Please see each pre-flight check to ensure your Houdini installation will be successful

Workstation

1. Please make sure your machine meets our system requirements. See the System Requirements page for more details. If your machine does not meet the system requirements, it is not supported and we cannot provide support for unsupported machines.

2. If you plan to let SideFX host your Houdini licenses, this will require an internet connection. See here if your workstation don't have one.

SideFX Login

1. You will need to register or login into your SideFX web account. www.sidefx.com to download the software.

2. Follow the Houdini installation FAQ here

NOTE:

Your web account is not your license account. It's purpose is only to facilitate web services such as downloading the software and make forum posts.

Installation guide for installing Houdini products

Houdini pre-installation check

IMPORTANT:

Before you install Houdini, please ensure you go through our pre-installation check here.

Houdini Products

The only requirement to download the Houdini Launcher and install Houdini is having a SideFX web account. Houdini software and Houdini licensing are installed independently from each other. Before you can install licenses (that chooses which Houdini Product is launched when launching Houdini), you must first install the Houdini software. After installing the Houdini software, you can use the various licensing tools to license the Houdini software for the product you purchased

Houdini Launcher

Installation of Houdini first requires you to download and install the Launcher. The Launcher is a tool that you can use to download, install, update and uninstall your Houdini builds. It also lets you manage these installs along with packages, tools, and plug-ins. The launcher is required to download and maintain shared content and data across multiple houdini builds.

Running the Launcher Installer

1. Install and launch the Houdini Launcher
2. Run the install-houdini-launcher.exe file
3. Follow the prompts

Installing Houdini

1. Login to you Houdini web account by clicking Login
2. Click the Install button.
3. Select Production or Daily builds. To learn more about the difference between these builds, see here.
4. Check the options that apply. If this is your first time installing Houdini, please ensure to select the license server/houdini server options. If you plan to use SideFX as a license server, you can ignore the license server option.

For more information about licensing Houdini please refer to Licensing a Houdini product

NOTE:

• If you are new to Houdini or upgrading a full version, you will need to install the License Server tools in addition to the Houdini build you are installing with the launcher.
• You do not need to install the License Server components if you have already previously installed it for the same version of Houdini.
• In general, uninstalling a previous version of Houdini is NOT required to install a new version. If installing an older version do not install the License Server tools.

A walkthrough guide for licensing Houdini

Account Activation

Once your account has been created, the system will send an activation email for your licensing account. Your email address will also receive other notifications from the system such as new license entitlements to be installed, upgrades or extensions to existing licenses. Please ensure that you have licensemanager@sidefx.com whitelisted in your spam settings.

NOTE:

Apprentice users will not be able to manage their licenses with their SideFX web account through the License Administrator. This is reserved for Indie, Education and Commercial users.

Licensing

For Apprentice users, please refer to licensing Houdini Apprentice.

These are the three choices for installing/using your Houdini Licenses:

Method 1: Install Licenses to your Computer

With this method, you can install the licenses directly to the computer so your machine can serve itself licenses.

The benefit of using this method is that you don't need an Internet connection. This makes it a good option for laptops on the move which may not have a persistent Internet connection.

Using the License Administrator (hkey):

1. If No Account is shown in the top right account button, Click the button and log into your SideFX license account using your email address and password.
2. Click your account button again and select Install license Entitlements.
3. Press the Select All button or manually specify the quantity of each entitlement to install.
4. Press the Install button.

NOTE:

If the options in your account menu are different and you see "Switch to on-premise license server", you are using Login Licensing and will need to click "Switch to on-premise license server" to use local licensing.

Your machine serves itself the licenses. When you install the licenses locally, the machine name and hardware information are encoded into the license itself so renaming the computer name can invalidate the licenses.

Method 2: Login Licensing

With this method, you don't install the licenses locally. You set the machine to look to SideFX and launch Houdini.

This option is quite flexible as you can run Houdini on different computers or if your machine is formatted or crashes, you don't need to worry about how to release the original licenses. The complexity of licensing is taken away. However, this option requires an Internet connection. If you have started the Houdini session and Internet connectivity is lost, the license will be checked out for two weeks by the machine unless the Houdini session is closed.

Using the License Administrator:

1. If No Account is shown in the top right account button, Click the button and log into your SideFX license account using your email address and password.
2. Click the account button again and select Switch to Online Licensing(SideFX Login).
3. You will be asked if you are sure you want to make this change, due to the always online requirement, select Yes.

The Server(s) column should list SideFX if you are using SideFX as the license server.

Troubleshooting:

Most licensing issues can be resolved by following the above, if you cannot resolve your licensing issues, please email support@sidefx.com with the license diagnostic from the machine you are trying to license. Please also include your Account number and or/email used for licensing so the support team can easily locate your account information.

The License Administrator (hkey) is the easiest way to manage Houdini licenses.

Launched from the Houdini Launcher:

1. Launch the Houdini Launcher.
2. Navigate to the left sidebar and click "Licenses".
3. Click "License Administrator" button on the bottom center of Launcher.

Operating System Specific Locations:

When you launch the License Administrator, you will need to log in to your account if you wish manage your licenses.

