Num Sessions

The number of threaded sessions for sending/receiving data.

Session Type

Selects the session type from the options the following options:

• TCP Sockets

• Named pipe or domain socket

• None - Select this option to create a Houdini Engine sessions without a license

• Shared Memory Buffer

Server Host

For TCP Sockets session types. Enter the IP address or host name

Server Port

For TCP Sockets session types. Enter the server port

Server Pipe Name

For Named pipe or domain socket and Shared Memory Buffer session types. Enter the name to be used server pipe / memory buffer

Shared Memory Buffer Size

For Shared Memory Buffer session types. The size in MB reserved for the Shared Memory Buffer. Increasing this value improves performance when sending large amount of data.

Shared Memory Buffer Cyclic

For Shared Memory Buffer session types. When on, the Shared Memory Buffer will be created as a ring buffer, allowing for transfering data larger than the memory buffer’s size.

Start Automatic Server

When on, the server automatically starts Houdini Engine when you open a session

Automatic Server Timeout

Enter the value in milliseconds before the server connection times out

Show Multi Asset Dialog

When on, a dialog appears to select an asset when instantiating an HDA with multiple assets

When off, the first asset is instantiated

Prefer HDA Memory Copy Over HDA Source File

When on, the memory copy of an HDA is instantiated over the latest version of the .HDA file. You need to reimport the HDA .UAsset to get the latest changes from the source .HDA

When off, the source .HDA file is instantiated when available. This fallbacks to the memory copy if the source file cannot be found

Pause Cooking on Start

When on, cooking Houdini assets is paused when starting Unreal

Display Slate Cooking Notifications

When on, disables the cooking and instantiating notifications

Default Temporary Cook Folder

Set the default path for the temporary folder when cooking assets

Default Bake Folder

Set the default path for the temporary folder when baking assets

Enable Deprecated Instance Variations

When on, restores the deprecated instance variation UI in the HDA’s output UI. This is for backward compatibility only and will be removed in future version of the plugin.

Landscape - Use default Unreal scaling

When on, landscapes use the default Unreal scaling

This causes loss in some precision on the Z-axis but uses the same transforms as Unreal’s landscapes

Landscape - Use full resolution for data conversion

When on, landscapes uses the full range of values available when you convert heightfield data to landscapes

This results in greater precision but prevents landscapes being sculpted higher or lower than the min/max value

Landscape - Force Min/Max values for data conversion

When on, forces the min/max values when you convert the heightfield to landscape. You set the the min and max values in the next settings

This can be useful if you use multiple HDAs that generates landscapes and want similar values

Landscape - Forced min Value

Sets the minimum value for landscape conversion. Force Min/Max values for data conversion must be on

Landscape - Forced max Value

Sets the maximum value for landscape conversion. Force Min/Max values for data conversion must be on

Curves - Add rot & scale attributes on curve inputs

When on, your HDA’s input have additional rot and scale attributes set per curve point

Curves - Use Legacy Input Curve

When on, creates curve 1.0 nodes for its inputs instead of manually creaing the curve geometry using HAPI

Curves - Default Spline Resolution (cm)

Set the spline sample length in cenntimeters when converting Unreal Spline Components to Houdini Curves. Set to 0 to only send the control points

Enable Proxy Static Mesh

When on, creates a Houdini proxy mesh before a static mesh

Proxy meshes generates faster than static meshes and allows for faster iterations

Show Default Mesh

When on, a default mesh is spawned when an instancer or mesh socket fails to find its assigned mesh

Prefer Nanite Fallback Mesh

When on, selects the Nanite fallback mesh when a Nanite asset is used in the Houdinin input

Use Full Precision UVs

When on, UV coordinates are stored at full floatimg point precision

Source Lightmap Index

Set the source UV set index for generated lightmaps

Destination Lightmap Index

Set the destination UV set index for generated lightmaps

Min Lightmap Resolution

Set the minimum lightmap resolution for generated lightmaps

Remove Degenerates

When on, removes degenerate triangles on statich meshes

Generate Lightmap UVs

Set the option to generate Lightmap UVs when you import an HDA.

