[Solved] Unable to read files (importing geometry issue)

[Etherloth]

Ok so, I have tried to put:

"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;&" 

in the PATH variable, but did not solve the issue (even restarted the computer just in case).

 

If I enter in cmd echo PATH  it returns

PATH

 

if I enter echo $PATH  returns

$PATH

 

What should actually return the echo?

[Etherloth]

One more note, before I think I copied wrong the PATH inside About Houdini cos it was clipped by the window, the actual whole thing is (after the change in the environment variable): 

C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/python27;C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/bin;C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/toolkit/bin;"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;&"

 

[Guest tar]

Looks like window uses the following to print the PATH. Please try:

echo %path%

 

echo $PATH will return the set PATH variable i.e. 

Quote

 

PATH (variable) PATH is an environment variable on Unix-like operating systems, DOS, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows, specifying a set of directories where executable programs are located. In general, each executing process or user session has its own PATH setting.

PATH (variable) - Wikipedia

 

 

1 minute ago, Etherloth said:

One more note, before I think I copied wrong the PATH inside About Houdini cos it was clipped by the window, the actual whole thing is (after the change in the environment variable): 

C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/python27;C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/bin;C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/toolkit/bin;"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;&"

 

Yeah - that first bit is stuffing you up. It needs to be a clean path.

Can you paste here the line in the ENV file please where you are setting the PATH

 

 

[Etherloth]

The value of the PATH environment variable I have set up in windows is a copy/paste of what you have suggested before, so:

"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;&"

And if I enter echo %PATH%  in cmd it returns now the proper value set on the variable, so the one quoted above ^

Inside Houdini, though, the PATH still shows as

C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/python27;C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/bin;C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/toolkit/bin;"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;&"

Mh, any idea of why would it be adding all that stuff before the actual PATH that we have set? :/

[Guest tar]

yep, those are the paths to Python and the Houdini toolkit. At this stage I don't have a Windows box to test with but at a guess can you try to the Env variable for Windows:

 

Windows XP

1. Select Start, select Control Panel. double click System, and select the Advanced tab.
2. Click Environment Variables. ...
3. In the Edit System Variable (or New System Variable) window, specify the value of the PATH environment variable. ...

[Etherloth]

Mh, but the existing PATH in Houdini already has a part that says:

C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/bin

Which is a clipped version of:

C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin

Shouldn't this be enough to point the program towards the correct stuff? Or does it have to have it twice no matter what like in an array?

I tried to delete PATH totally from windows environment variables and tried again (unsuccessfully) and Houdini was returning me a %PATH% in the end of the PATH content from the info within the application.

 

For the record, I also tried to delete my preferences folder and put on the PATH environment variable value the following:

C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.20/bin

C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;

"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin"

"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;"

"C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 16.0.504.20\bin;&"

but does not work at all as well  

 

Running out of ideas here.

[Guest tar]

3 things to try. You should also try the latest daily build, contact support and install Linux, until you can get the Windows version working.

Would be good to hear from another Windows users what their PATH looks like.

[Atom]

Does your system user name have illegal characters present? Or is it really userName as you have listed in post#1?

[Etherloth]

8 hours ago, marty said:

3 things to try. You should also try the latest daily build, contact support and install Linux, until you can get the Windows version working.

Would be good to hear from another Windows users what their PATH looks like.

Thanks @marty for all the answers and help )

8 hours ago, Atom said:

Does your system user name have illegal characters present? Or is it really userName as you have listed in post#1?

Nope, MASTER is simply what I am using which AFAIL should be 100% fine, thanks for your answers as well @Atom - Still wondering what was that PATH related line in .env that you mentioned a few times, I have nothing about PATH in there and perhaps is worth a shot )

Edited April 15, 2017 by Etherloth

[Etherloth]

I noticed that some kind of files were actually importing/exporting properly and after checking on my Comodo Firewall program I got to realize that the ones that didn't had their respective executables blocked access to local host... not sure why Comodo did this, perhaps every time I tried to export/import there was a dialog popping in the background (as is usual in Comodo, it asks EVERYTIME a program wants to do anything meaningful in your system) and unlike in the normal cases when Comodo query has visual priority over the program that attempts to do something, with Houdini looks like these popups are left in the background, at least in my machine, therefore by default all these converters got blocked.

 

TLDR: Make sure your file converters have clear access to your localhost.

 

Now all OBJ and other formats are read/wrote perfectly.

 

Thanks all the thread contributors for the help on this matter, hope this can help others in similar situation.

 

[AdamuKv]

I don't have Comodo (went through win firewall) and have tried everything above... Still can't make it read .obj... Ridiculous.

[ChazS]

Like many other features of Houdini (at least with apprentice) the file reference only worked when my workstation had internet access. Until then I had the same error message.

 

Houdini Apprentice v17.0.416

Windows 10

Edited February 10, 2019 by ChazS
Elaborated