Houdini 20.0 Unreal

Install Houdini Engine for Unreal

How to install Houdini Engine for Unreal

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The Houdini Engine is officially supported on Windows and macOS. You can unoficially install Houdini Engine using Linux and Source.

You can find older versions for Windows, macOS, and Apple Silicon on the Houdini Engine for Unreal Github repository.

Installing Houdini Engine

Windows

  1. Install the launcher if not already installed.

  2. Open the launcher.

  3. Click Houdini ▸ Install. If you are not already logged in the web browser will pop open asking you to login to your SideFX account. The launcher will move to the front once the login process has completed.

  4. In the Choose a Version to Install select either Production Build or Daily Build depending on your desired build version. If you need to select a specific version then select Choose Another Version and install the version desired.

  5. In the Preferences pop-up window, turn on Unreal Plug-in and click install.

  6. Locate the Houdini Engine directory. The default location is \Side Effects Software\Houdini Engine\Unreal\X.Y.Z.

    • X.Y.Z means your Houdini Version.

  7. Copy the Houdini Engine folder to the Plugins folder of your Unreal directory. You can either copy it to Unreal’s engine version directory or your Unreal project directory.

    • Unreal’s directory location is \Epic Games\UE5.0\Engine\Plugins\Runtime\HoudiniEngine and the project directory is \Unreal Projects\MyGameProject\Plugins\HoudiniEngine.

Note

For Unreal Engine 5.0 and 5.1, you must use Unreal’s project directory.

Mac

  1. Download the HoudiniEngine-vX.X.X-Y.Y.Y-UEZ.Z-MacOS.zip from the Houdini Engine for Unreal Github repository where X.X.X is the Houdini Engine plugin version, Y.Y.Y is the Houdini version and Z.Z is the Unreal Engine version.

    For macOS Apple Silicon, download HoudiniEngine-vX.X.X-Y.Y.Y-UEZ.Z-M1.zip instead.

  2. Unpack the downloaded .zip package. This will extract a HoudiniEngine folder.

  3. Copy the extracted HoudiniEngine folder to the Plugins/Runtime folder of your Unreal directory. You can either copy the directory to the Unreal Engine installation (/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_Z.Z/Engine/Plugins/Runtime) or to your Unreal project directory (~/Documents/Unreal Projects/<MyProject>/Plugins/Runtime).

Note

For Unreal Engine 5.0 and 5.1, you must use Unreal’s project directory.

Linux

Houdini Engine is not officially supported on Linux. However, you can follow the Install plug-in from source instructions and use the source code.

Install plug-in from source

  1. Follow the instructions for downloading Unreal Engine source code

    • Make sure to complete all the steps so you have Unreal project files.

  2. Download the Source Code.zip from the Houdini Engine for Unreal Github repository.

  3. Create a folder named Houdini Engine in Unreal’s directory or project directory.

    • Unreal’s directory location is \Epic Games\UE5.0\Engine\Plugins\Runtime\HoudiniEngine and the project directory is \Unreal Projects\MyGameProject\Plugins\HoudiniEngine.

  4. Extract the Source Code.zip content into the Houdini Engine folder.

Note

For Unreal Engine 5, you must use Unreal’s project directory.

Verify plug-in in Unreal

Once you install the Houdini Engine, verify the plug-in is loaded properly.

  1. Open a new or existing Unreal project.

  2. In the main menu, you can see Houdini Engine as a new item.

  3. In the Houdini Engine menu, click Start Session.

  4. A Houdini Engine session connected confirmation appears on the bottom right.

Troubleshooting

If you get a failed to start session or errors of Houdini Engine not connecting, your Houdini version may be incorrect.

  1. In the Unreal Engine main menu, click Edit then Plugins.

  2. For Houdini Engine, check if the X.Y.Z version number matches your Houdini version.

To change the connected Houdini version:

  1. In the main menu, select Houdini Engine then PluginSettings.

  2. In Houdini Location, select the checkbox next to Use Custom Houdini location.

  3. In Custom Houdini location, click the three dots and select the path to your Houdini version’s bin folder. The default location is \Side Effects Software\Houdini X.Y.Z\bin.

  4. In Houdini Executable, select your Houdini License type.

  5. Restart Unreal Engine.

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.