Houdini 20.0 Unreal

Plugin Editor Preferences

On this page

The plugin editor preferences allows you to change the behavior and values of multiple options for Houdini Engine for Unreal.

To access these settings: In the Unreal Engine main menu, select Houdini Engine then Plugin Editor Preferences. A new window pops up with the editor preferences.

You can also access these settings in Houdini Tools. Select the Cog Wheel on the top right and select User Categories.

Houdini Tools

Setting

Description

User Tool Categories

Each entry here represents a User Category for HoudiniTools that will be displayed on the HoudiniTools panel. Each user category may contain HoudiniTools from one or more HoudiniTools packages.

Packages

The array of HoudiniTools packages included in this User Category.

Tools Package Asset

The HoudiniToolsPackage asset included in this category.

Include

Define one or more include patterns for HDAs (relative to the selected HoudiniToolsPackage asset).

Exclude

Define one or more exclude patterns for HDAs (relative to the selected HoudiniToolsPackage asset).

See HoudiniTools Package for more information on configuring include and exclude patterns for HoudiniTools packages.

Custom Location

The settings here override any Custom Location settings set in the Plugin Settings. This allows your team to make global changes in the Plugin Settings and individuals to make changes here to their local installation.

Setting

Description

Use custom Houdini location (requires restart)

Use the Per-Project Plugin Settings

  • Uses the Custom Houdini Location settings in the Plugin Settings as the Houdini Install. See Plugin Settings for more information.

Do Not Use Custom Location

  • Plugin auto-detects the Houdini location based on the standard install path.

Use Custom Location

  • Allows you to set a custom location for your Houdini install path in the Custom Houdini Location setting.

Custom Houdini Location

Set your custom Houdini installation path. Must have Use Custom Location on.

Unreal

Getting started

Basics

Using Houdini Engine

Reference

Houdini Engine for Unreal Engine is a plug-in that allows integration of Houdini technology into Unreal. Session Sync and Node Sync are two features of the Houdini Engine Plugin to interact with a live session of Houdini.

This plug-in brings Houdini’s powerful and flexible procedural workflow into Unreal Engine through Houdini Digital Assets. Artists can interactively adjust asset parameters inside the editor and use Unreal assets as inputs. Houdini’s procedural engine will then “cook” the asset and the results will be available in the editor without the need for baking.

General information:

Compatibility:

Currently, the plugins has binaries that have been built for UE5.3, 5.2, 5.1, 5.0, UE4.27 and UE4.26, and is linked with the latest production build of Houdini.

Source code for the plugin is available on this repository for UE5.3, 5.2, 5.1, 5.0, UE4.27, UE4.26.

Note

UE5.1 and UE5.0 use the same source files/branches, the 5.0 sources are also intended to be used with 5.1.

Support and reporting bugs:

SessionSync

The Houdini Engine SessionSync feature allows you to connect to a session of Houdini Engine running inside Houdini with its GUI. It supports all the features of the regular Houdini Engine workflow and additional features specific to Session Sync.

Houdini Engine uses a non-UI version of Houdini while Session Sync lets you see and interact with the Houdini session through Houdini’s user interface. It also synchronizes changes made in either Unreal or Houdini so both programs can make changes and see the same results.

NodeSync

NodeSync is a feature for the Houdini Unreal Engine Plugin that enables sharing assets between Unreal and Houdini Session Sync. It works for Skeletal and static meshes.

You can send and receive data to and from Unreal without a dedicated HDA. It works with Static and Skeletal meshes as well as Actors.

Houdini Niagara

The Houdini-Niagara plugin allows you to exchange point cloud data between Houdini and Unreal’s Niagara system using the HoudiniNiagara Data Interface. You can export Houdini’s attribute data as HoudiniPointCache assets. These can then be imported into Unreal to use the Niagara systems and emitters to create complex effects and particle systems.

The Houdini KineFX Live Link plugin lets you control rigs in Unreal directly from KineFX in Houdini.