If you are running a headless system (a machine without a graphical display), please refer to to How do I Install licenses non-graphically?

The License Administrator connects to Side Effects Software using port 443 (https).
If you require a proxy to access the web, please see this section..

If you are having difficulties logging into your licensing account from the License Administrator, try resetting your password.

Apprentice Users

Apprentice users will not have an account containing licenses so Apprentice users cannot log into the License Administrator (hkey).
When Houdini Apprentice is first launched, the user will be prompted to install the free license.

Indie, Education and Commercial users

Try resetting your password at www.sidefx.com/password/reset.
By resetting the password, it will unify the login credentials for both the website and licensing system.

Make sure that you have installed your Houdini Indie licenses. It is not enough to only open the Houdini Indie application.

To install your Houdini Indie license: How to license Houdini Indie

If you are still having issues please see What do I do if I'm still having license trouble?

Steps for moving a locally installed license from one machine to another

Overview

Houdini licenses are registered to both the computer hardware and computer name. To use your licenses on another machine, it is not enough that you uninstall Houdini from the computer.

Returning Licenses

You will need to return the licenses by returning them back to your account at SideFX using the License Administrator or sesictrl.

To use sesictrl:

sesictrl return-license LicenseID

Substitute LicenseID for your license to be returned.

Install licenses on new machine

Once the licenses have been released from the computer, they are returned to your SideFX license account.

They will show on the account as uninstalled license entitlements.

You can then use the License Administrator on the new computer to install the returned licenses.

Done! You have moved your licenses

NOTE:

• You cannot use the web portal to move your licenses.
• Licenses must be moved from the machine with the licenses, using the License Administrator or sesictrl.
• For more information, please see Return licenses.

Two operating systems on one machine is supported

Yes, you can use Login Licensing to use your licenses across two operating systems on the same machine.

NOTE:

Local licensing does not support dual boot machines.

Indie users

Currently, we still provide a supplementary Houdini Indie license for each subscription. This decision was originated as a way to solve this issue.

Commercial users

Commercial users do not receive a supplementary license.
If you have a floating license server, this will be a non-issue as the client computer can look to the remote server for licensing.
If you have a workstation license, you can allow SideFX to host the license and switch to Login Licensing.

Houdini Indie does not auto-renew.

You will need to purchase a new subscription for Houdini Indie as licenses do not auto-renew. This will provide you with new licenses for the subscription.

If your subscription has expired or is close to expiring, you will need to purchase a new subscription.

To ensure there is no disruption, you can select a date (up to 7 days from today) when you want your license(s) to be active during checkout.

NOTE:

If you are locally licensing your machine, you will need to reinstall your new licenses before they can be used. Login licensing does not require any further action after purchasing.

To purchase a new Houdini Indie license: www.sidefx.com/buy

This could be the result of hardware/environment issues or a bug.

Hardware Check

Make sure that your computer meets our System Requirements.

Intel or AMD x64 CPU with SSE 4.2 required. Houdini {{ latest_houdini_version }} will not run on a system with an instruction set lower than SSE 4.1.

Software Check

• Do you have Nahimic or 3D audio drivers installed? Or 3D audio software installed? Please uninstall or disable them.

NOTE:

Asus Sonic Suite 2, the audio card software that comes with a lot of Asus ROG mainboards, seems to also be a culprit.

If you have any 3D audio drivers, please uninstall them or disable them.

Environment Check

Try deleting (or renaming) your houdini{{ latest_houdini_version }} preferences directory. When you relaunch Houdini this directory will be regenerated, with all your Houdini settings at default. If you have an older version of Houdini, you will delete or rename the directory for that older version (for example, houdini19.5).

Windows: My Documents->houdini{{ latest_houdini_version }}

OSX: /Users/(your name)/Library/Preferences/houdini/{{ latest_houdini_version }}

Linux: /home/(your name)/houdini{{ latest_houdini_version }}

Send Houdini info to Support

If this doesn't help and Houdini stays open long enough, can you please send the support team your machine info from Houdini's Help -> About Houdini -> click on "Show Details". Please click the "save” button at the bottom, and send the file to support@sidefx.com.

We provide periodic Production builds and near daily Daily builds.

Overview

Our approach to builds provides flexible pathways to benefit from improvements and bug fixes sooner.

Builds

Production builds

SideFX periodically designates a daily build of Houdini as a "production build". Production builds are released almost monthly and have gone through the full quality assurance process, so they are at least as stable as the original. It is thus advisable to upgrade from time to time, particularly from one production build to another to take full advantage of bug fixes and new improvements.

Daily builds

SideFX provides new builds of Houdini almost every day. These daily builds contain bug fixes and small improvements to the software. The detailed list of fixes is available in the journal under the Support menu. By installing a daily build, users are often able to benefit right away from our agile development process.

Please try resetting your password

If are you are still having issues accessing your account please contact support@sidefx.com.

You cannot open the Houdini indie interface using the Houdini Engine Indie license. Your Houdini Engine Indie license can be used to run Houdini Indie in non-graphical mode or to load Houdini Digital Assets into other content creation apps such as Autodesk® Maya® or game editors such as Unity® and Unreal Engine®.

www.sidefx.com/buy

Yes, the latest Houdini license is compatible with older versions.

