Im not sure how to save the current desktop as the
default one that houdini loads when it launches. I have
to switch to the technical desktop everytime i launch
houdni, and would rather houdini open using this one.

Whats the preference and where can i set it?
thanks in advance.

Hiya,
Not sure what OS you're running, so just do a search for the 123.cmd file on your system.

If you edit that file, right at the bottom you'll find a few lines that sets the desktop, just copy and past the following over the existing code to have the technical desktop open automatically for ya:


set desks = `run(“desk list”)`
set build = 0
set animate = 0
foreach desk ( $desks )
if ($desk == “Technical”)
set build = 1
else if ($desk == “Build”)
set animate = 1
endif
end

if ($build == 1) then
desk set Technical
else if ($animate == 1) then
desk set Build
endif

Hope that helps!
Matt.

For years now I've just used the default alphabetical order which Houdini seems to use - I mostly use custom desktops and I just hid the shipping desktops and named mine 01_Build, 02_Animate, etc. A slightly less hacky option… I also have a shelf that lets me flip between desktops with one click - far less awkward than the default nested menu.

I am curious if there's ever been a method in GUI to let sdugaro do what he wants, though. It would be nice to have a ‘set as startup desktop’ option.

Cheers,

J.C.

Hmm the 01_desktop alphabetic trick didnt work for me in H9.
Come to think of it, the Animate desktop should trump the Build
desktop if that were the case, I always get the Build desktop when
houdini loads.. There must be a very simple solution to this. cheers.

this is simple

create a file 456.cmd

and inside

desk set Technical


put that in your houdini9.5/scripts folder

if the scripts folder doesn't exist create it and there you go, open H9

Thats the ticket. thanks varomix.

I put his in my ~/houdini9.5/123.cmd instead as that will
set the Technical desktop prior to loading any houdini
files. i would expect houdini to maintain the desktop in
any specified hipfile, so you dont want to change your
desktop after the hipfile loads.

for completeness sake, i think you wouldnt want to set
desktops if you launch houdini without a gui (hscript), so
this is what i have in my 123.cmd


if( `arg(run(“version”),0)` == “Houdini” )
desk set Technical
endif

finally figured out the easiest pipeline independent approach.
Just alias how you launch houdini, specifying the desktop
to load on the command line.

% houdini -s Technical

Just thought id update this.. i had a 123.cmd that set my desktop when houdini loaded.
Unfortunately this caused some inexplicable problems for me wrt to parameter template
caching, but i am pleased to see that this can now be set in Edit > Preferences > General User Interface | Startup In Desktop… or general.desk.val := “Technical”; in the houdini.pref

Not sure which version of houdini 10 this came available (im using 10.0.345), but im
glad to finally be able to do away with my own 123.cmd