one more tip:
I had an installation problem also, and the catch 22 was in a way I downloaded the installation. I use getRight! dwnload mngr, and after I did a plain download with firefox built-in download mngr everything was fine. Why, I don't know…

Why don't you try installing newer version? And, correct me if I am wrong, but there is no CentOS on the list of supported linux dist.s
And there is short note on usupported os's:
Side Effects Software does not officially support these platforms, and the suggested download is provided with no guarantee that Houdini will function properly.
So I supose the clue may lie in this.

heh. thanks for answers, specially for the second tip…
respect

respect to all

Two questions:

First: is there is a way to change a wireframe/wireframe on shaded color from yellow to something else. I didn't find a way in main prefs and colors settings. It's a bit painfull for my eyes

Second one is how to center a pivot of an object. in help I found this:
To set an object's pivot point in the viewport-Do this–>TBD
and I don't know what does it mean :?

my win installation is on e:\windows instead of c:\windows but all env. var. are correct, I check them several times, and I have both maya and Prman installed and working fine. And yes, I am the only user so I have administrative rights.
Only non standard things are that I change variable for temp folder so I don't have 3 different folders but only one c:\temp.

@actor, well that was strange to me also, I double-click the instalation file and just before final screen appears console window pops up in down right corner with quoted message. after I hit close. instalation done, blabla, is here, and I just hit finish, and that's it. next thing is when I start houdini error is there :? when I saw houdini.exe load failed I suposed everything will crash, but no.. when continue was hit, everything worked just fine… except the strange feeling in my stomack

I found the cure
Thanks to 3D Buzz and Houdini forum.
The glitch was in this:

THE FOLLOWING IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF GENERAL PROBLEMS WITH HOUDINI ON WINDOWS.
Houdini has problems with spaces in the directory structure
Houdini is firmly rooted in the Unix world, and therefore spaces are not allowed in directory names. What Houdini does is truncate directory and file names to an 8.3 format. Any folder name with a space in the first 6 chracters is a potential problem for Houdini.

I just did a custom install, and changed path from c:\program files\blabla to c:\Houdini\ and none of mentioned errors occured.

more on 3D Buzz topic made by mr. MCronin here [3dbuzz.com]

17 views, 0 answers? anyone?

well, this is a qoute from console at the end of installation:

Adding Files/Side
Font Files/Side is an invalid font (or already installed)
Adding Effects
Font Effects is an invalid font (or already installed)
Adding Software/Houdini
Font Software/Houdini is an invalid font (or already installed)
Adding 8.0.458/bin/gfont.exe
Font 8.0.458/bin/gfont.exe is an invalid font (or already installed)
Adding -Sq
Font -Sq is an invalid font (or already installed)
Adding -o
Font -o is an invalid font (or already installed)
Adding CProgram Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini 8.0.458/houdini/fonts/font.index
Font CProgram Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini 8.0.458/houdini/fonts/font.index is an invalid font (or already installed)
Saving font table to: CProgram Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini 8.0.458/houdini/fonts/font.index

when I click close, and finish the installation, it looks like everything is in right place, but when I start houdini I get another wierd message: houdini.exe load failed. No such file or directory. Continue?
I click continue then, and everything is ok, I can work like nothing was wrong.
So I feel like something wierd is going on.

its windows xp based system
2ghz intel centrino
2gb of ram
ati x600 256mb with omega drivers

Solved

Somehow, although the installation file was 100% complete, some kind of error happened. And the reason was flashGet downloader. As soon as I re-downloaded the file via firefox's default download manager everything was smooth and easy
now I am one happy houdini begginer

I try installing it on two more computers, same thing happened. I'll download it again..

hello,
here's the problem. I downloaded both: latest production build , and latest daily build and when trying to install any of them at about 50% of installation I recieve this error:

c:\windows\installer\26491b6.msi error att. to read
and when I click cancel this is a message I get:
1603 Fatal error during install

I tried cleaning the registry, restarting… :shock: and I am confused 'cause this is the first time I see such an error on my pc.

I have winXP service pack2, all needed drivers…

thanks in advance
and
respect

djordje

he, words I wanted to hear money isn't a problem, so I am more and more attracted to houdini. just downloaded v.8 today, and I'll start playing with it. I have time to decide till late october, so… I'll do my best…
thanks a lot…

respect to all of you Houdini people.
this is what I am thinking about: I am, let's say, something like advanced Maya user , and I was always very attracted with Houdini philosophy… unfortunately my life'n'job rhythm didn't allow me to learn Houdini the way I ‘d like it. Until now I have an opportunity to choose one more software for my studio pipeline, and guess, Houdini was my first choice. The thing is that I want to do mostly character animation, cartoony one, and the decision is something between Houdini and xsi… I know what xsi can do, and I even done few little projects in it, and I know that Houdini will be hard nut to crack , thing I want to discuss here with you is: is Houdini a good program for character animator to learn? or xsi is more productive peace of software for me. I know that art of animation isn’t software related, but still there are differences in approach, implementation of tools… etc.. and some kind of decision has to be made

off topic: is there some cool way of making squash'n'strech rigs in Houdini??

thanks in advance

djordje