The generator itself remains unaware of lighting. Houdini publishes structure, placement metadata and stable identity; Unreal interprets that data and attaches engine-specific behavior to the generated instances.
For windows, a single placement decision can create a real Rect Light at a mesh socket and write the same result into Per Instance Custom Data used by the material emissive. This keeps the visible window state synchronized with the actual light source.
The same system also supports Blueprint Actors for streetlights, metadata filtering, deterministic selection, stable placement keys, and generated/authored/runtime scalar data.
The window material adds a separate cubemap-based interior system, allowing room variation without requiring modeled interiors for every instance.
This is part of the same procedural-system series as Controlled Procedurality and Houdini to Unreal — HISM and Blueprint Actor Routing.
Full technical breakdown:
https://www.pavelzosim.com/post/lighting-generated-geometry/ [www.pavelzosim.com]
#TechnicalArt #Houdini #UnrealEngine #ProceduralGeneration #Shaders