RenderMan won't work...aargh!

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While environments are slightly different for the existing systems, patience is required.

For Windows 10, Houdini 15.5 (I use indie), and Renderman 20.9:

Make sure Houdini is closed.

Using a text editor of your choice: I use Notepad++:

Open: C:\Users\(name)\Documents\(Houdini directory)\houdini.env

Where:
(name) = Windows Login Name (Check your User directory)
(Houdini directory) = Folder where Houdini preferences are saved, (Check your User\Documents directory)

Example:
C:\Users\Rob\Documents\Houdini15.5\houdini.env

Add the following lines (note the direction of the slashes)


RMANTREE="(Drive)/Program Files/Pixar/RenderManProServer-(Version Number)
PATH=”$PATH;$RMANTREE/bin"
HOUDINI_DEFAULT_RIB_RENDERER=prman(Version Number)


Where:
(drive) = C:
(Version Number) = installed Version, in my case 20.9

EXAMPLE:
For those who may copy these, lines there is an extra space between C: and / for display purposes to prevent in the first line - REMOVE THE SPACE

RMANTREE=“C: /Program Files/Pixar/RenderManProServer-20.9”
PATH=“$PATH;$RMANTREE/bin”
HOUDINI_DEFAULT_RIB_RENDERER=prman20.9

Save the file.
Close the text editor.
Restart Houdini (or in my case Hindie.exe)

I was able to run the test file provided by tinyhawkus and the new renderman tutorial from Pluralsight.

THESE ARE NOT ALL THE STEPS REQUIRED. REFER TO HOUDINI HELP FILE FOR 15.5:
You will need OUT: Renderman RIS & SHOP Network, SHOP: Renderman Material Shop. Addtitional: Pixar materials, Pixar Lights.
Edited by Rob Dahl23 - May 24, 2016 16:22:03

Attachments:
TestRender1.jpg (71.5 KB)

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I rage-quit on this a few nights ago (Mac OS X, Houdini Indie 15.5, RenderMan 20.9 Non-Commercial), but Rob Dahl23's guide for Win 10 above helped resolved it for me.

For Mac OS X, the houdini.env file is located in:

~/Library/Preferences/houdini/15.5/houdini.env

Open this in your favourite text editor, and add these lines to it:

RMANTREE=“/Applications/Pixar/RenderManProServer-20.9”
PATH=“$PATH;RMANTREE/bin”
HOUDINI_DEFAULT_RIB_RENDERER=prman20.9
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So everybody clear on this now?


The scene I built has all the shaders & integrators, with sticky notes
explaining everything. so for anyone having a bit of trouble, download it
and have a poke around.



I'm not lying, I'm writing fiction with my mouth.
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Hi tinyhawkus, your dropbox link has expired. Can you share it again?
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Added the appropriate lines to houdini.env file, it's coming up as a variable, still the RIS node is tripping an error because it can't find prman…

Here's the screenshot of my predicament…what can I do to fix it?

Thanks for any help!

Attachments:
Screen Shot 2016-05-31 at 6.48.46 PM.png (1.4 MB)

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What is the result when you run “echo $HOUDINI_DEFAULT_RIB_RENDERER” in the textport?
On osx the result should be “prman”

-b
http://www.racecar.no [www.racecar.no]
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It reads:

prman20.9

Which is what I have in the houdini.env file. I've tried just prman, and prman20.0. The textport echoes each one as I wrote it, but still gives a 127 error code.
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Hard to say what's wrong with your setup but make sure that what is entered in your houdini.env file is actual paths that exists on your harddrive. I just installed 20.9 on OSX and this is what i have in my houdini.env file.
RMANTREE="/Applications/Pixar/RenderManProServer-20.9"
PATH=$RMANTREE/bin:$PATH
HOUDINI_DEFAULT_RIB_RENDERER=prman

-b
Edited by bonsak - June 1, 2016 12:27:57
http://www.racecar.no [www.racecar.no]
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Success! Thank you kindly for your help, bonsak! It was the PATH line that was incorrect in my env file.

Attachments:
Screen Shot 2016-06-01 at 6.36.51 PM.png (314.1 KB)

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Here you go Dude.

houdiniRenderman [dropbox.com]
I'm not lying, I'm writing fiction with my mouth.
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Sweet. Thanks, tinyhawkus.
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Still not working here….
Can you please reupload your scene file so i can check ?!
I'm using Houdini 15.5 indie vesion…
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tinyhawkus
Dudes,

It works fine.

Add these lines to your houdini.env file.

RMANTREE=“cProgram Files/Pixar/RenderManProServer-20.9”
PATH=$PATH;$RMANTREE/bin
HOUDINI_DEFAULT_RIB_RENDERER=prman20.9

And make sure you have renderman ticked in the render prefs.

Here's a link to the scene, with everything required to render
rendermanHoudini [dropbox.com]




Hey Man

could you please share that scene again, the dropbox link expired

thank you
varomix - Founder | Educator @ Mix Training
Technical Artist @ Meta Reality Labs
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I can not do the rendering on Windows 7 x64 with Renderman RIS21.1 and 15.5 Houdini! it appears in the render window “Generating scene” and it does nothing
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I can not do the rendering on Windows 7 x64 with Renderman RIS21.1 and 15.5 Houdini! it appears in the render window “Generating scene” and it does nothing

are there any errors on the RIS node?

middle click on it if it's red, make a screenshot if possible
varomix - Founder | Educator @ Mix Training
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This thread really helped me set up Renderman 20.11 for ubuntu! Thank you so much everyone! and tinyhawkus, the link that you shared is expired! would you please share it again?? Thank you!
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Anything that comes out from Pixar or Disney is convoluted as hell…just look at xgen.

Arnold took 15sec to install, hows that for comparison?
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syn2
Anything that comes out from Pixar or Disney is convoluted as hell…just look at xgen.

Arnold took 15sec to install, hows that for comparison?

Pixar were asking on their Renderman forums for feedback to make their product more user friendly, if you're keen, but you have to get through the convulted forum log-in to get there
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For Houdini 19.0 and above. For anyone who will encounter similar issues.

1. Make sure RenderMan for Houdini is Python 3 version.
2. Use installation via packages (json file). RenderMan has provided a json file at: "C:\Program Files\Pixar\RenderManForHoudini-25.2\packages\renderman_for_houdini.json"
3. Copy-paste this file to: "C:\Users\Dmitriy\Documents\houdini19.5\packages" (houdini<your_version_of_houdini>).
4. Delete everything related to Renderman from houdini.env (if written before) as json file will do the same and if both are used together, it may cause conflicts. Related post: https://www.sidefx.com/forum/topic/71405/?page=1#post-302661 [www.sidefx.com]

Find "Package installation": https://rmanwiki.pixar.com/display/RFH25/Installation+of+RenderMan+for+Houdini [rmanwiki.pixar.com]

For Houdini 19.0 and beyond, RenderMan for Houdini can be installed with a packages file, found in the RfH installation directory.
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