Houdini Setup#
Common#
- Install license server on each machine
- Install HQueue Client Reference
- Directory in D:\knl\hou\HQClient
- Server: ${env:EDEV_HOUSERVER}:5000 (ex: ikrima-ryzen:5000)
- Logon Account: ${env:EDEV_HOUSERVERACCOUNT} (ex: sa_server_account)
- Make sure firewall is accessible
- Update
MachineSetup-Config.ps1:${env:EDEV_HOUDIR}
to point to new path and rerun - Make sure
HOUDINI_USER_PREF_DIR
is set (e.g.HOUDINI_USER_PREF_DIR=${env:EDEV_HOUPSITEDIR}/prefs/houdini__HVER__
) - Change symlink of C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Latest to point to new directory
Optional#
- Update git repos in tp directory
- Update binary plugins (Redshift, optix)
For Major Updates#
For major-minor version updates (i.e. from 17.0 to 17.5)
- Copy previous version prefs folder to new one (eg: ${env:EDEV_HOUPSITEDIR}\prefs\houdini17.5
)
- Update the new houdini.env Version envars. Ex:
- HOU_MAJOR_VER = 17
- HOU_MINOR_VER = 5
- REDSHIFT_VER = 17.5.173
- Create a new version specific dso folder (eg: ${env:EDEV_HOUPSITEDIR}\personal\dso-17.5
)
- Compile dso’s with new HDK (ex: SOP_ComputeTangents)
- mikktspace-for-houdini: Update the visual studio HDK props file to point to new HDK location
- Not needed anymore as PolyFrame node has builtin support for mikktspace
- Follow instructions for nightly build updates
For Nightly Updates#
- Run
${env:EDEV_DEVOPSDIR}/MachineConfig/Houdini-Setup.ps1:Update-HythonVenv
- Change nvidia graphics custom 3d settings for new hindie.exe
Houdini.env#
Use $HSITE
and $HFS
to point site specific configuration & houdini install directory
The problem is that no one seems to understand the fully correct syntax, while some slightly bad variations happen to work depending on the platform/method.
Let me try to lay out some of the rules: Reference - Houdini only expands environment variables in the hscript syntax. ie. $HOME, not the DOS syntax like %HOME%. - The path separators should be semi-colon (;) instead of colon (:). This works on all platforms. Linux/OSX happen to also accept colon (:) as well. - When you override a variable, you should have “&” in there somewhere so that the default path is still used. Depending on your shell, this is sometimes a special character, in which case you need to ensure that you set it with the correct escaping. - On Windows especially, make sure you launch Houdini from the shell you set the environment variable. You cannot set it into a shell and then expect the Start Menu > Houdini to see it. - You must set your environment variable BEFORE Houdini is loaded. - If you’re using houdini.env (as an alternative), then you must use double quotes if your variable value contains spaces. - List of environment variables