This project started as a way to learn Houdini as I was participating in a course offering to show how Houdini can be used for rapid and modular 3D asset development. I also used it as a way to practice my skills with substance painter as well.
Below is the final 3D asset textured and rendered in Substance Painter
Here is an interactive 3D model.
Modern/Sci-Fi Repeater Rifle by HawkHawkins on Sketchfab
The Process
The process of creating the Repeater Rifle asset began with looking at the props in XCOM 2 from Fireaxis Games. I liked the chunky stylized design and though that this would be a good prop for me to try and replicate the look and feel of in Houdini.
The prop itself consisted of a lot of simple “chunks” along with detailing that looked like it could be added with boolean operations and some final touches using bevels so I started working on making some tools in Houdini that would allow me to recreate the asset and rapidly create others like it.
Here I created the “GunChunk” SOP which was a tool I could use to block out shapes in Houdini using simple curves and then transform those curves into 3D geometry or “Gun Chunks “with the option for the user to bevel it to varying degrees to start with a simplified shape of the gun.
Next I created the “BoolAndBevel” SOP which allowed me to carve out some more detail in the model and give it a more interesting shape. The SOP takes two shapes; the cutting shape, and the shape to be cut. Then, it outputs the new shape with a chunk cut out of it and the overlapping section of the two shapes also offering the user varying levels of bevel for more detail.
The final tool I constructed was the “BevelSeam” SOP which allowed me to add the final details to the geometry by using a curve to cut grooves through the geometry and bevel them to varying degrees in order to give the feel that the gun was made of a series of modular pieces built together.
Below is an outline of the network for the entire project with the asset split into two key sections with the yellow representing the matte powder coated components of the gun and the grey representing the shiny metallic components. Structuring the project this way made it much easier to texture when the asset was exported into Substance Painter, and also allowed me to make changes to specific components as needed.
Below you can see the separate components in more detail in Houdini with the red being the powder coated components and the black being the metallic components.
I thoroughly enjoyed this project as I found that I enjoyed Houdini’s non-destructive framework for modeling 3D assets and can see a lot of potential in how I can use it in the future. Currently I would like to expand upon this and use the tools I have generated to create some additional assets and perhaps create and asset bundle for others to download and use in their games and projects.
Tom Hawkins 