Alexey Vanzhula releases Modeler 2022 for Houdini
Alexey Vanzhula has released Modeler 2022, a free update to the modelling and retopology toolkit for Houdini that reworks the UI to make it possible to use the software with a pen device rather than a keyboard.
The update also introduces new tools for variable-radius bevels, VDB remeshing and UDIM export.
A classic hard surface and Boolean modelling toolkit for Houdini
First released in 2018 under the name Direct Modeling HDA and later renamed DM, Modeler streamlines hard surface modelling workflows inside Houdini.
The name ‘Modeler’ originally referred specifically to the toolkit’s ‘classic modelling environment’, intended to make modelling workflow in Houdini more similar to that in other DCC applications.
Its other components, real-time Boolean modelling system Soft Boolean and kitbashing parts library Kitbash have now been split off into separate add-ons, the latter free.
Reworked UI makes it possible to use Modeler with a stylus rather than a mouse and keyboard
Modeler 2022 overhauls the software’s interface and workflow to make it easier to use with pen devices like graphics tablets, pen displays and tablets: it is now possible to use Modeler entirely without a keyboard.
It is also now possible to split the screen to display the Modeler tools in a vertical or horizontal pane, to drag and drop Modeler tools to the shelf, and to assign hotkey to Modeler tools and radial menus.
Users can also make the entire UI – including the native parts of the interface – semi-transparent, allowing the contents of the viewport to show through beneath.
New tools for variable edge bevels, remeshing and UDIM export
New tools include Bevel Pro, shown at 02:50 in the video above, for creating variable-radius bevels.
There are also several other new tools included in the list of new features at the end of the video but not actually shown in the video itself, including Group Hard Edges, VDB Remesh, and UDIM Export.
In addition, Vanzhula has made Kitbash for Houdini, Modeler’s library of hard-surface kitbash parts like nuts, screws, buttons and pipes, available as a separate free download for any Houdini user.
Pricing and system requirements
Modeler 2022 is available for Houdini 18.5. New individual floating licences cost $100; new Studio licences cost $400, and provide unlimited seats. The update is free to users of Modeler 2021.
Download Modeler 2022 for Houdini from Alexey Vanzhula’s Gumroad store