If I create a VEX shader in VOPS, and create a Global Variables node, and connect Pz to something such as say, the Af on the Output node, houdini crashes.

Any time I try to connect the Pz value from the Global Variables node to something else, it crashes.

Is this a bug? Or am I doing something horribly wrong here?

(This is all in an attempt to generate a greyscale image showing the Z-depth of the scene geometry, with white/black being tied to the camera's Near & Far settings)

Hmmm… seems fine over here. (H6.1.371, RH7.3)
I can't get it to crash no matter what I connect it to.

OS? Houdini version?

If it's a 6.5 thing you should re-post in the 6.5 “early access” forum.

Cheers!

Yes, I forgot to mention:


Houdini version: 5.5.52
OS: Linux of the Debian flavour, V3.2

It only crashes if Pz is attached to something that is attached to the Output node.

Such as, grabbing Pz, connecting it to all 3 inputs of a Float to Vector node, and connecting that Vector output to the Cf Output node.

I have no access to 5.5, sorry
But, again, in 6.1 it doesn't crash, no matter how you connect it – including your example and about 5 other variations.

Maybe someone else running 5.5 can confirm.
Any reason you can't upgrade to 6.1? (frozen for production?)

Yeah, there is a reason…. It's not free.

What do you mean, it's not free? The Apprentice version is absolutely free.

Yes, the Apprentice version is free.
I'm using Houdini Master in a production environment though.
Apprentice is not an option.