Hi!
When do rendering for two different files opened - they both try to use the same MPlay floating window. Is there a possibility to use two different MPlays simultaneously?
Thanks

I sometimes need to do this amongst other things so(being on windows), I create a shortcut on my taskbar for

hcmd.exe

(which is found in C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini Version Number Being Used\bin\)

When you run hcmd.exe you can type and enter mplay as many times as you want to get as many mplays up as you want.

If you go to Render > Disconnected on the MPlay window, Houdini will automatically create a new MPlay window for your next flipbook (weather in a different .hip file or not)

You can route renders from different Houdini sessions to different MPlays using the MPlay Session Label parameter, found in the Mantra ROP in the Images / Metadata tabs. Select “One per Houdini process” in the dropdown menu at the right. You technically only need to do this for one of the Houdini sessions. You can also route renders by hip file or ROP if you like.

BabaJ
I sometimes need to do this amongst other things so(being on windows), I create a shortcut on my taskbar for

hcmd.exe

(which is found in C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini Version Number Being Used\bin\)

When you run hcmd.exe you can type and enter mplay as many times as you want to get as many mplays up as you want.

@BabaJ,
Thanks for the advice, have never gone there deep into files Seems I do something wrong - after I type “mplay” in hcmd.exe > Houdini opens Load Image window and empty MPlay window. Why does he want me open Image rather than .hip file for rendering? Don't understand how to use it.

markingleukc
If you go to Render > Disconnected on the MPlay window, Houdini will automatically create a new MPlay window for your next flipbook (weather in a different .hip file or not)

@markingleukc
Thanks, if to select Disconnected in Mplay > for new render Houdini opens new floating MPlay window, but the first one floating MPlay, where I've selected to be disconnected doesn't participate in rendering anymore (think will use it too for different variants of rendered the same without switching frames inside of MPlay window), but if to do Render in MPlay for any of two opened files after that - both will render in the same new opened MPlay again, while I would like them rendering each in own MPlay window.

twod
You can route renders from different Houdini sessions to different MPlays using the MPlay Session Label parameter, found in the Mantra ROP in the Images / Metadata tabs. Select “One per Houdini process” in the dropdown menu at the right. You technically only need to do this for one of the Houdini sessions. You can also route renders by hip file or ROP if you like.

@twod
Just WOW Thanks a lot, works like a charm!

@BabaJ,
Thanks for the advice, have never gone there deep into files Seems I do something wrong - after I type “mplay” in hcmd.exe > Houdini opens Load Image window and empty MPlay window. Why does he want me open Image rather than .hip file for rendering? Don't understand how to use it.

That's because you haven't given it a single or multiple sequence of images.

When you render to Mplay directly, you are first generating the render then putting in Mplay.

You might have rendered to disk and having nothing displayed.

In such a case you don't even need the hip file open any longer to view the rendered images. Just open Mplay through hcmd

Just depends on your overall workflow.

You seem to be doing all your rendering directly into Mplay with each hip file.

I usually just use the render view pane, and if I like what I see there I will render out to disk my image sequence.

And for final check and/or comparisons to other hip files, then I will bring up Mplay without the hip file and just have a look.

Ryu Ku

BabaJ
I sometimes need to do this amongst other things so(being on windows), I create a shortcut on my taskbar for

hcmd.exe

(which is found in C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini Version Number Being Used\bin\)

When you run hcmd.exe you can type and enter mplay as many times as you want to get as many mplays up as you want.

@BabaJ,
Thanks for the advice, have never gone there deep into files Seems I do something wrong - after I type “mplay” in hcmd.exe > Houdini opens Load Image window and empty MPlay window. Why does he want me open Image rather than .hip file for rendering? Don't understand how to use it.

You want to do mplay -K then (listen for renders). It won't prompt you to open files if -K is specified. For flipbooks, it's mplay -k.

BabaJ

@BabaJ,
Thanks for the advice, have never gone there deep into files Seems I do something wrong - after I type “mplay” in hcmd.exe > Houdini opens Load Image window and empty MPlay window. Why does he want me open Image rather than .hip file for rendering? Don't understand how to use it.

That's because you haven't given it a single or multiple sequence of images.

When you render to Mplay directly, you are first generating the render then putting in Mplay.

You might have rendered to disk and having nothing displayed.

In such a case you don't even need the hip file open any longer to view the rendered images. Just open Mplay through hcmd

Just depends on your overall workflow.

You seem to be doing all your rendering directly into Mplay with each hip file.

I usually just use the render view pane, and if I like what I see there I will render out to disk my image sequence.

And for final check and/or comparisons to other hip files, then I will bring up Mplay without the hip file and just have a look.

Seems I understood approximately how you use hcmd. With sequence saved you can switch off Houdini at all, then press hcmd shortcut and upload into appeared MPlay rendered sequence? And do this with several sequences at the same time?
And you see exactly what I do - “rendering directly into Mplay with each hip file” Is it somehow bad? Or it's just a matter of taste - to see rendering in Render View or in MPlay? I just like to be in the viewports while Mantras do rendering.

Yeah…nothing bad at all…just depends on your preferred workflow

twod

Ryu Ku

BabaJ
I sometimes need to do this amongst other things so(being on windows), I create a shortcut on my taskbar for

hcmd.exe

(which is found in C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini Version Number Being Used\bin\)

When you run hcmd.exe you can type and enter mplay as many times as you want to get as many mplays up as you want.

@BabaJ,
Thanks for the advice, have never gone there deep into files Seems I do something wrong - after I type “mplay” in hcmd.exe > Houdini opens Load Image window and empty MPlay window. Why does he want me open Image rather than .hip file for rendering? Don't understand how to use it.

You want to do mplay -K then (listen for renders). It won't prompt you to open files if -K is specified. For flipbooks, it's mplay -k.

Maybe it's more towards BabaJ, but I've tried it too
Seems both “mplay” and “mplay -k” in hcmd work similarly or I do something wrong…
mplay - opens two windows - one for MPlay (where nothing selectable) and one - where to select sequence with disks and these all things; mplay -k - opens one MPlay window where we open sequence through Open (?)
hcmd is very handy to have anyway.
And I'm interested - how is this black hcmd window called (from where we call mplay or mplay -k) and if it is just another way to work with Houdini, from where we can have access to everything inside of Houdini too or it's created for some specific commands only?
P.S. Your first advice about Meta Data Session Label - my must-have