A new Clone Control Panel is the first step towards a multi-shot and multi-asset management system. Cloning is a way to synchronize different Houdini sessions, where HIP files are changed and renderings are updated. The clone processes use complete non-graphical Houdini processes to cook the LOP network and render the images, just like live rendering in the viewport in your interactive Houdini session. The images are then sent back to the interactive Houdini session for viewing.

The Karma AOV VOP 2.0 provides an improved workflow for the creation of AOVs from materials. The new method no longer requires accessory nodes and sets up RenderVars automatically.

Optimized deep camera maps (DCM).

Added Volume Filter and Volume Filter Width properties to Render Geometry Settings LOP. You can choose from different volume filters, for example to reduce aliasing effects on volumes or sharpen fluid simulations.

The Karma Render Settings LOP lets you choose the Karma render delegate. If there’s a mismatch between your choice on the Karma Render Settings LOP and the delegate menu in the viewport, you get a warning.

A new render statistics section in Render Gallery shows a wide range of information like memory information, time to first pixel, shader calls, and many more.

When there’s a render delegate mismatch between the settings in the viewport and the Karma Render Settings LOP, you will see a warning in the upper left corner of the viewport. This is to draw your attention on the fact that Karma CPU and Karma XPU are completely different render engines, producing different results.

Shaders (VEX, MaterialX, Karma, USD Preview) are now created and assembled inside appropriate subnets in the Material Library LOP. Depending on the currently used subnet, all material entries are filtered to prevent you from using VEX nodes together with MaterialX nodes, for example. It’s still possible to create shader nodes on the Material Library’s without subnets through Python to maintain compatibility with older scripts. However, we recommend using the provided VEX Material Builder, MaterialX Material Builder and Karma Material Builder subnets for shader building.

Many improvements to the Material Linker LOP make the node the first choice over the Material Assign LOP.

The new Karma Room Map VOP for Karma CPU and XPU uses parallax mapping to project images of rooms onto a flat plane. This creates the impression of a 3-dimensional interior. You can add up to four slices to create more depth layers like furniture, curtains or people, standing inside a room. An Offset UDIM parameter lets you switch to other textures of a UDIM sequence.

The new Karma Room Lense VOP lets you bake cross-shaped interior maps with slices from 3D rooms for use with the Karma Room Map VOP.

New Karma Voronoi Noise 2D VOP and Karma Voronoi Noise 3D VOP nodes for Karma shading networks. The results are very similar to Worley noise, but you can define extra random positions for seeding.

A new Karma Color Transform VOP node lets you transform color spaces.

New MtlX Circles2D VOP nodes, which creates highly-customizable circle/ring patterns.

The new Karma Hex Tiling VOP avoids visible seams and repetitions when you texture large areas with a single map. This node supports UV coordinates and triplanar projection and also works with normal maps. Note that normal maps only work correctly, when they follow Houdini’s specifications. Other types will be ignored or create wrong results.

A new MtlX PBR Texture Set VOP provides a convenient way to organize all relevant PBR textures through a single node and connect its outputs to the appropriate inputs of the MtlX Standard Surface VOP. Fallbacks let you define default values and colors if a texture isn’t available or can’t be found. You can also apply filters on all connected textures.

A new Karma Fur VOP shader with medulla support for extremely realistic results. The medulla is a hair’s inner core and a structural feature of thick hair and fur. Medulla support lets you precisely control the hair’s light scattering and light attenuation.

The Principled Shader VOP and MtlX Standard Surface VOP now support transmission dispersion. This parameter describes how much the index of refraction (IOR) varies across wavelengths.

A new Karma Ramp Parameter VOP provides an interface for the convenient creation of ramps in Karma CPU and XPU. The node creates a Ramp Parm VOP that is translated into a Karma Ramp shader primitive. The advantage is that it auto-promotes the ramp UI and creates a ramp input port on the parent subnet. The translator authors a connection between the USD inputs. This allows for the Edit Properties LOP to change the material or node graph interface value to drive the shader inside.

The new Karma Camera Falloff VOP creates a camera-based edge falloff effect in materials.

Nested dielectrics now work with Karma XPU and you can, for example, render water in bottle physically correct. If a MaterialX-based shader doesn’t have bind export for nested dielectrics IOR (ndior), use the IOR value from the first transmissive dielectrics BSDF declared in the shader.

Added UDIM Offset and UDIM Patch nodes, which let artists (ab)use UDIM texture paths to randomize texture maps using primvars.

The MtlX Standard Surface VOP now supports thin walled transmission and dispersion, e.g. for soap bubbles or complex car paint. You can, for example, go to the Geometry section and turn on Thin Walled to create architectural glass without refraction.

The Karma Physical Lens VOP has support for an additional Cylindrical projection type.

A new Karma Light Filter Attenuation VOP was added to light shader networks. This node controls how the light intensity/color changes over distance.

The new Karma Point Cloud Read VOP opens a point cloud .pc file and searches for points around a position P within a given radius. Aside from .pc files, you can also load geometry files as point clouds. This node is compatible with Material X.

You can now mimic beveled and rounded edges at render time with the new Karma Rounded Edge VOP. This node is compatible with Material X.

You can now apply a displacement shader on point primitives.

A new Depth parameter on theMtlX Standard Surface VOP’s Transition section lets you render absorption and attenuation effects.

Shading quality multiplier with mipmap control.

A new kma render context for material authoring.

Updated MaterialX noise implementation.

Reorganized UI for the MtlX Standard Surface VOP shader.

MaterialX shader nodes now have uniform string inputs available. Note that the MtlX Standard Surface VOP doesn’t provide a geometry property for uniform outputs at the moment. It is still not possible to drive textures with geometry primvars. This might be subject to change in future Material X versions. As a workaround you can use USD UV Texture VOP or USD Primvar Reader VOP nodes.

The Karma Volume VOP provides new Secondary Anisotropy and Secondary Mix parameters. Mixing the node’s anisotropy parameters allows for more complex volumetric effects such as rim-lighting on clouds.

Implementation of OCIO 2.0. The open-source OCIO color management system is now fully implemented and also supports ACEScg for a linear workflow in Houdini’s Karma. The linear workflow ensures correct colors throughout the entire pipeline, including viewport, Karma, MPlay and the color picker.

A new filmic tone mapper on the Karma Render Settings LOP lets you apply common tone mappings directly to the viewport and your render. You can choose from several predefined methods like ACES, Ward or Unreal. You can find the new Tone Map parameter on the Image Output ▸ Filters tab.