Houdini 21.0 Nodes Copernicus nodes

Stash Copernicus node

Stashes the input of the node on command and uses it as the node’s output.

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When you click Stash Input, this node cooks the input and caches it into a data parameter. The node continues to output its stored data even if you disconnect the input. Reclick Stash Input to recache when the input changes.

Tip

You can disconnect the node’s input and click Stash Input to discard the cached geometry.

The node never passes the input directly to the output, so downstream nodes don’t depend on upstream nodes. This is useful when a live connection could create a dependency cycle.

For example, use this node when you want to do the following:

See Cooking for more information about cooking in Copernicus.

Notes

  • The stashed data is saved as part of the node instance when you save the scene, which means stashing large geometry can bloat the size of the .hip file.

  • You can modify or overwrite the cached data with hou.Geometry, hou.ImageLayer, or hou.NanoVDB through scripting.

  • You can link the parameter to a parameter on a parent asset. This allows assets to inject data into a network without making the contents editable.

  • The caching process is manual, which makes it independent of time. For example, you can run a simulation process (such as a reaction diffusion), cache the final layer, disconnect the simulation, and then go back to frame 1 and use the layer in an animation.

Parameters

Signature

The layer type that the source accepts.

When Select Automatically, this updates to match the layer type of the stashed input. This layer type remains even if you disconnect the input. When Cable, this lets you stash multiple inputs at once.

See Signatures for more information.

Layer Stash

The data parameter (internal name stash) where the node stores the input data.

If there’s one input, this is the specific input type (geometry, layer, or VDB). If the input is a cable, a cable data stores all the inputs and their names.

Stash Input

Cooks the input and caches its outputs in the Layer Stash. After the node caches the data, the node outputs that cached data.

Inputs

source

The original layer to stash.

Outputs

stash

The input’s cached data, which the node stores in the Layer Stash parameter.

See also

Copernicus nodes