Introducing CDFXHouTools
I'm excited to announce the initial release of CDFXHouTools, a collection of Python scripts, shelf tools, and HDAs designed to streamline and enhance the workflow for Houdini artists.
What is CDFXHouTools?
CDFXHouTools is a suite of tools that will continue to grow, aimed at making the life of a Houdini artist easier. The tools are designed with cross-platform compatibility in mind and have been tested with Houdini 20.0 and 20.5. The collection includes everything from dynamic shader builders with automated texture managers, to simple HDAs that streamline an object’s path and name creation, all structured as a Houdini package for easy installation and maintenance.
Key Features
Uber Material Builder: Streamlines the material creation process, allowing for quick prototyping and iteration on complex shader designs.
Automated Texture Manager: Automatically finds and applies matching texture files to their appropriate PBR properties.
Support for Multiple Render Engines: Simultaneous Redshift and Karma creation, with support for both ROP and Solaris contexts.
Future Expandability: Built with core logic and configuration that are easy to expand and change.
MaterialX Nodes: Single-node MaterialX HDAs have been created to reduce the number of node descendants in Solaris.
Zip Backups: Efficiently manage and reduce the file space needed for backup files by recursively searching and zipping contents of specified folders.
OCIO Config: Extensive regex file rules define colorspaces for most PBR properties.
For a detailed list of features and HDAs, you can refer to the README file in the Github repo.
Why I'm Sharing These Tools
Over the years, I've benefited immensely from the free and open-source tools available in the community. These tools have not only made my work easier but have also inspired me to delve deeper into the technical side of Houdini and programming, which I’ve found incredibly rewarding. The challenge of solving complex problems through programming or asset creation is something that increasingly consumes my free time, and it's a direction I see myself moving towards more and more in my career.
Building these tools has been a journey of learning and growth, and I hope others in the community can benefit from them as well.