Hi everyone

Whenever I go to the Render View tab to render my scene, and click on render, a Mantra node gets created automatically in the OUT network, and Houdini renders by default with Mantra. Is there a way to switch the default rendering in the Render View tab to always render with Karma?

Regards,
Antoine

Karma doesn't use Render view so its unlikely

Do I really need Mantra if I am working on Houdini 20.5? Or it's only a legacy renderer for old projects?

The render view pane isn't really necessary with karma/LOPs rendering because you can just get karma to render directly into your 3D viewport.

mtucker
The render view pane isn't really necessary with karma/LOPs rendering because you can just get karma to render directly into your 3D viewport.

Thanks for the reply. You mean through Solaris workspace? I was able to open Karma's Viewport on my other monitor; Whatever changes I make in the 3D Viewport, is directly made in the Karma Viewport on my other monitor... but I couldn't find a way to embed Karma in the default 3D Viewport; i am opting for an all-in-one realtime raytraced (karma) Viewport. Can I do that?

I suspect your "main" viewport is pointed inside a SOP or OBJ network? USD render delegates cannot be used to directly render into viewports pointed at SOP or OBJ networks, only LOP networks. If that is your workflow (mostly working in SOPs but wanting to see the final karma output) then you will need a separate karma viewport (or you can launch a clone and have access to the updating render in a render gallery pane - see https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/ref/panes/clonecontrol.html [www.sidefx.com] for information about Houdini clones).

The reason we cannot use karma to render a SOP viewport is that SOP viewport interactivity requires a whole bunch of stuff that simply cannot be rendered by arbitrary USD render delegates like karma. The SOP viewport can show points, normals, arbitrary attributes, visualizations, and allows picking and interactivity that is just not possible unless Houdini's OpenGL/Vulkan renderer is in full control of the viewport.

I see. Thanks mtucker! I will try cloning the Viewport.

Cheers

if you are using Karma ROP, it has Karma Viewport Button

tamte
if you are using Karma ROP, it has Karma Viewport Button

Yes tamte. But I was hoping there would be a way where the default Viewport showcases Karma's rendering. Like when in Maya we switch between Viewport 2.0 and Arnold in the same window.

Antoinemr

tamte
if you are using Karma ROP, it has Karma Viewport Button

Yes tamte. But I was hoping there would be a way where the default Viewport showcases Karma's rendering. Like when in Maya we switch between Viewport 2.0 and Arnold in the same window.

It does if you work in LOPs

jsmack

Antoinemr

tamte
if you are using Karma ROP, it has Karma Viewport Button

Yes tamte. But I was hoping there would be a way where the default Viewport showcases Karma's rendering. Like when in Maya we switch between Viewport 2.0 and Arnold in the same window.

It does if you work in LOPs

Thanks for the feedback jsmack. But then I have to export everything I done in the OBJ and SOP to USD, before importing in LOPnet?.. and in case I want to make changes to my Geometry, i'll have to export and import again? (or use SOP create/modify inside LOP... ?) which workflow is better and faster in Houdini 20.5?

There are a bunch of import nodes in LOPs to bring stuff directly from SOPs. Scene Import, SOP Import etc etc. You don't need to convert to USD, that is done natively on-the-fly in LOPs.