I'm using the indie version and recently encountered an issue where a colleague who uses the FX version tried sharing some of our work done.

I sent him a save file I made in Indie but when he tries to open it it says this (see image)


I can open his files but he gets this this message when he tries to open mine. We work remotely and just started to get to grips with the process of sharing work.

files made with one license type can be opened by any Houdini session, but opening a non-commercial file with a commercial version of Houdini will change that session to non-commercial.
https://www.sidefx.com/faq/houdini-indie-faq/ [www.sidefx.com]

Is the indie version non commercial? I think I'm mistaken in thinking it was limited commercial.

The Indie version is a “limited commercial” designation.

Basically 3 ‘tiers’;

“FX/Core” - commercial,

“Indie” - limited commercial

“Apprentice/Education” - non-commerical

So what your saying happened ‘makes sense’.

You can't create something on one tier and bring it up to the next tier and work with it at that level, like what you tried to do;

Same with you can't take what was created in apprentice and use at an Indie or “FX” level;

Without that file being converted, even if only in part was something created at a lower level like an asset.

I think I've even tried to copy and paste nodes (that have the same functionality in either tiers), between two hip sessions and still can't keep the same version.

However, and I doubt this is of use to you, but you can copy and paste code with no problems - at least you can from wrangles.