Houdini 21.0 Nodes Object nodes

Labs Render Geometry 1.0 object node

Renders cached or merged geometry with controlled loading, display, and render settings.

This node acts as a bridge between SOP-level geometry generation and OBJ-level rendering. It can either reference geometry directly from SOP networks or load geometry from disk using a structured cache layout.

It is designed to simplify the process of loading, previewing, and rendering geometry—especially cached assets—while exposing common render, shading, and instancing controls at the OBJ level.

The node also centralizes render-related settings such as visibility, motion blur, shading masks, and instancing behavior, making it suitable for look-development, layout, and final rendering workflows.

Parameters

Cache

Source

Source Type

Defines how geometry is sourced.

File Cache: Loads geometry from disk.

Sop Merge: Pulls geometry directly from a SOP network.

Reload Geometry

Reloads geometry from the source.

SOP Path

Path to the SOP used when sourcing geometry.

SOP Path

Path to the SOP used when sourcing geometry.

Display As

Viewport display mode used for the geometry.

Load from File

Read As: Specifies how geometry files are loaded.

Frame Offset

Offset applied to frame evaluation when loading geometry.

Inherit Frame Range

Uses the frame range defined by the source cache.

Frame Range

Custom frame range used when inheritance is disabled.

Clamp First Frame

Clamps evaluation to the first or last available frame.

Clamp First Frame

Clamps evaluation to the first or last available frame.

Clamp Last Frame

Clamps evaluation to the first or last available frame.

Clamp Last Frame

Clamps evaluation to the first or last available frame.

Merge Frames

Merges multiple frames into a single geometry.

Frames to Merge

Specifies which frames are merged.

Merge Wedges

Merges geometry across wedges.

Wedges to Merge

Defines which wedges are merged.

Render

Material

Material

Material assigned to the geometry.

Geometry

Render Visibility

Controls visibility during rendering.

Geo Time Samples

Number of time samples used for motion blur.

Geometry Velocity Blur

Controls velocity-based motion blur.

Acceleration Attribute

Attribute used for acceleration-based blur.

Render As Points

Renders geometry as points.

Render Points As

Point rendering mode.

Point Scale

Scale applied to rendered points.

Backface Removal

Removes back-facing primitives at render time.

Use N For Point Rendering

Uses normals when rendering points.

Volume

Volume Filter

Filter used for volume rendering.

Volume Filter Width

Width of the volume filter.

Volume Velocity Names

Velocity attributes used for volume motion blur.

Shading

Categories

Render category tags.

Reflection Mask

Controls ray visibility for reflections.

Refraction Mask

Controls ray visibility for refractions.

Light Mask

Light inclusion mask.

Light Selection

Light category selection.

LPE Tag

Light Path Expression tag.

Matte shading

Enables matte shading.

Raytrace Shading

Enables raytraced shading.

Instance

Instance

Instance Mode

Defines instancing behavior.

Match Attribute

Attribute used to match instances.

Rest Geometry File

File used as rest geometry for instancing.

Advanced

Node Generation

Top Mantra In

Path to the TOP Mantra In node used for generation.

Linked Parameters

General

Source Node

Source node used to construct file paths.

File Method

Method used to construct file paths.

Time Dependent Cache

Marks the cache as time-dependent.

Base Name

Base name used for cache files.

File Type

Geometry file format.

Base Directory

Root directory for cache files.

Geometry File

Explicit geometry file path.

Enable Version

Enables and specifies versioning.

Wedging

Enable Wedging

Enables wedge-based variations.

Wedge Count

Number of wedges.

Frame Range

Start/End/Inc

Frame range used for caching or loading.

Substeps

Substeps used for evaluation.

Path Construction

Frame

Frame token configuration.

Frame String

Frame token configuration.

Version String

Version tokens.

Wedge String

Wedge tokens.

Cache Folder

Cache directory.

Cache Name

Cache base name.

Descriptive Label

User-facing descriptive label.

Output File

Final geometry output path.

Object nodes

  • Agent Cam

    Create and attach camera to a crowd agent.

  • Alembic Archive

    Loads the objects from an Alembic scene archive (.abc) file into the object level.

  • Alembic Xform

    Loads only the transform from an object or objects in an Alembic scene archive (.abc).

  • Ambient Light

    Adds a constant level of light to every surface in the scene (or in the light’s mask), coming from no specific direction.

