Handeling cache chain

[bobbybob]

How are you managing your caches?

If I have 4-5 sims that builds on top of each other, all of them has a cache, and I change something in the first sim, I need to go and re-cache all the other caches (That maybe are located different places in my network). Are there a way to manage this "chain" of caches, so it's possible to have a better overview of all caches in the sim, and be able to quickly re-cache the sims that need it?

What is a good workflow for this?

[ikoon]

Hi Bobby, I was also trying to solve this issue. I am freelancer, so I don't know how bigger studios solve this.

Here is a thread discussing it:
https://forums.odforce.net/topic/39743-file-cache-sop-checking-for-dirtiness/

I was considering many approaches, but I ended up with a simple "manual" solution. I search for dependent caches, with a script like the following. If you are interested in this "manual" solution, I will clean it up and post here (and on my blog http://lex.ikoon.cz)

 

def fc_downstream_filecaches(node) :
    global dependents
    global filecaches
    candidates = list(set(  node.outputs() + node.dependents()  ))

    for candidate in candidates :
        if candidate.type().name() != "filecache" :
            if candidate not in dependents :
                dependents.append(candidate)
                fc_downstream_filecaches(candidate)
        else :
            # filecache, don't iterate
            filecaches.append(candidate)
            fc_invalidate(candidate)

        # If candidate's parent is a dopnet, check also dopnet,
        # because Dop I/O is dependent on Dop Object,
        # which is often independent.
        parent = candidate.parent()
        if parent.type().name() == "dopnet" :
            if parent not in dependents :
                dependents.append(parent)
                fc_downstream_filecaches(parent)
                
def fc_invalidate_dependents() :
    dependents = []
    filecaches = []
    node = hou.selectedNodes()[0]
    fc_downstream_filecaches(node)

 

[anim]

in production you usually build a ROP net where you fetch your Caches and connect them in order as they depend on each other

then just run the ROP dependency chain as you need, there may be a pre-render scripts that will update the cache versions based on some rules like hipfilename or something, but in a nutshell you just create an accompanying ROPnet to your setup

[kiryha]

@anim

Hi, Tomas!
Can`t get it working, I press Render on "fetch2" node in "asset_bake" ropnet but I don`t get my caches... What I am doing wrong?

cache_chain_001.hiplc

[tamagochy]

@kiryha

first, your chain disconnected

second fetch should be addressed inside filecache to rop driver, then it will work

[kiryha]

@tamagochy
Did not become more clear at all  Can you post a hip?

Edited July 9, 2019 by kiryha

[anim]

updated

cache_chain_001_fix.hiplc

Edited July 10, 2019 by anim

[kiryha]

Thanks, Tomas! But I could not download the file....

 

Sorry, there is a problem

We could not locate the item you are trying to view.
Error code: 2S328/1

[anim]

reuploaded the file

[kiryha]

Thanks, Tomas, it's working!
Now I understand what Andrii meant

[ameyer]

PDG is now your best friend here! (-;