Hi all,
I’m doing some research into Python scripting and its benefits within Houdini and would really appreciate it if anyone could point me in the right direction to find some information or answer a few of the following questions.

First here’s a little breakdown of my rationale. I’m a new Houdini user and have really been taken by the software. However I realise it can be quite difficult initially for artists to use. What I have become very interested in is how Houdini can be extended with the shelf tools, digital assets, scripts etc in order to make an artist’s workflow faster and easier.

-How can Python be used to aid artists in a very technical ‘under the hood’ program like Houdini? Shelf tools written in Python?

-What the introduction of Python means for Houdini? I.e. ways in which Python can be used in the integration between pipelines, external software packages or operating systems specifically within the VFX industry.

-H Script perhaps seems initially more intuitive and faster to create tools inside of Houdini. Is it the external links that are the most important reason for its implementation?

-Any other resources or perspectives on Python within Houdini.

Any help will be incredibly appreciated.
Thanks
Simon

See my response to your questions on the OdForce forum:
http://forums.odforce.net/index.php?showtopic=7098&st=0&gopid=47561&#entry47561 [forums.odforce.net]

-jeff

Hscript came first, it was conceived as sort of a subset of shell programming language. Like shell scripting it's short, convenient, and nowhere near as powerful and flexible as a full fledged scripting language like Python. Because it's been the only thing available until Houdini 9 it's naturally quite powerful and flexible for many tasks. It's also nice and short and convenient for throwing together useful things very quickly. All this could be said of shell scripting, too. It has it's place.

Python's become sort of the accepted hot flavour in the FX biz, everyone is implementing it. I'm a little skeptical that this will inherently lead to all that much ease in cross-talk tools since no matter what you used before and what you use now, you still need to hack things. That's OK, it certainly can't hurt and certainly it makes choices simple when someone says ‘I want to get into the FX biz - which scripting language should I learn?’.

Certainly the shelf is one of my favourite features ‘borrowed’ from other packages - and combined with Python gives a great toolset for customizing the package. I would still point out, however, that prior to it's introduction TDs were setting Houdini up for specific tasks for ‘non-Houdini’ users quite nicely. Python just means more, better, faster, more flexible. What everyone wants.

I'm not sure I entirely agree with the idea that Houdini is all that hard to learn. This has been a longstanding argument for many years and the notion is hard to lose. Even in the past before the shelf a simple 15 minute ‘orientation’ was admittedly necessary for most but after that it's mostly about trying to forget what you *think* you know from other packages. I understand for some it was incredibly frustrating that in order to add a sphere it was a 3 stage, somewhat obfuscated process. You still need to eventually *learn* what's going on, but now at least to get you started that's an ‘add sphere’ process, which helps.

Cheers,

J.C.

JColdrick
I'm not sure I entirely agree with the idea that Houdini is all that hard to learn. This has been a longstanding argument for many years and the notion is hard to lose. Even in the past before the shelf a simple 15 minute ‘orientation’ was admittedly necessary for most but after that it's mostly about trying to forget what you *think* you know from other packages. I understand for some it was incredibly frustrating that in order to add a sphere it was a 3 stage, somewhat obfuscated process. You still need to eventually *learn* what's going on, but now at least to get you started that's an ‘add sphere’ process, which helps.

EXACTLY!! yeah I think the biggest fear is fear itself. Granted, the name Houdini is naturally a little more mysterious, but I think it's much harder for artists from other packages to “unlearn” previous knowledge which relied on shortcuts, automated procedures, etc .. than it ever is to learn Houdini and a more open and flexible way of thinking about 3d. I think if beginners in school were taught Houdini before Max/Maya they'd think Houdini was much easier to learn. Imagine trying to learn Maya or Max after Houdini, man .. that would be REALLY hard .. because the user would be looking for an organized workflow, and the same amount of flexibility and power and not finding it!

Thanks for all your replies. Like you say I guess this notion of Houdini being difficult just really was down having construct everything from the ground up. The shelf tools have definitely made it easier and faster for simple setups. Personally now I wouldn't want to not know what was going on from the ground up. With Houdini I really feel in control of what I'm doing and my Python research is really helping to further this understanding.
Thanks again