Requirements#
Supported Versions#
The Omniverse Houdini Connector supports the following versions of Houdini:
Version |
Windows |
Linux |
USD |
Python n |
gcc (Linux only) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
18.5.x |
No connector |
No connector |
20.05 |
N/A |
|
19.0.x |
No connector |
No connector |
22.05 |
N/A |
|
19.5.x |
Yes Not Tested |
Yes Not Tested |
22.05 |
Python 3.9 |
gcc 9.3 |
20.0.x |
10, 11 |
Ubuntu 22.04 |
23.08 |
Python 3.10 |
gcc 9.3 |
20.5.x |
11 |
Ubuntu 22.04 |
24.03 |
Python 3.11 |
gcc 9.3 |
Driver Versions#
Driver Version Support |
Windows |
Linux |
|---|---|---|
Recommended |
537.58 (GameReady, Studio), 537.70 (RTX/Quadro, Grid/vGPU)
|
525.85.05 (GameReady, Studio, RTX/Quadro), 525.85.12 (Grid/vGPU)
|
Minimum |
473.47
|
470.121
|
Unsupported |
495.0 up to 512.59, 525 up to 526.91
|
495.0 up to 510.58, 515.0 up to 515.17
|
See Omniverse Technical Requirements for additional requirements information.
Note
The latest driver versions may also work, but may not have yet been fully tested for Omniverse.
Houdini Linux Requirements#
Houdini 20 will not run on glibc 2.34 distributions such as Ubuntu 21.10+ or Fedora 35+.
Refer to the SideFX Houdini System Requirements.
Packages required:
libxkbcommon-x11 libxcb-icccm4 libxcb-render-util qt5-default qtbase5-dev
Note
If you continue to encounter Qt errors on startup, then check that you have installed the Qt required packages found here: Qt for X11 Requirements
Ubuntu 18.04 and CentOS 7.9 Requirements#
Note
The Omniverse Houdini connector requires libstdc++.so.6 version GLIBCXX_3.4.26+
If you are running into issues regarding libstdc++.so.6 errors on Ubuntu 18, please try:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gcc-9
sudo apt install libstdc++6{noformat}
CentOS 7.9 you will need to build libraries and update their linking to support libstdc++.so.6 version GLIBCXX_3.4.26+
Environment Variables#
The Houdini Omniverse Connector requires Houdini 19.x.x and/or 20.x.x to be installed on the user’s machine. Follow our Connector installation instructions to install this connector.
After running the installer from the Omniverse Launcher, you should see a packages/omniverse.json file under your Houdini user preferences directory (e.g., %USERPROFILE%/Documents/houdini20.0/packages/omniverse.json).
You can add the following flags in the houdini.env file in your Houdini user preferences directory - all optional
(e.g., %USERPROFILE%/Documents/houdini20.0/houdini.env):
HOUDINI_DSO_ERROR=2 # Helps detect connector plugin load errors.
HOMNI_DEFAULT_CONNECTIONS="localhost" # Server connections opened each time file browser is invoked. Comma separated to add multiple Nucleus server connections.
HOMNI_ENABLE_LOGFILE=1 # Log file output is on by default.
HOMNI_ENABLE_HIP_CHECKPOINTS=1 # .hip files saved on Nucleus server with checkpoints enabled is on by default
HOMNI_ENABLE_SAVE_WARNINGS=1 # When invoking Houdini file save with "Make Numbered Backups" preference on a warning is issued by default.
HOMNI_ENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL=0 # Enables experimental nodes is off by default.
HOMNI_DEFAULT_CONNECTIONS specifies the Omniverse server names that will appear by default in the sidebar of Houdini’s file browser. In this case, the default server is localhost, but you may set this to any server name, or specify multiple servers in a list delimited by semicolons (e.g., HOMNI_DEFAULT_CONNECTIONS="server1;server2;server3"). In general, you should assign to HOMNI_DEFAULT_CONNECTIONS the server or servers that you wish to navigate with the file browser.
One thing to note when you are adding connections into your houdini.env file is that connections to all servers added there will be made when the file browser is opened. One workaround to this is to not set the HOMNI_DEFAULT_CONNECTIONS variable and instead add the URL to the favorites in the file browser:
To check if the Connector is installed correctly, launch Houdini 20.0.547 and verify the following:
There are no dso error popups.
There is an Omniverse entry in the main menu bar.
Navigate to the LOPs stage and instantiate a File operator. Click the file chooser button to the right of the File parameter. Verify there is an
omniverse://location in the file browser side bar (omniverse://localhostin our example, since we assignedlocalhostto theHOMNI_DEFAULT_CONNECTIONSenvironment variable).Navigate to a USD on the server (e.g.,
omniverse://localhost/NVIDIA/Samples/OldAttic/Props/ball.usd), and verify that it loads.
Known Limitations#
Mismatched USD Versions between Houdini and Create#
Houdini uses a newer version of USD than Omniverse USD Composer. This mismatch causes problems where there is a lack of backward compatibility. One such case exists for the inputs: prefix included in light prim attribute names. Because this prefix is not backwards-compatible, this prefix does not work in Omniverse USD Composer. As a workaround, use the set_legacy_light_properties LOP before you export your USD to Omniverse USD Composer. When exporting from Omniverse USD Composer to Houdini, perform the opposite action using the Upgrade Old Light Primitives LOP.
Houdini Digital Assets (HDAs)#
HDAs cannot be saved to or loaded from Omniverse Nucleus server paths. A file copy utility tool is provided to copy files to and from Nucleus.
Make Numbered Backups#
Houdini’s Make Numbered Backup save method preference doesn’t work with Omniverse Nucleus paths. You’ll see an error, and our post-save callback will provide a workaround.
Workarounds:
Use the provided save command from the Omniverse menu and Shelf
Switch from the default preference to Overwrite File or Increment Filename
Note
For versioning of your .hip file, you will automatically receive Nucleus checkpoints when working with .hip files on Omniverse Nucleus servers with the checkpoint feature turned on.
Create Directories#
Creating directories from Houdini’s File Chooser Dialogs is not supported in Houdini 19.0. This is due to a limitation in Houdini 19.0 HDK. This was addressed in later Houdini versions.
Workarounds:
Please create new directories from Nucleus, Houdini 19.5 and/or later Houdini versions.
Create Directories#
Creating directories from Houdini’s File Chooser Dialogs is not supported in Houdini 19.0. This is due to a limitation in Houdini 19.0 HDK. This was addressed in later Houdini versions.
Workarounds:
Please create new directories from Nucleus, Houdini 19.5 and/or later Houdini versions.
VDB Volume Sequences#
VDB Volume Sequences are not currently supported by Omniverse USD Composer. Support for VDB Volume Sequences is in active development, and NVIDIA expects to announce OpenVDB support soon.
Load Warnings#
You may see warnings regarding unrecognized parameters when you load a .hip file that was saved from a different Houdini version. This is usually harmless and can be ignored. Using Houdini Omniverse Connector with Houdini 20 provides the smoothest experience.
Workarounds:
Houdini provides an environment variable $HOUDINI_DISABLE_FILE_LOAD_WARNINGS to suppress the load warnings.