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Houdini

Houdini Integration

Monitor Mantra, Karma, and simulation workflows

New Major Update

We've updated the plugin to support Houdini 19.5 - 21. Join our Discord for support!

Overview

The RenderBuddy Houdini integration is a Python-based plugin that hooks into Houdini's render and simulation workflows. Whether you're running Mantra renders, Karma XPU jobs, or long-running simulations, RenderBuddy keeps you informed.

Mantra & Karma

Full support for both CPU and GPU rendering engines

Simulation Tracking

Monitor FLIP, Pyro, Vellum, and RBD simulations

PDG/TOPs Support

Track work items and task graph progress

Notifications

Get alerts when sims or renders complete

Supported Versions

Houdini 19.5
Houdini 20.0
Houdini 20.5
Houdini 21

Works with Houdini FX, Core, and Indie licenses on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

One Package, All Versions

The plugin automatically detects your Houdini version. Just download once - the package includes Python 3.7, 3.10, and 3.11 libraries for full compatibility.

Installation

1

Download the Package

Download the RenderBuddy Houdini package from the Downloads page.

Screenshot: Houdini plugin download section
2

Install the Package

Copy the RenderBuddy folder and RenderBuddy.json to your Houdini packages directory:

Windows

%USERPROFILE%\Documents\houdini21.0\packages\

Linux

~/.config/houdini/packages/

macOS

~/Library/Preferences/houdini/21.0/packages/
Screenshot: Package folder structure
3

Restart Houdini

Restart Houdini to load the package. You should see "RenderBuddy" in the Shelf toolbar.

Screenshot: RenderBuddy shelf toolbar
4

Verify Connection

Click Test Connection on the RenderBuddy shelf. It should show "Connection successful" if the desktop Agent is running.

Screenshot: RenderBuddy status dialog

Render Monitoring

RenderBuddy automatically detects when you start a render and begins sending telemetry. No additional setup required!

Mantra Renders

For Mantra renders, RenderBuddy tracks:

  • Frame progress (current / total frames)
  • Render time per frame
  • Memory usage
  • Bucket/tile progress within each frame
Screenshot: Mobile app showing Mantra render progress

Karma XPU

For Karma XPU (GPU) renders, additional metrics include:

  • GPU memory usage
  • CUDA core utilization
  • Denoising progress
  • Convergence samples
Screenshot: Karma XPU render with GPU stats

Caching & Exports

Also tracks file cache, Alembic, and FBX export nodes:

  • File Cache (SOP)
  • Alembic ROP / SOP
  • Vellum I/O

Simulation Tracking

Long-running simulations are a perfect use case for RenderBuddy. Get notified when your FLIP sim finishes, or check on your Pyro sim from the couch.

How to Track

Select your DOP network node and click Track Simulation on the RenderBuddy shelf.

FLIP Fluids

Track FLIP simulation progress including:

  • Current frame / total frames
  • Particle count
  • Substep information
  • Cache write progress
Screenshot: FLIP simulation progress on mobile

Pyro & Smoke

Monitor your Pyro simulations:

  • Voxel count and resolution
  • Active regions
  • Per-frame timing
  • Disk cache status
Screenshot: Pyro sim tracking interface

Vellum

Keep tabs on cloth and soft body simulations:

  • Constraint iterations
  • Collision detection stats
  • Frame progress
  • Substep count
Screenshot: Vellum simulation dashboard

PDG/TOPs Integration

For complex pipeline workflows using PDG (Procedural Dependency Graph), RenderBuddy provides task-level visibility:

How to Track

Select your TOP network node and click Track PDG on the RenderBuddy shelf.

  • Total work items and completion percentage
  • Per-node progress tracking
  • Failed work item alerts
  • Cook time statistics
Screenshot: PDG work item progress in mobile app

Tips for Houdini Artists

Enable Checkpoint Saves

For long simulations, enable checkpoint saves so you can resume if something goes wrong. RenderBuddy will notify you if a sim crashes.

Use Descriptive Job Names

Name your render nodes descriptively (e.g., "hero_explosion_v02"). RenderBuddy uses these names in notifications.

Monitor Before Leaving

Before stepping away from a long sim, verify RenderBuddy shelf shows "Connected". This ensures you'll get notifications.

Troubleshooting

Package not loading in Houdini

Ensure the RenderBuddy.json package file is valid JSON. Check the Houdini console for package loading errors on startup.

"Disconnected from Agent" message

Make sure the RenderBuddy Agent is running on your machine. The Houdini plugin communicates via HTTP on port 5556 (check your Agent config).

Simulations not being tracked

Use the Track Simulation button on the RenderBuddy shelf to explicitly track a DOP network. The automatic tracker currently focuses on ROP renders.

Progress stuck at 0%

Ensure your ROP node has a valid frame range set. Single-frame renders or simulations without defined frame ranges may not report progress correctly.