Hi, Having searched one hour, and found several advises on this, I am still in the wilderness.
When Houdini starts up, and I want to save a project, import some data, or search for something, Houdini defaults to c:\users\my_user_name
I want to change this to Q:\Houdini\HIP
This also applies to a couple of other default locations, but let us start with the $HIP.
Can anyone tell me? I tried, among other things, Edit\Aliases and variables, did not work, I edited the houdini.env file, but this also did not work, maybe I haven't used the correct syntax.
Whatever I do, Houdini is stubborn and defaults to c:\users\my_user_name

This task is normally carried out in about 20 seconds in other applications..
-Ingvar

$HIP is where ever your hip file is located / saved to

This task is normally carried out in about 20 seconds in other applications..

This task is handled automatically in Houdini

You need to be using the $JOB variable to set custom paths.The beginner tutorial covers this https://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2952&Itemid=403 [sidefx.com]

Hi, and thanks, let me rephrase my question! I am a total Houdini beginner, and have mixed up $HIP and the default directory, sorry.
Here is my question, corrected for my beginner's errors:

How and where can I set the default directory for Houdini?
As is is now, when importing a file, opening a file, saving a file, Houdini defaults to c:\users\my_user_name
I want it to default to q:\houdini

Any help appreciated!
-Ingvar

You can simply save your desired location as a favorite using the “+” sign down-left on the Open dialog box.

Alternatively you can edit the $HOME variable (which on Windows is not usually set). Be aware that the local Houdini config folder will be stored in the $HOME folder.

Also setting that variable affects other “unix-like” software that's looking for it.

Thanks digitallysane!
This was a sane reply. I am surprised that Houdini is using such a generic term like HOME, I would have expected it to use a more proprietary value, like HOUDINIHOME or the like. you are right, the value HOME is not set on my computer.
And the + sign functions well, I will use that one.
Case closed, thanks!

-Ingvar

ingvarius
Thanks digitallysane!
This was a sane reply. I am surprised that Houdini is using such a generic term like HOME, I would have expected it to use a more proprietary value, like HOUDINIHOME or the like. you are right, the value HOME is not set on my computer.
And the + sign functions well, I will use that one.
Case closed, thanks!

-Ingvar

Defaulting to $HOME is pretty standard on Unix.
There is a HOUDINIHOME, $HH. You can also do a lot with paths and defaults, to suit your environment (but it's also easy to just f**k things up).
Check here, including usage of hconfig which will help:
http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini15.0/basics/config_env [sidefx.com]

Yes I tried to edit this houdini.env file earlier. And it works great for setting the GPU to be used for OCL. But for the paths, I did not get it to work.

Regarding paths - people may have different ways of working. On my side,I am dependent on having a treeview at hand, all the time. Luckily Houdini has that. And I do not understand the purpose of a generic HOME, because I have a pletoria of multi media applications, and I do not want them to be in the same “home”, all of them.
Well, I am a Windows user then.

I will look into the HH variable later, if needed, thanks for this one.
-Ingvar

ingvarius
And I do not understand the purpose of a generic HOME, because I have a pletoria of multi media applications, and I do not want them to be in the same “home”, all of them.
Well, I am a Windows user then.

I'm (mostly) a Windows user myself, and IMO Windows is not different to Unix in this regard.
Instead of HOME you have Documents (previously Documents and Settings), which is the user's home and a lot of apps default there.

But I never use Documents, myself. Applications may or may not use Documents, but I myself never do. I am a PC user since 1994. And I have, since I installed Windows the first time, always partitioned my harddisk. Later, when it all got more advanced, I got several physical drives. I build all my computers myself, and always have several physical drives. some SSD, som spinning drives. And all set up in RAID 0, for speed purposes.
One drive is for the OS and for installed applications, only. I never store work on the same harddisk as the OS. My projects are always on a another physical drive.
And it is also organised into projects, but in the case of Houdini, Cinema 4D and all other applications, I have a dedicated Houdini location, a dedicated Cinema 4D location, where I store experiments. And for Houdini, it is all about experimenting right now
-Ingvar

Well, I'm sure you know that you can move Documents anywhere you want.
Anyway, you can customize your paths as much as you want with Houdini, just need to dig a bit.

I hate Documents and My Photos, My Videos, My Foo and My Bar
I dislike getting orders, I want to decide myself!
Sp changing the location of Documents will only move my dislike to another place. I am a programmer, multimedia is just a (very expensive) hobby at the moment. So having zillion applications, storing all I do under Documents just makes no sense.
-Ingvar

I really dont see where your problem is cause you can just save the hip anywhere you want. Or setup the $JOB for each project. Also you can edit your houdini.env and add your custom locations. But in general you just use $JOB or $HIP. You can save your stuff anywhere you want. No need to use the documents location.

Just save the houdini scene somewhere and $HIP will be updated to that folder where the hip file relies.

So:
$HIP is the current location where your hip file is. If you create a new document that is not saved yet it will default to home.