Older versions of Houdini will run with the most recent license. We officially provide support for the latest version of Houdini and the two versions preceding it.

For example, if you have a Houdini 21 license, you will be able to open Houdini 20.5 and older (20.0, 19.5, 19.0 etc...).

• When installing older versions of Houdini, do not install the License Server component of the old version.
• If you do, reinstall the latest Houdini version again and ensure to select the License server component.

If you require an old build of Houdini but cannot find it on the daily builds page, please contact support. While we can try to provide installers for old Houdini versions outside of support, we cannot guarantee they will run.

Licensing a non-graphical version of Houdini-Indie

You cannot launch the Houdini Interface with an Engine Indie license.

If you would like to use the Houdini software interactively, you can purchase Houdini Indie here: www.sidefx.com/buy

The Houdini-Engine-Indie license is a 3-part license consisting of:

• Houdini Engine Indie
• Render (Non-Commercial)
• Karma (Non-Commercial)

The Houdini-Engine-Indie is a non-graphical version of Houdini-Indie. It allows you to run command-line renders, and simulations, on remote render machines. It can also open pre-made Houdini Digital Assets (HDAs) within Maya, Unreal, Unity and C4D.

You make best use of your Houdini-Engine-Indie license if it is installed on a different machine than your Houdini-Indie license.

To install a license of Houdini Engine Indie, please see HERE for more information.

Licensing Houdini Engine is the same as licensing other Houdini products.

For Game Studios, please see our Houdini Engine For Game Studios guide.

Maxon supplies a plugin for using Redshift.

Supported versions

Please refer to the Redshift documentation to see which Redshift plugins support which Houdini versions.

Overview

You will need to use the Production Build of Houdini that matches your Redshift plugin version.

It is essential that you run the Redshift plugin compiled against the correct version of Houdini.
Failing to do so will result in Houdini crashing, as the libraries will no longer be compatible.

For example, the following Production Builds of Houdini 21.0 will work with these Redshift versions:

Houdini 21.0.700: From Redshift 2026.6.0 to the last available
Houdini 21.0.671: From Redshift 2026.6.0 to the last available

Basic Configuration

To use Redshift with Houdini, you will need to edit your houdini.env file that matches your operating system. This will tell Houdini where to look for the plugin. Please refer to the Redshift documentation on how to configure the plugin for your operating system.

If you are having issues with Redshift, please contact Maxon support.

The full installation tutorial video for SideFX Labs is located here.

To verify SideFX Labs install:

• Open Houdini.

• Enable the SideFX Labs shelf. At the top of the workspace, click the + sign (above and right of the Font shelf tool).
  Select the Shelves menu then locate the SideFX Labs submenu. Click to enable.

• Once enabled you will see the most common tools on the shelf. By clicking the Update Toolset icon on the far left, you can see what version is available or installed locally. Click update to install the tools locally to the computer if they have not been yet already.

• You may also check the Toolset version and update by selecting the Window->SideFX Labs menu.

• If you want to see more tools, go to the Network Editor. Right-click/Tab and type “Labs” in the search or select Labs from the dropdown menu. The submenu will show the tools at object level.

• If you want to see the most used SOPS tools, create a geometry container. Right-click/Tab and locate the Labs menu. There you will see the rest of the tools. If you are in a different context (ROPS, COPS etc), you will have the Lab tools there in that context.

Please watch your email for a message from licensemanager@sidefx.com notifying you that your license entitlements are available to redeem.

The licenses will be visible (and available to redeem) on the requested Start Date.

There are several different options available through which students can access Houdini Education licenses from their personal computers:

1) Accessing school’s existing licenses via central network license server

• Often requires most work by school IT
• Students’ computers need to be connected to the school’s network in order to access the licenses

2) Accessing school's existing licenses via Login-based Licensing

• Please refer here for important considerations for Schools.
• If licenses were previously installed using a different method, requires some intervention from school administration/IT
• Stable internet connection needed (unless API Key Licensing has been set up; see "important considerations" for more details).
• No limitations based on location
• It is strongly recommended that individual student’s emails are used as account logins, rather than using a shared login

3) Students can purchase their own Houdini Education license directly from SideFX

• Requires little to no intervention from school administration/IT
• Students are responsible for Billing, Installation and any Renewals/Replacements

4) Temporary Home licenses [For Houdini Certified Schools only]

• Instructors/administrators should contact education@sidefx.com for more details, if your school is eligible (Houdini Certified).
• Click here for information about Houdini School Certification

In order to update your email*:

1. Log into www.sidefx.com with your username

2. Click the top-right profile icon

3. Select “My Profile”

4. Click the gear icon to edit your information

5. Click "Update Email"

This will help ensure that the following items are kept associated with your most up-to-date email address:

• Licensing permissions

• Email notifications about your licenses

• Release emails

• Forum posts

• History of completed tutorials

*If you have also moved companies, please contact your SideFX Account Representative to associate your details with the appropriate account.