Joseph Bishop

NodeArchitect 2.4.5 is out - Astra support and bug fixes

Models like Astra and Sol 6.1 are changing what we can expect from AI inside Houdini. This update focuses on keeping NodeArchitect useful alongside those advances. We improved the MCP server so models can control scenes more reliably, updated the GUI to better support their workflows, and introduced experimental direct API computer control.

It also fixes connection issues with several providers whose APIs and model requirements have changed.

• Provider Fixes — Updated API integrations to fix authentication, model discovery, streaming, and tool-call compatibility issues.
  
• Improved MCP Control — Better support for workflows with models like Astra and Sol 6.1 through validated scene edits, clearer results, session targeting, and recovery.
  
• GUI Improvements — Clearer approvals, tool feedback, image previews, and recovery controls for workflows with newer AI models.
  
• Experimental Computer Control — Introduced direct API computer control so compatible models can interact with Houdini’s interface. This is new and may not work as expected yet.
  
• Houdini Workflow Fixes — Improved node wiring, HDA parameters, simulation workflows, and Karma settings.
  

Download NodeArchitect 2.4.5⁠ [bishopvfx.gumroad.com]

2.4.2 - Reliability, Documentation Search & Project Memory

Improved local documentation search functionality.

Fewer Wrong Answers - Parameter editing now reads the real interface - tokens, ranges, expressions and keyframes - and verifies every write. VEX, simulation and Copernicus failures report the node that actually broke, with line and column.

Performance Improvements - ChatGPT (Codex) now runs a reply's tool calls together instead of one per round trip, with visible, configurable reasoning. Busy scenes, stuck operations and MCP issues report what's happening instead of looking broken, and settings and chat history are protected against crashes.

Project Memory - 100% recall on our 28-query evaluation, up from 93%. Unsaved scenes keep their notes until you save, and a learning captured wrongly can now be deleted.

2.4.3 - Headless Mode

NodeArchitect can now drive a Houdini session with no UI open at all. Add one line to your MCP client config (or tick the box in Settings → MCP) and tools like Claude Desktop, Codex, and Cursor can build scenes, run Python, and render with Karma/husk, starting Houdini on demand and shutting it down when you're done. Ideal for render farms, CI, and automation.

2.4.4 - Token efficiency improvements

Much lower running costs. A leaner default tool list, compact payloads and fewer round-trips cut the tokens spent per turn — most noticeably through Claude Desktop, Cursor and Claude Code.

ChatGPT login fixes. The model list now comes from Codex instead of a built-in list that had gone stale, real error messages replace Codex's internal retry chatter, and reasoning effort offers what your model actually supports.

New nodes stop stacking on top of each other.

Hi everyone,

NodeArchitect 2.4.1 is now available. A smaller update focused on render engine detection reliability and a few workflow refinements.

New in 2.4.1:

• Plugin detection is more reliable. Redshift, Arnold, V-Ray, RenderMan and Octane are now detected correctly when installed, fixing cases where NodeArchitect reported a working render engine as missing.
  
• Two new tools convert Principled Shaders to Redshift materials automatically.
  
• ChatGPT login now runs on Codex's app-server mode — its own persistent-connection mode — instead of launching a new process for every message. No more workaround, and it feels much more polished.
  
• Filter chat history by project. Sessions can now be filtered to the current project, not just the current file, via a new switch in the sidebar.