Run houdini using command line on Windows

[JJ FX]

Hi, 

Can I run on Windows Houdini with cmd or powershell without manually lauching Houdini and then going to Windows > Shell?

[haggi]

Do you want to use houdini commandline version with something like hython.exe or do you simply want to start houdini with UI via commandline? For the first one you can use the houdini commandline tools which are installed with a regular houdini installation.

Edited January 10, 2023 by haggi

[JJ FX]

Ideally I want to use headless Houdini version with hython. Where are the commandline tools located?

[DonRomano]

They are located in the install directory of houdini, in the /bin sub-directory, you can navigate to it using the cmd like this
 

cd "C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini X.Y.Z/bin"
hython

// or

"C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini X.Y.Z/bin/hython"

Or add the path to your binary directory to the user environment variable PATH and then it will "source" this directory and make the binaries available in any directory from the console. However I do not advise to do this, and instead make a little bat script that launches a console with Houdini binaries (such as hython) available, like this

@echo off

set PATH="C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini X.Y.Z/bin";%PATH%

start /d C:/Users/username cmd

@echo on

And then double click on this script and you're set

[ikoon]

Hi @JJ FX,
I have a script, which creates .bat and .py script:
http://lex.ikoon.cz/render-multiple-opengl-rops-simultaneously/

 

The .bat contents looks like this:

REM This batch file runs multiple .py scripts at once 
start "Render: OGL" "C:/PROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.416/bin/hython.exe" "Q:/volby/7 houdini/scripts/OGL.py"

 

The OGL.py looks like this:

# This .py script opens a file and renders single rop
hou.hipFile.load("Q:/volby/7 houdini/volby - v13.hiplc")
node = hou.node("/obj/rop_GL/OGL")
node.render(verbose=True,output_progress=True)

 

[haggi]

Does it work?

[ikoon]

1 hour ago, haggi said:

Does it work?

The code I shared? It does  on my pc (win11, houdini 19.5)

[JJ FX]

On 1/10/2023 at 3:25 PM, DonRomano said:

They are located in the install directory of houdini, in the /bin sub-directory, you can navigate to it using the cmd like this
 

cd "C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini X.Y.Z/bin"
hython

// or

"C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini X.Y.Z/bin/hython"

Or add the path to your binary directory to the user environment variable PATH and then it will "source" this directory and make the binaries available in any directory from the console. However I do not advise to do this, and instead make a little bat script that launches a console with Houdini binaries (such as hython) available, like this

@echo off

set PATH="C:/Program Files/Side Effects Software/Houdini X.Y.Z/bin";%PATH%

start /d C:/Users/username cmd

@echo on

And then double click on this script and you're set

Thanks!