Maybe use http://www.meshlab.net/ [www.meshlab.net]
should do everything what you need :-)

Maybe helpy, too.

Strongly inspired by: https://vimeo.com/104891696 [vimeo.com]
while working on the attached one (tentacles grab moving object)

attached wrangle needs some refinements for proper UVs and
it's for polylines only, but it's really fast in my opinion.
Should not produce unwanted points.

Maybe easier to understand…

You can simply replace the cookie with a boolean tool.
Attached is a version with boolean tool.

Main idea: place a point inside a wall,
then the tool should detect the front/back poly
of the wall via ray sop ,
create a box and cut this box out then.

It has some attributes, too, to randomize/control the window options.

Feel free to ask.

I'm not sure if it will.
But I won't try it :-)

services.msc is simply listing all services and the start options.
It'll not harm at all if you type this in the “search” input and press enter.

Then a big list with all “services” will pop up in a new window.
(see image)

There you can change the start up options for every service
and stop this, too.
But in a “normal” environment there is no need to change there something :-)
Sometimes it can happen, that a service which was started automatically
blocks another service which is started “manually”.

Conclusion: there you'll find “hserver”,too
Your question was:
“….so is there a way to stop things like “hserver” from running while I'm not using Houdini? ”

Yes, you can, but… I'm sure you do not want this…
If you disable automatic start, maybe you have to start it manually
no, please let it at it's default.

If you need to know, who is calling “home” you need to go deeper.

http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/out/hq_render.html [www.sidefx.com]
http://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/nodes/out/hq_sim.html [www.sidefx.com]

look for: HQueue server

to see what it is good for.
Forgotten to say:
Whenever you change defaults, and then run into trouble,
do not forget to say it if you contact support :-)

Export as chan and then reimport?
or something like the “jiggle”
export to chops -> modify -> override keyframed?

If this is a “wishlist”:
Here comes my question:
Is it possible to embed the network BG images in the hip file?
If yes: how?
If not: please add it to the “nice to have” list :-)

Rewriting some old HDAs to make them much faster.
Simple commode with hopefully nice UVs.
Drawer opening is actually not controllable via attributes and knob replacement is missing, too.

Thanks to Konstantin Magnus for the really fast cubic uv wrangle snippet :-)

Any suggestions for features are welcome.

I can't see any images :-(

Windows?

this is maybe your friend, switch services from automatic to manual…

google for it…
or type it directly in the search window..

but you do not really want to change this from automatic to manual ;-)

Maybe reduce the scene use delete/blast, after that
drop in a null and lock it then to get only the important geo.
Or post some screens from the scene.
a screen from the spreadsheet is maybe helpy, too.
Make shure that you do not have some Cd or other
attributes which are affecting mantra.

What about DAZ 3D?
Has some basic animated cycles build in, too.

(ok, foot angle is little bit… unusual…)

is it possible to share more informations?
a file or some pictures?

creating one group for each primitive can lead to “big data”
and there is no need for the groupmask if you need something
like this, you can go directly over the primitives.

I really like Peter Quints Videos, this should only be simple addition.

http://forums.odforce.net/topic/31356-inherit-velocity-rbd-packed-object/ [forums.odforce.net]

what you need to transfer is the active state, not the velocity, if I'm right.

not what was asked, one of my favorite deformers, play anim to see it deforming.
maybe helpy for refinements if you don't like painting.

Spline blend with before and after helper…
play with the before and after helper to change the blend curves.

based on:
https://vimeo.com/251487780 [vimeo.com]

forgotten to mention:
https://www.orbolt.com/asset/ik_::RampBlend

very helpy, too…

as Aizatulin said, direction/orientation is important to know.
Maybe you'll need at least 3 shapes.

or try something like this:
https://vimeo.com/251487780 [vimeo.com]

smooth it later, then you have enough informations :-)