Hi all

Just got Houdini and get a long error log evry time i open it. It does not seem to really do anything, i just dont like it.
I have seen the error log pop up several other places, for instance when i ad the houdini ocean and just press play, still it all works.

Here is the error log i get in the console if it helps trace the root of the problem.

Error while populating shelf with shelf tool assets.
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\shelfutils.py”, line 177, in populateShelfFromJSON
_ensure_toolbar_dir_exists()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\shelfutils.py”, line 265, in _ensure_toolbar_dir_exists
toolbar_dir = hou.homeHoudiniDirectory() + “/toolbar”
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hou.py”, line 69088, in homeHoudiniDirectory
return _hou.homeHoudiniDirectory(*args)
UnicodeDecodeError: ‘utf8’ codec can't decode byte 0xd8 in position 9: invalid continuation byte

Error while checking for updates
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 84, in wrapper
return decorated_function(*args, **kwargs)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hdefereval.py”, line 193, in wrapper
_run_main_thread_worker_thread_code(it)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hdefereval.py”, line 152, in _run_main_thread_worker_thread_code
it.next()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 247, in check_for_asset_updates
installed_assets_info = _read_installed_assets_info()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 635, in _read_installed_assets_info
_ensure_asset_store_dir_exists()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 645, in _ensure_asset_store_dir_exists

if not os.path.exists(_installed_assets_info_file()):
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 709, in _installed_assets_info_file
return asset_store_dir() + “/” + _current_user_dir() + “/installed_assets.json”
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 713, in asset_store_dir
hou.homeHoudiniDirectory() + “/asset_store”)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hou.py”, line 69088, in homeHoudiniDirectory
return _hou.homeHoudiniDirectory(*args)
UnicodeDecodeError: ‘utf8’ codec can't decode byte 0xd8 in position 9: invalid continuation byte

Exception in thread Thread-1:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “C:\PROGRA~1\SIDEEF~1\HOUDIN~1.13\python27\lib\threading.py”, line 808, in __bootstrap_inner
self.run()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hou.py”, line 69893, in __threadRun
self.__run()
File “C:\PROGRA~1\SIDEEF~1\HOUDIN~1.13\python27\lib\threading.py”, line 761, in run
self.__target(*self.__args, **self.__kwargs)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hdefereval.py”, line 141, in <lambda>
thread = threading.Thread(target=lambda: function(*args, **kwargs))
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hdefereval.py”, line 161, in thread_code
it.next()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 354, in check_for_shelf_tool_assets
tool)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 684, in _shelf_tool_assets_icon_file
hou.homeHoudiniDirectory() + “/config/Icons/”,
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hou.py”, line 69088, in homeHoudiniDirectory
return _hou.homeHoudiniDirectory(*args)
UnicodeDecodeError: ‘utf8’ codec can't decode byte 0xd8 in position 9: invalid continuation byte

Getting this message as well in a separate window.

Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 2, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 1685, in ensure_webresponder_server_is_running
_web_responder_api = webresponder.start_server(WebResponderAPI)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\webresponder.py”, line 26, in start_server
logger = _create_logger()
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\webresponder.py”, line 69, in _create_logger
hutil.file.ensureDirExists(sas.localassets.asset_store_dir())
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\sas\localassets.py”, line 713, in asset_store_dir
hou.homeHoudiniDirectory() + “/asset_store”)
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.13/houdini/python2.7libs\hou.py”, line 69088, in homeHoudiniDirectory
return _hou.homeHoudiniDirectory(*args)
UnicodeDecodeError: ‘utf8’ codec can't decode byte 0xd8 in position 9: invalid continuation byte

After the great help from the Houdini support the problem is now solved.
For future reference the problem was related to use of a Norwegian character in my windows user folder.