Houdini 20.0 What’s new What’s new in Houdini 19.5

Changes

An overview of new features and changes for experienced users.

On this page

Note

With each new version of Houdini we also introduce changes to workflows, parameters, and nodes. Sometimes, the differences are not immediately visible. The following list gives you an overview of what has changed from 19 to 19.5. Please note that the list is currently not complete and will be updated from time to time.

Removed nodes

  • Copy Stamp SOP (copy). Use Copy to Points SOP instead and for stamping, use for loops.

  • IsoSurface SOP (iso). Use Volume Wrangle SOP to define your values, and convert volume to polygonize.

  • Partition SOP (partition). Use string attributes to represent disjoint groups. If you need actual groups, use Groups from Name SOP to convert a string attribute into disjoint groups.

  • Toon Character OBJ (toon_character). This node used old character techniques and is no longer a valid example.

Renamed nodes

  • The Edit Prototype LOP was renamed to Assign Prototypes LOP. The rename was to avoid confusion with the new Edit prototypes LOP, which actually does what the name implies: the node edits prototype primitives.

Compatibility

Note

Below you see the most notable compatibility changes. For a full list with regular updates, visit the Houdini Main Changelogs page.

  • Parameters in Python mode will always be purple regardless of default mode of the node.

  • Images imported as 2D volumes will have unit-sized voxels as intended.

  • Expanding variables in VOPs or VEX-language marked parameters will not occur inside of VEX-style comments or raw strings. In particular, backslashes should work as expected.

  • Merging geometry with detail attributes will preserve the first detail attribute. Previously, strings/dictionaries/arrays did not do so, but attempted to combine.

  • Python SOP has Maintain State turned off by default. Previously it always maintained state between cooks. Clearing state ensures consistent behavior and that resources are freed.

  • Pasted surface support is entirely removed.

  • Ramp evaluation is always clamped - previously it would cycle.

  • Add SOP defaults to zero points and the points now default as enabled - this may affect old scripts that only set one of these values.

  • hou.TypeError and hou.ValueError are removed. These were (sometimes) converted to TypeError and ValueError. Now only the non-hou version is used.

  • A Blast SOP node, applied to a non-existent group will now act like one with an empty group with respect to unconnected points.

What’s new in Houdini 19.5