$JOB is the location of your current project.

If you want to setup your own $MYCUSTOM for example:
$TEXTURES
$MYHOUDINIROOT

you can do that in the houdini.env file by adding:
TEXTURES=/media/myMountedDisk1/textures
MYHOUDINIROOT=/media/myMountedDisk2/houdiniRoot

(take note that these are unix paths and on windows you have to write the path different -> http://archive.sidefx.com/docs/houdini15.5/basics/config_env [archive.sidefx.com] )

You can then access it in by: $TEXTURES/metal_diffuse/texture01_d.tga for example which will be /media/myMountedDisk1/textures/metal_diffuse/texture01_d.tga

Doudini
I really dont see where your problem is cause you can just save the hip anywhere you want. Or setup the $JOB for each project. Also you can edit your houdini.env and add your custom locations. But in general you just use $JOB or $HIP. You can save your stuff anywhere you want. No need to use the documents location.

Just save the houdini scene somewhere and $HIP will be updated to that folder where the hip file relies.

So:
$HIP is the current location where your hip file is. If you create a new document that is not saved yet it will default to home.

$JOB is the location of your current project.

If you want to setup your own $MYCUSTOM for example:
$TEXTURES
$MYHOUDINIROOT

you can do that in the houdini.env file by adding:
TEXTURES=/media/myMountedDisk1/textures
MYHOUDINIROOT=/media/myMountedDisk2/houdiniRoot

(take note that these are unix paths and on windows you have to write the path different -> http://archive.sidefx.com/docs/houdini15.5/basics/config_env [archive.sidefx.com] )

You can then access it in by: $TEXTURES/metal_diffuse/texture01_d.tga for example which will be /media/myMountedDisk1/textures/metal_diffuse/texture01_d.tga

sorry for reviving this thread but I am struggling with this too.
There is a difference between being able to save anywhere and have houdini update the paths upon saving and having default directories like where I want a new project to be created.
I don't want to change my Home dir but I want all my Project data on my NAS. So I need, whenever I create a new project, my default directory to be “NAS/Houdini”. I can't find the according variable for default the “new project” location. Can anyone point me to it?

I have the same problem. I moved my Documents folder to a different drive, so now $HIP points to my User Folder instead. All other programs have a setting to determine the default location for projects. I don't see why we can't have that in Houdini.

I found a solution: Just go to the Houdini shortcut (or make one if you don't have one), go to Properties and then but your projects directory under “Start in”. Then it will automatically use that as the default location where to put new files and from where you can open your previous files.

Tyranteon
I found a solution: Just go to the Houdini shortcut (or make one if you don't have one), go to Properties and then but your projects directory under “Start in”. Then it will automatically use that as the default location where to put new files and from where you can open your previous files.

Works for me too.



Also changed the shortcut launch dir on the Start screen.

Cheers.

Hi,

Sorry for replying to this old post.

I too wanna have default HIP location based on my project.

We launch houdini with a batch files by copying the houdini.env from the project specific path, so it has required paths in it.

I could able to set the JOB variable in .env file and its reflecting in the Alias and Variables. But setting HIP or HOME as suggested in this thread also has no effect.

Changing the "Start in" in shortcut will not work as same artist will be working on different projects on same system.

Can anyone suggest an approach.

Changing HIP to my unique folder is an absolute nightmare horror show. I'm now couple hours in down the rabbit hole chasing ghosts. Apparently Houdini developers wanted to absolutely avoid anyone changing the $HIP variable.
We have 3ds Max: in 10 seconds you set your user project folder easily, then Max saves your work into that folder.
Not Houdini.

So thanks to Tyranteon - its insane that we are forced to this solution - I had to edit a laughable windows shortcut Start In parameter. (Facepalm)
But it works! Now if I open Houdini and place a torus then press F6 - same as my 3ds Max shortcut for Save File As, now Houdini immediately displays my c:\renderings folder and all the scene files there and I can save my new work into that folder, every time! I don't need to even CLICK that c:\renderings shortcut that was advised here on the forum and I did that.

QoL: original question was that other 3D software do this in couple seconds. Now I can stop chasing ghosts for hours how to set the default Houdini scene directory.

Shaking head & Facepalm™©℗®

baszermaszer
Changing HIP to my unique folder is an absolute nightmare horror show. I'm now couple hours in down the rabbit hole chasing ghosts. Apparently Houdini developers wanted to absolutely avoid anyone changing the $HIP variable.
We have 3ds Max: in 10 seconds you set your user project folder easily, then Max saves your work into that folder.
Not Houdini.

You didn't read the second post from the top 'circusmonkey'.

You 'don't' want to change $HIP - It is automatic to whereever you save your .hip.

It allows you to have a flexible $HIP location for each .hip file you create.

What 'you' really want is to change $JOB, which can be done very quickly, just like other 3D software:

https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/basics/project.html [www.sidefx.com]