Network channel node
Similar to the Pipe In/Out CHOPs in Network mode.
This CHOP is similar to the Pipe In/Out CHOPs in Network mode. It provides a fast, asynchronous connection between two remote Houdini processes. The CHOP operates in either Transmit or Receive mode.
A connection is establish between a client Network CHOP and a server Network CHOP. By default, the Transmitting Network CHOP is the server; however, if the parameter “Default Client/Server Setup” is off, the Receiving Network CHOP becomes the server. Both the Transmitting and Receiving CHOPs must choose the same client/server setup. This option is mainly for interfacing with external applications; if you are transmitting from Houdini to Houdini, you do not need to change this parameter.
The server Network CHOP (normally the Transmitter) selects a port number between 5000 and 10000. The client Network CHOP (the receiver) then connects to the server by setting the address to the server hostname, and the port to the same port as the server Network CHOP.
The Transmitting Network CHOP requires an input to transmit. Transmission occurs whenever the input changes, or if in Current Frame or Time Slice mode, whenever the playbar moves. The Network CHOP can choose a Data Link mode to send the current frame only (for low bandwidth situations), the current time slice (for realtime applications) or the full channel. Both the Transmitting and Receiving CHOPs should use the same “Data Link” mode.
The Receiving Network CHOP receives all of the data from the Transmitter. However, if the CHOP is not actively reading the data (by cooking) it will pile up in the buffer. By default, the maximum buffer size is 1000 samples per channel (the limit can be disabled).
Parameters
Direction | Transmit or Receive data. When transmitting, an input is required. | ||||||
Default Client/Server Setup | When on, the Transmitting CHOP is the server; when off, it is the client (see above). | ||||||
Address | The address of the remote server. | ||||||
Port | The port to use (between 5000 and 10000). You can have multiple parallel connections as long as the port numbers are distinct. A transmitter/receiver pair must use the same port. | ||||||
Data Link | The portion of data to send over the link.
| ||||||
Endian | Transmit either Little Endian format data (Intel) or Big Endian (MIPs, PowerPC). | ||||||
Active | Data is only transmitted or received when this toggle is on. | ||||||
Send Channel Names | Sends the channel names as well as the data if on. | ||||||
Receive Most Recent Data | Uses the most recently sent data. If the buffer contains 10 samples and 4 are required, the most recent 4 are used and the previous 6 are lost. | ||||||
Limit Input Buffer Size | Places a limitation on the size of the receive buffer (defined by the next parameter). | ||||||
Buffer Size | The maximum number of samples that the receive buffer can hold (per channel). |