Joseph Bishop

Big update: NodeArchitect has now been updated to v2.3.x


ChatGPT/Codex login is now supported via the Codex CLI. This should make NodeArchitect much easier to try if you already use ChatGPT or Codex.

This release also adds Plan Mode, which is a major change to how the agent works. Before making any changes to your Houdini scene, NodeArchitect now generates a full implementation plan using live scene data. You can review the plan, refine it, or discard it entirely. Nothing executes until you approve it.

There is also a new HDA Composer. The agent can now help create, modify, and validate HDAs from natural language prompts. Like Plan Mode, it works plan-first, with rollback handling if something goes wrong.

Another big addition is early Copernicus / COP support. NodeArchitect previously very little Copernicus integration, so this release increases the COP toolset: 23 tools covering node inspection, image plane queries, error diagnostics, and exporting comps to disk.

Other improvements in v2.3.1 include:

• Project memory - NodeArchitect now retains context scoped to the project file rather than just the user session. Returning to a scene, picks up prior context instead of starting cold.
  
• Cook-time performance profiling - new tool profiles the network and ranks nodes by cook time, surfacing bottlenecks directly without manually digging through Performance Monitor.
  
• Undo-safe AI mutations — every AI-driven scene edit now creates a checkpoint automatically, so changes can be rolled back from the NodeArchitect panel.
  
• Compact conversations — long sessions are automatically summarized before hitting the model’s context limit, while preserving important decisions and exact Houdini paths.
  
• Better model compatibility — text-only models now fall back to text-based validation instead of breaking on viewport requests.
  
• Stability fixes — including cook-deadlock prevention for agent-triggered scene evaluation and other reliability improvements.
  

Overall, this is one of the biggest NodeArchitect updates so far. The focus has been on making the agent safer, easier to get started with, and more useful in real Houdini workflows: ChatGPT/Codex login, plan-first execution, rollback-safe edits, HDA creation, longer sessions, and the first step toward COP/compositing support.

I previously built NodeArchitect. While developing it, I found that giving an assistant access to Houdini only solves part of the workflow.

It may understand the current Houdini session, but not which asset or shot it belongs to, which input version is current, where the .hip file should be saved, or what downstream work depends on it. That context can also disappear between sessions.
I built KeystoneMCP to provide that missing production layer. It is a local MCP server aimed primarily at solo artists and small creative projects.

KeystoneMCP lets an AI assistant manage:
Project folder creation
Tasks, assets and shots
File locations and naming rules
Work, review, publication and delivery files
Current and approved versions
Dependencies and blocked tasks
Project context across sessions



It works alongside Houdini MCP tools rather than replacing them. The Houdini MCP operates inside Houdini, while KeystoneMCP provides the wider project state, exact paths, input versions and workflow guidance.

The goal is to let AI handle more of the repetitive project organization while the artist remains focused on the creative work.

KeystoneMCP is currently free to claim for eligible indie users and businesses earning under $150,000 USD annually. Anyone eligible who claims it during the launch period keeps that version permanently. A low-cost Indie tier will follow in roughly one month.

Download [bishopvfx.gumroad.com]

Hi everyone,

I've just released a major update to NodeArchitect, a Houdini plugin that brings an AI agent directly into your scene.

NodeArchitect reads selected nodes, parameters, and connections inside Houdini and uses that context to:

- Explain node networks
- Help debug issues
- Generate VEX and Python based on the current scene
- Document networks
- Build HDAs from natural language descriptions
- Expose Houdini through MCP for external AI tools



2.0 update changes:

- Rebuilt agent system using native function calling (more reliable multi-step behaviour)
- New web UI with streaming output and syntax highlighting
- Built-in MCP server (no separate setup required)
- GitHub Copilot login support
- Per-tool consent before scene modifications

Licensing note:
NodeArchitect 2.0 will move to a commercial license at a small price in the future, reflecting the increased scope and quality of the tool. Version 1.0 will remain free for personal/non-commercial use.

Anyone who downloads NodeArchitect before the licensing change will be grandfathered in with access to future updates at no additional cost.

Download [bishopvfx.gumroad.com]