Blender To Houdini with Python, Creating custom tool!

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to streamline your workflow by using Python scripting to export and send geometry from Blender to Houdini.

With just a few lines of Python code, you can create a button in Blender that triggers the export and sends the geometry to Houdini. This will save you time and effort, and allow you to focus on your creative work.

In this tutorial, we'll cover the following topics:

Setting up Blender for Python scripting
Writing a Python script to export geometry from Blender
Configuring the script to send the geometry to Houdini
Creating a button in Blender to trigger the script
Launching Houdini and opening the new geometry
By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a powerful new tool in your workflow that will help you work more efficiently and creatively.

A basic understanding of Blender and Houdini, as well as some knowledge of Python scripting, is recommended.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:08 Blender menu
00:43 Creating a Panel
05:16 Register class
06:38 Test Code
07:28 Making a Button
08:42 Export FBX
10:38 Add button to panel
12:55 Launch Houdini from code
14:44 Spawn nodes in Houdini
18:49 Add Houdini script
19:50 Make Addon from script

[simonhoudini]

Next set of videos will be fully Houdini! Feel free to share ideas or topics

[rodneygarcia]

This is really helpful! It really gives light on how to build a custom Blender to Houdini pipeline. Thank you very much for your work, Simon!

[musashidanmcgrath]

Hey mate, any plans to create the Houdini > Blender tutorial that you mentioned you might do if there was enough interest?

[noc_art]

Hi There Simon. Thanx a mil for all your great tutorials, this one especially. I was wondering how I can take this further, like how can I update the geo sent to Houdini instead of launching a new Houdini session each time. Does that need to be handled on Houdini side inside the python script? Where in the docs will I need to refer to? Thanx once again 🤗

[awesomedata]

Thank you, Simon. This is great! You rock!

As for ideas for another video -- I would really like an updated / more clear tutorial on how to use Houdini Engine to create buildings out of prefabs using Unity and/or the new Unreal Engine procedural workflow! -- That, or possibly how to use a free AI Language model inside Houdini!

[Tritoon]

Great, thank you.
Is it possible to do this from Maya to Houdini?

[chriswong]

may i know is this possible to use houdini engine to to call houdini backend in blender? i wonder the attributes will keep or not, like blender assign a point attribute and the point attribute in houdini represent something, and houdini also sent the data back ( mesh) to blender with attributes. i think it can do by some method, but do not know is how difficult to pick up

[alexamos]

I want to take this idea and change it so that I can give the Blender code to an artist on the team and then I can create a listener in my Houdini instance that grabs the submitted FBX.