Houdini 20.0 Nodes TOP nodes

Render IFD TOP node

Creates work items that render an IFD file with Mantra

On this page
Since 17.5

Generates work items that render an IFD file using Mantra. The IFD file can be read from upstream, or manually specified with a custom path.

Tip

The $HH/help/files/pdg_examples/top_rop example shows how you can use this node to create work items that render an .ifd file with Mantra.

Parameters

Mantra

Generate When

Determines when this node will generate work items. You should generally leave this set to “Automatic” unless you know the node requires a specific generation mode, or that the work items need to be generated dynamically.

All Upstream Items are Generated

This node will generate work items once all of the input nodes have generated their work items.

All Upstream Items are Cooked

This node will generate work items once all of the input nodes have cooked their work items.

Each Upstream Item is Cooked

This node will generate work items each time a work item in an input node is cooked.

Automatic

The generation mode is selected based on the generation mode of the input nodes. If any of the input nodes are generating work items when their inputs cook, this node will be set to Each Upstream Item is Cooked. Otherwise, it will be set to All Upstream Items are Generated.

Cache Mode

Determines how the processor node handles work items that report expected file results.

Automatic

If the expected result file exists on disk, the work item is marked as cooked without being scheduled. If the file does not exist on disk, the work item is scheduled as normal. If upstream work item dependencies write out new files during a cook, the cache files on work items in this node will also be marked as out-of-date.

Automatic (Ignore Upstream)

The same as Automatic, except upstream file writes do not invalidate cache files on work items in this node and this node will only check output files for its own work items.

Read Files

If the expected result file exists on disk, the work item is marked as cooked without being scheduled. Otherwise the work item is marked as failed.

Write Files

Work items are always scheduled and the expected result file is ignored even if it exists on disk.

Cook Type

Determines how work items in the node should cook, e.g. if they should run in process, out of process, or using services.

Run on Service Block

Determines whether or not work items in this node should run on the parent service block, if one exists.

Always

Always run work items on the block’s service, regardless of any other service settings on this node.

Match

Only run work items on the block’s service if Service Name matches the service name that’s used by the block.

Never

Never run work items on the block’s service.

Service Name

When Cook Type is set to the Service, this parameter is used to specify the name of the service. For more information on using services, see the PDG Service Manager documentation.

Input

File Source

The source of the IFD file

Upstream Output File

Uses the output file produced by the upstream work item as the path to the IFD file.

Custom File Path

IFD file specified by a custom filepath.

File Tag

The data tag used to select the result from the upstream work item.

IFD Path

The path to the IFD file.

Render

Extra Mantra Args

Specifies extra arguments that will be passed to the Mantra executable when rendering the IFD.

Output Path

When on, overrides the image output file name.

Output Filter

When on, specifies a custom Python script used to filter render outputs and report them as work item output files.

Schedulers

TOP Scheduler Override

This parameter overrides the TOP scheduler for this node.

Schedule When

When enabled, this parameter can be used to specify an expression that determines which work items from the node should be scheduled. If the expression returns zero for a given work item, that work item will immediately be marked as cooked instead of being queued with a scheduler. If the expression returns a non-zero value, the work item is scheduled normally.

Work Item Label

Determines how the node should label its work items. This parameter allows you to assign non-unique label strings to your work items which are then used to identify the work items in the attribute panel, task bar, and scheduler job names.

Use Default Label

The work items in this node will use the default label from the TOP network, or have no label if the default is unset.

Inherit From Upstream Item

The work items inherit their labels from their parent work items.

Custom Expression

The work item label is set to the Label Expression custom expression which is evaluated for each item.

Node Defines Label

The work item label is defined in the node’s internal logic.

Label Expression

When on, this parameter specifies a custom label for work items created by this node. The parameter can be an expression that includes references to work item attributes or built-in properties. For example, $OS: @pdg_frame will set the label of each work item based on its frame value.

Work Item Priority

This parameter determines how the current scheduler prioritizes the work items in this node.

Inherit From Upstream Item

The work items inherit their priority from their parent items. If a work item has no parent, its priority is set to 0.

Custom Expression

The work item priority is set to the value of Priority Expression.

Node Defines Priority

The work item priority is set based on the node’s own internal priority calculations.

This option is only available on the Python Processor TOP, ROP Fetch TOP, and ROP Output TOP nodes. These nodes define their own prioritization schemes that are implemented in their node logic.

Priority Expression

This parameter specifies an expression for work item priority. The expression is evaluated for each work item in the node.

This parameter is only available when Work Item Priority is set to Custom Expression.

Examples

RenderIFD Example for Render IFD TOP node

This example demonstrates how to render .ifd files using the Render IFD TOP node.

See also

TOP nodes