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You can add custom handles to an asset to provide UI control/manipulator in input Transform or Bounds information.

To expose the handle for your asset:

  1. Make sure the Type Properties window is open.

  2. In the popup menu for the handle, select Export Handle to Digital Asset.

This automatically sets up the new handle and adds the necessary parameters.

You can also manually create a new Handle from the Create Handle drop down in the Handles tab of the Type Properties window.

Transformer Handle

Transformer handles expose a simple point that you can translate, rotate, or scale. This information transfers back into the corresponding Houdini Handle to control the asset behavior. For example, you can use two Transformer handles to control endpoints for a procedural bridge asset.

The Transformer handle is created if the asset has a Houdini handle of type Transformer (xform) which has bindings to translate, rotate or scale values. When unselected, it appears as a gray squaer. When selected, it turns pink and you can manipulate it using the Unreal TRS manipulator.

Bounder Handle

The Bounder handle provides a bounding box manipulator for the asset. You can specify a volume of space that affects the asset in an intuitive way. Below is an asset with an unselected bounder handle.

Ckick the gray outline to select the bounding box. This turns pink and can be manipulated using the Unreal scale manipulator.

The plug-in will detect when the asset has a handle specified of type Bounder (bound) which has sx,sy,sz bound, and will create the appropriate component inside Unreal.

The plug-in detects when the asset has a Bounder (bound) handle with a sx,sy,sz bound and creates the necessary components inside Unreal.

When used in Houdini, the Bounder handle exposes a manipulator which is similar to object Scale.

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.