Houdini 20.5 Nodes Render nodes

Archive Generator render node

Generates disk-based archives which can be used by either mantra or RIB renderers.

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Archives allow Houdini to be more efficient when generating scripts for renderers since: a) Houdini can have different geometry displayed b) Houdini doesn’t have to send the geometry down to the renderer every frame.

Mantra archives are stored as geometry files (typically .bgeo files) and material archive files.

RenderMan archives will contain geometry exactly as it would appear in a RIB file generated by the RenderMan output driver. This means that sub-division surfaces, curves, points etc. will be output rather than the default geometry saved by .geo to .rib conversion.

Arguments may be passed to the script and variable expansion is done before calling the script.

Parameters

Save to Disk

Begins generation of archives.

Frame Range

Generate archives for multiple frames.

Renderer

Which renderer the archives are intended for.

Camera

When generating RIB archives, motion blur can be “baked” into the archive. The motion blur parameters are picked up from the camera.

Visible Objects

List of objects which should be included in the archive. When generating mantra archives, all objects are merged into a single .bgeo file. Care must be taken with regards to differing attributes in different geometries.

Unload SOPs

Unload SOP geometry after used by the render.

Transform Object

This field specifies the “origin” or “frame of reference” that all objects in the archive will be relative to. If the field is left blank, objects will be output relative to the world origin.

Use Display SOP

Use the display SOP instead of the Render SOP.

Initialize Simulation OPs

Forces all simulation OPs to be reset. This includes DOP Networks, POP SOPs, and other OPs that cache their results.

Binary Script

Outputs binary files where possible.

Script File

Filename of the archive to create.

Motion Blur

Specifies whether motion blur is allowed. If set to set to disallow, motion blur is globally turned off regardless of individual object settings. The Explicit option is only implemented for RIB files. This option causes motion blur output in the RIB to be independently determined by the motion blur settings of the rendering camera/light and individual geometry objects.

Motion Blur Type

The default motion blur type for rendering. This can be overridden by an individual object. Currently, this is only implemented for RIB files, since mantra will blur between multiple geometry files with deformation blur (or use the velocity attribute stored in the geometry file if required).

Mantra SHOP References

Hardening SHOP references will cause the shader strings associated with the SHOP to be evaluated and stored in the archive. If the SHOP references variables like $OBJ, this may be required.

NOTE: Point attribute indirect references are handled differently and are not considered when de-referencing indirect SHOPs.

RIB Version

Output RIB for the target version of RIB.

RIB Allow Nested Archives

If an object chosen is set to render using an archive, nesting archives will output the referenced archive into the created archive. If this option is turned off, then the geometry for the object will be output instead.

RIB RiCurve Basis

Curve bases used for generating open polygons.

Pre-Render Script

Execute this script before any rendering.

Pre-Frame Script

Execute this script before each frame.

Post-Frame Script

Execute this script after each frame.

Post-Render Script

Execute this script after all rendering.

Locals

N

The current frame of the range specified. This always starts at 1.

NRENDER

Total number of frames being rendered.

See also

Render nodes

  • Agent

    This output operator is used to write agent definition files.

  • Alembic

    Exports the scene to an Alembic archive. Alembic is a common exchange format for moving geometry and animation between different 3D software packages.

  • Archive Generator

    Generates disk-based archives which can be used by either mantra or RIB renderers.

  • Bake Animation

    Bakes animation from object transforms and CHOP overrides.

  • Bake Texture

    Generates a texture map from one or more objects' rendered appearance.

  • Batch

    Renders the input ROP in a single batch job.

  • Channel

    The Channel output operator generates clip files from a particular CHOP.

  • Composite

    Renders images from a compositing network.

  • DSM Merge

    Merges two or more deep shadow/camera map files.

  • Dem Bones Skinning Converter

    Converts any non-changing topology deforming mesh sequence into a bone-based animation.

  • Dynamics

    Saves the state of a DOP network simulation into files.

  • Fetch

    Makes a dependency link to a ROP in a different network.

  • Filmbox FBX

    Exports entire scenes to FBX files.

  • Filmbox FBX Animation

    Export animation from geometry-based skeleton to an FBX file.

  • Filmbox FBX Character

    Export a skinned character with geometry-based skeleton to an FBX file.

  • Flipbook

    Render an image using the hardware-accelerated 3D viewport renderer.

  • Frame Container

    Prevents frame dependency changes in the contained nodes from affecting its inputs.

  • Frame Depedency

    Allows an output frame to depend on one or more input frames.

  • GLTF Character

  • Geometry

    Generates geometry files from a SOP or DOP network.

  • Geometry Raw

    Generates raw binary files from a SOP or DOP network.

  • HQueue Render

    HQueue, or Houdini Queue, is a distributed job scheduling system.

  • HQueue Simulation

    HQueue, or Houdini Queue, is a distributed job scheduling system.

  • Hair Card Texture

    Renders hair textures for use on hair cards.

  • Image

    Writes the output of a COP network to disk.

  • Karma

    Renders non-USD scenes using Houdini’s Karma renderer.

  • Labs 3D Facebook Image

    Quickly render a 3D scene to a 2.5D image that can be uploaded to Facebook.

  • Labs Flipbook Textures

    Renders, composites, and exports flipbook textures.

  • Labs JSON Exporter

    Export geometry attibutes to a JSON file.

  • Labs Marmoset Export

    The Marmoset Export ROP allows you to quickly generate an mview inside Houdini

  • Labs Niagara ROP

    Export point caches to be used with Unreal’s Niagara particle system.

  • Labs Sketchfab

    Uploads geometry to Sketchfab

  • Labs Vertex Animation Textures

    Exports a mesh and a set of textures to be used with a shader for complex real-time effects, such as: soft-body deformation, rigid-body dynamics, dynamically remeshed geometries, and particle sprites.

  • Labs ZibraVDB Compress (Alpha)

    Compresses an OpenVDB sequence and caches it to disk as a single file.

  • MDD Point Cache

    This output operator is used to write an MDD animation file.

  • Mantra

    Renders the scene using Houdini’s standard mantra renderer and generates IFD files.

  • Mantra Archive

    Generates disk-based archives which can be used by mantra.

  • Merge

    Merges several render dependencies into one.

  • Net Barrier

    Blocks the ROP network until synchronization occurs.

  • Null

    Does nothing.

  • OpenGL

    Render an image using the hardware-accelerated 3D viewport renderer.

  • Pre Post

    Renders ROPs before and after a main job.

  • Shell

    Runs an external command.

  • Subnetwork

    The SubNetwork output operator provides an easy way to manage large number of output operators.

  • Switch

    Renders one of several inputs.

  • Tractor

    Tractor is a program shipped out with Pixar’s distribution of RenderMan.

  • USD

    Renders a LOP network out to one or more USD files. This node is available as render node or as a LOP.

  • USD Render

    Renders an output image from the stage generated by a LOP network.

  • USD Stitch

    Merges USD files representing individual frames by composing them.

  • USD Stitch Clips

    Merges multiple value clips representing individual frames.

  • USD Zip

    Assembles USDZ archive files from existing USD files.

  • Wedge

    Re-renders the same ROP multiple times with different settings

  • Wren

    This output operator is used to drive the Wren rendering program.

  • glTF