how to define custom variable HIP file specific? like $JOB

[kensonuken]

Hi we are in the process of setting up a multi character pipeline and we would like to define custom variables like $JOB $CHAR $SCENE $VERSION etc..

is it possible to define in the HIP file itself rather than the path of the scene

On the storage front we want to put all the HIP files at one place and all the generated data at another place so I just cant use $HIP in the scene how is the possible?

can I use any variables like %d %m like in Nuke...

Please help us to have a proper consistent workflow but infact we are using the above process in nuke where we declare a sticky node and call the value in the sticky note which is working like a charm...

is there any possibility.

[sanostol]

you can set custom variables with Edit>Aliases/Variables, that you can use in paths for example, by hand, or You can use hom to do that by script. I would do it by a pythonOBJ that contains all the code for this, so You can drop in a node for Your filemanagement, at least that is how I did it.

martin

[3__]

On the storage front we want to put all the HIP files at one place and all the generated data at another place so I just cant use $HIP

Seems like a common problem, can it be solved using symlinks?

[kensonuken]

you can set custom variables with Edit>Aliases/Variables, that you can use in paths for example, by hand, or You can use hom to do that by script. I would do it by a pythonOBJ that contains all the code for this, so You can drop in a node for Your filemanagement, at least that is how I did it.

martin

yeah ive tried using this one it works pretty decent but the folder creation before the render begins might be super helpful since when we render we always have to create the folder hierarchy and then render sometimes the structure is pretty complicated for various passes. Is there anyway to create this automatically since when we version up we have to recreate this folder structure. Anyway to do this?

[sanostol]

you can use this python function to build all needed directories for the path you use as "newdir"

import os, errno
def mkdirs(newdir, mode =0777):
    try:os.makedirs(newdir, mode)
    except OSError, err:
        if err.errno != errno.EEXISTS or not os.path.isdir(newdir):
            raise 

you can use this function in the mantra node , scripts/ prerenderscripts (don't forget to use python) or You use it in a custom tool that automates the data handling for You. for example it is very handy to let that tool create variables like $RENDER or $TEXTURE and add this variables to the jump.pref file in your houdini dir. now when this variable exists You get short cuts in Your file browser

martin

[kensonuken]

Hey sanostol your post no 555 awesome no man.. and thanks alot for the reply ill trying using that...