Consider the attached very simple example file:
A wedge node generates 10 workitems, each with a different @rand attrib value.
A Geometry Import is connected and its Sop Path parm is set to a Box whose scale parm is driven by the @rand attrib.
The Geometry Import is set to evaluate with work item attributes, so that it produces Box variations.

I experience the following issues:

1. Geometry Import produces a geometry with dozens of Point GROUPS. These are a waste and totally unnecessary, and they are probably causing some cooking overhead too. How to avoid generating them?
   I can't find any option.
   
2. I just need to output in-process variations of a Sop Geometry, using some pdg attributes. Is there a better setup than the example I made?
   
3. If I increase the resolution of the box, Houdini would simply quit, after attempting to cook the top network for a while.
   

Thanks for any help!

If I increase the resolution of the box, Houdini would simply quit, after attempting to cook the top network for a while.

your geometry import node is set to extract data from primitives, so you're getting a work item per-face of your box. since you just want to scale the box, leave this at detail.

Geometry Import produces a geometry with dozens of Point GROUPS. These are a waste and totally unnecessary, and they are probably causing some cooking overhead too

from the docs:

If the TOP network produces multiple output work items, the geometry is merged into a single detail with groups named after the original work items

you can put down a name SOP, set the class to "point", enable "name from group", and set the group mask to "geometryimport_*". Then put a groupdelete SOP down and set to delete all with *.

Note that starting with tomorrow's daily build of H19.0, you'll be able to configure the grouping behavior on the TOP Geometry. Instead of always creating a point group per work item, you can pick between creating point or prim groups, a point or prim attribute, or no grouping at all if you just want the merged geo.

tpetrick
Instead of always creating a point group per work item, you can pick between creating point or prim groups, a point or prim attribute, or no grouping at all if you just want the merged geo.

these options are great, but
Maybe there can be an option to output each workitem as packed prim?
so that it's easy to manage and also attributes would not mix in case each geo has different ones as each geo can be processed differently by sops
and workitem attributes could live on top of the packed prims

jamesr
your geometry import node is set to extract data from primitives, so you're getting a work item per-face of your box. since you just want to scale the box, leave this at detail

thanks for the tip, that was definitely unnecessary work.

tpetrick
Note that starting with tomorrow's daily build of H19.0, you'll be able to configure the grouping behavior on the TOP Geometry. Instead of always creating a point group per work item, you can pick between creating point or prim groups, a point or prim attribute, or no grouping at all if you just want the merged geo.

That's very helpful thank you.