  • Auto Bone Chain Interface

    The Auto Bone Chain Interface is created by the IK from Objects and IK from Bones tools on the Rigging shelf.

  • Blend

    Switches or blends between the transformations of several input objects.

  • Blend Sticky

    Computes its transform by blending between the transforms of two or more sticky objects, allowing you to blend a position across a polygonal surface.

  • Bone

    The Bone Object is used to create hierarchies of limb-like objects that form part of a hierarchy …

  • Camera

    You can view your scene through a camera, and render from its point of view.

  • Common object parameters

  • Dop Network

    The DOP Network Object contains a dynamic simulation.

  • Environment Light

    Environment Lights provide background illumination from outside the scene.

  • Extract Transform

    The Extract Transform Object gets its transform by comparing the points of two pieces of geometry.

  • Fetch

    The Fetch Object gets its transform by copying the transform of another object.

  • Formation Crowd Example

    Crowd example showing a changing formation setup

  • Fuzzy Logic Obstacle Avoidance Example

  • Fuzzy Logic State Transition Example

  • Geometry

    Container for the geometry operators (SOPs) that define a modeled object.

  • Groom Merge

    Merges groom data from multiple objects into one.

  • Guide Deform

    Moves the curves of a groom with animated skin.

  • Guide Groom

    Generates guide curves from a skin geometry and does further processing on these using an editable SOP network contained within the node.

  • Guide Simulate

    Runs a physics simulation on the input guides.

  • Hair Card Generate

    Converts dense hair curves to a polygon card, keeping the style and shape of the groom.

  • Hair Card Texture Example

    An example of how to create a texture for hair cards.

  • Hair Generate

    Generates hair from a skin geometry and guide curves.

  • Handle

    The Handle Object is an IK tool for manipulating bones.

  • Indirect Light

    Indirect lights produce illumination that has reflected from other objects in the scene.

  • Instance

    Instance Objects can instance other geometry, light, or even subnetworks of objects.

  • LOP Import

    Imports transform data from a USD primitive in a LOP node.

  • LOP Import Camera

    Imports a USD camera primitive from a LOP node.

  • Labs Fire Presets

    Quickly generate and render fire simulations using presets for size varying from torch to small to 1m high and low

  • Labs Render Geometry

    Renders cached or merged geometry with controlled loading, display, and render settings.

  • Light

    Light Objects cast light on other objects in a scene.

  • Light template

    A very limited light object without any built-in render properties. Use this only if you want to build completely custom light with your choice of properties.

  • Microphone

    The Microphone object specifies a listening point for the SpatialAudio CHOP.

  • Mocap Acclaim

    Import Acclaim motion capture.

  • Mocap Biped 1

    A male character with motion captured animations.

  • Mocap Biped 2

    A male character with motion captured animations.

  • Mocap Biped 3

    A male character with motion captured animations.

  • Null

    Serves as a place-holder in the scene, usually for parenting. this object does not render.

  • Path

    The Path object creates an oriented curve (path)

  • PathCV

    The PathCV object creates control vertices used by the Path object.

  • Python Script

    The Python Script object is a container for the geometry operators (SOPs) that define a modeled object.

  • Ragdoll Run Example

    Crowd example showing a simple ragdoll setup.

  • Reference Image

    Container for the Copernicus operators (COP) that define a picture.

  • Rivet

    Creates a rivet on an objects surface, usually for parenting.

  • Simple Biped

    A simple and efficient animation rig with full controls.

  • Simple Female

    A simple and efficient female character animation rig with full controls.

  • Simple Male

    A simple and efficient male character animation rig with full controls.

  • Sound

    The Sound object defines a sound emission point for the Spatial Audio chop.

  • Stadium Crowds Example

    Crowd example showing a stadium setup

  • Stereo Camera Rig

    Provides parameters to manipulate the interaxial lens distance as well as the zero parallax setting plane in the scene.

  • Stereo Camera Template

    Serves as a basis for constructing a more functional stereo camera rig as a digital asset.

  • Sticky

    Creates a sticky object based on the UV’s of a surface, usually for parenting.

  • Street Crowd Example

    Crowd example showing a street setup with two agent groups

  • Subnet

    Container for objects.

  • Switcher

    Acts as a camera but switches between the views from other cameras.

  • TOP Network

    The TOP Network operator contains object-level nodes for running tasks.

  • VR Camera

    Camera supporting VR image rendering.

  • Viewport Isolator

    A Python Script HDA providing per viewport isolation controls from selection.

  • glTF