Always - Always generate Lightmap UVs

Only if missing - Only generate Lightmap UVs if they're missing in the Houdini asset’s output

Never - Never generate Lightmap UVs

Recompute Normals

Set the option to recompute normals when you import an HDA.

Always - Always recompute normals

Only if missing - Only recompute normals if they're missing in the Houdini asset’s output

Never - Never recompute normals

Recompute Tangents

Set the option to recompute tangents when you import an HDA

Always - Always recompute tangents

Only if missing - Only recompute tangents if they're missing in the Houdini asset’s output

Never - Never recompute tangents

Generate Using MikkT Space

When on, tangents and normals are recomputed using MikkT Space. This required properly laid out UVs

See the Mikkt Space documentation for more information

Build Adjacency Buffer

This is required for PNT tessellation. It can be slow and recommended to turn off for larger meshes

Compute Weighted Normals

When on, uses the surface area and corner angle of the triangles as a ratio to compute the normals

Build Reversed Index Buffer

This is required to optimize mesh in mirrored transform. Doubles the index buffer size

Use High Precision Tangent Basis

When on, tangents are stored at 16 bit instead of 8 bit

Distance Field Resolution Scale

Set the scale of the mesh when you allocate the distance field volume texture. The default scale is 1 when the mesh is placed unscaled in the world

Two-Sided Distance Field Generation

When on, generates the distance field and treats every triangle as front facing. This prevents discarding the distance field but also lowers the Distance Field AO quality

Enable Physical Material Mask

When on, enables the physical material mask

Async Importer Enabled

When on, enables PDG Asset link to use the asynchronous importer by default when you import work item into Unreal

Use custom Houdini location

When on, enables you to set a custom location for Houdini’s location

Custom Houdini location

Sets the path for the Houdini location. This must point to the directory of the HAPI library.

The default path is \Side Effects Software\Houdini X.Y.Z\bin

Houdini Executable

Set your Houdini license type

Custom Houdini Home location

Set your custom Houdini installation path.

Houdini Tools Search Path

A list of paths in the Unreal project where HoudiniTools panel will search for HoudiniToolsPackage assets. See Package Search Paths for more detailed information.

Cooking Thread Stack Size

Sets the stack size of the cooking thread. The value is in bytes

For Houdini’s default, set the stack size to -1

Houdini Environment Files

Set environment variables when you run Houdini Engine. These are added after the default in the houdini.env file and overwrites the process' environment variable values.

For windows, separate environment variables using ;

For Linux and Mac, separate environment variables using :

See Environment Variables for more information.

OTL Search Path

Enter the directory for your OTLs. You can use NULL to use the default Houdini OTL search paths.

For windows, separate multiple paths using ;

For Linux and Mac, separate multiple paths using :

DSO Search Path

Enter the directory for your generic DSOs (custom plugins). You can use NULL to use the default Houdini DSO search paths.

For windows, separate multiple paths using ;

For Linux and Mac, separate multiple paths using :

Image DSO Search Path

Enter the directory for your image DSOs (custom plugins). You can use NULL to use the default Houdini DSO search paths.

For windows, separate multiple paths using ;

For Linux and Mac, separate multiple paths using :

Audio DSO Search Path

Enter the directory for your audio DSOs (custom plugins). You can use NULL to use the default Houdini DSO search paths.

For windows, separate multiple paths using ;

For Linux and Mac, separate multiple paths using :

Built against Houdini

Shows the Houdini version the plugin is attempting to connect with

Built against Houdini Engine

Shows the version of Houdini Engine the plugin is attempting to connect with

Running against Houdini

Shows the version of Houdini the plugin has found

Running against Houdini Engine

Shows the version of Houdini Engine the plugin has found

Location of libHAPIL.dll

Shows the current path of the HAPI library

Acquired License Type

Shows the current license acquired by the plugin. The plugin only acquires a license when instantiating or modifying an HDA.

An Unknown license type indicates a Houdini Engine session hasn’t been started yet.