great video of asset creation for Houdini Engine and Maya plugin. Mark Spevick, head of 3D at Escape Studios, made this awesome Intermediate Houdini workshop, walking you through the process of making an asset in Houdini, and transferring it into Maya using the Houdini engine plug in!

    Let's Make An Asset In Houdini! VFX Festival Workshop with Mark Spevick !


Orbolt Updates!
Posted on Jun 26, 2014

    Orbolt Updates!!


    Summer is upon us but we're not taking a vacation just yet! Some exciting work is being done to help you the asset users as well as the authors. These additions will make the process of hunting for that perfect asset more robust and efficient.

    First, we're adding an asset request area on Orbolt! Finding an asset is easy enough but what if that asset doesn't exist yet? What if you're a Houdini Master that's not sure which of your ideas will be the ultimate asset? The request area will help with both of these. As a user you will be able to request a specfic asset if you can't find that special something on Orbolt. This in turn will help the authors in choosing which asset to create next, by judging public interest in the idea.

    Second, optimizing asset upload process. Uploading a single asset is easy enough but uploading multiple assets with various dependencies can be time consuming. The changes will help authors upload all of their assets at once as well as mark them 'in progress' so they can update things like icons/screenshots/descriptions at a later date. This will help simplify the workflow and make it less error prone.

    Ultimately Orbolt is all about Digital Assets and we want to make the creation and sharing process as smooth as possible. Any question or comments feel free to drop us a line support@orbolt.com

Houdini Engine and Cinema 4D!!
Posted on Aug 16, 2016

    Houdini Engine and Cinema 4D!!


    The Houdini Engine continues to grow, with MAXON announcing its intention to partner with Side Effects to develop a plug-in; slated for release before the end of the year. The collaboration gives Cinema 4D artists direct access to Houdini Digital Assets for a more integrated procedural workflow.



    For official announcment have a further look at Houdini Engine for Cinema4D

Houdini Engine and Digital Assets!!
Posted on Feb 19, 2014

    Houdini Engine and Digital Assets!!


    Houdini Engine and Maya/Unity plugins open up a new world of possibilites. Here's some short videos to get you started.

    Digital Assets for Maya plugin Quickstart

    Copy Asset for Maya plugin

    Staircase Asset for Unity plugin

    For more videos and content files check out SideFX Labs!

    Let us know if you have any issues support@orbolt.com



Happy New Year!!
Posted on Jan 10, 2014
    Happy New Year!!

    Here's to another fun and exciting year!

    Speaking of exciting be sure to check out the Houdini Engine assets for Maya and Unity.

    There has been tons of updates as we take your input in regards to function and usability. Build your assets in Houdini, share them on Orbolt and try them out in Maya or Unity. Check out the videos for tips and tricks in building your assets to be compatible with Houdini Engine on the SideFX Labs.


    Now is the perfect time to give a shot and let us know what you think SideFX Labs Forum or email us support@orbolt.com!

Powered by Houdini!
Posted on Nov 19, 2013
    Powered by Houdini!
    Side Effects has announced immediate availability of the experimental Houdini Engine plug-ins for Maya and Unity.

    These plug-ins serve as a bridge to all of the power of Houdini from Maya or Unity. They load Houdini Digital Assets into other software packages, with full access to the assets' parameters and procedural power. You can author assets in Houdini and load them in, or simply download assets others have created without knowing how to use Houdini.

    These experimental plug-ins are free for a limited time. During this limited time period they will also load in assets created using Houdini Apprentice, which is also available for free.

    Just as the plug-ins are connections to Houdini, Orbolt is the vital link to assets. It offers a central location for users to get and share their Houdini digital creations. The site offers a quick and efficient way to find assets that are designed to be used with the Houdini Engine and the respective plug-ins.



    But we're not done yet! It's just a first step: the plug-ins are still in an early experimental form, and you have the opportunity to guide their development. The next step is to gather feedback to improve the workflow and user experience. This is your chance as asset authors and users to tell us at support@orbolt.com how you think the process can be enhanced. Ultimately all of these tools are designed to help you become faster and more efficient, and to make the creation process more enjoyable.

Houdini 13 is released!!
Posted on Nov 06, 2013
    Houdini 13 is out!!
    Side Effects has released Houdini 13

    Some of the new features include a finite element solver for bending and tearing FX, a new multi-threaded particle architecture integrated into Houdini’s existing dynamics context and a new lighting workflow to efficiently handle massive datasets.

    On the Orbolt side a new Houdini version has been added to the min/max asset requirements on the upload page. Authors can now specify which versions of Houdini are supported by their assets.

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