Houdini demo

[cyphyr]

Rather good Houdini demo, various artists

Richarrd

[dandelO]

I've tried countless times to install Houdini, Richard, as it looks brilliant and it also seems to have great integration of .chan import/export(which not many programs that I own do), I get it installed and then the license server buggers me about to no end. I've tried manual install of licences, mailing support, trudging the forums. Still I get nowhere.

This video looks great, as I know it would but I just can't get it installed here. I have downloaded Apprentice 11 ages ago to test out a but still never managed to even get a free license sorted. I gave up.

[freelancah]

Hmm..Awesome video! dandelO have you tried to disable virus programs? Perhaps they are causing problems with the licence software when it tries to connect?

[cyphyr]

I've been watching Houdini for years now and it just keeps getting better and better. It seems more "highend", dedicated to a more movie market than a tv, games or print one. Maybe its time to give it a whirl, if I can find the time, lol!

Richard

[dandelO]

Hi, Freelancah. It seems to be the License Administrator(sesi?) program that I have trouble with. It refuses to connect to the server. I cannot seem to do anything to make it work, I've re-installed a number of times and always get the same error; Could not connect to server, I've already tried allowing it in my AV program, nothing seems to work. I might try again, I'm due for a format when I can be bothered with that hassle on it's own, and I'll try again.

[freelancah]

Dandel0 that seems very odd. Havent come across anything like that myself, except once with f-secure. It denied a program even tho it was allowed in every possible way, I eventually ended up uninstalling the whole package and changing software..

Cyphyr I know, I did that too and last year I bought myself the 99$ version or what did it cost, dont remember but it was cheap. Almost full features and all. Been doing those masterclasses and other tutorials every now and then, the only issue seems to be time which seems to be a resource stretched thin

[goldfarb]

dandelO
have a look through the Side Effects forums and you'll find lots of good advice on getting the license installed - Houdini is very sensitive to graphics cards
one way is to install and when the install gets to the part that shows you the things it will install - turn OFF the license Server and turn ON the Apprentice License

if anyone has any interest in Houdini (Apprentice is free, HD is $990 feel free to ask me any questions you have or private msg me etc...I've been using it for about 10 years...( )

[ndeewolfwood]

After 3 years on Houdini my feeling is :

simple things are complex to do with Houdini
Complex things are simple to do with Houdini

That's really an amazing software.

(Apprentice is free, HD is $990)

HD is 99$ not 990$

turn OFF the license Server and turn ON the Apprentice License

Dandelo, I'm pretty sure that goldfarb is right, this will solve your license problem.

[dandelO]

Cool. Cheers, folks. I'll give that a try when I re-install. Let you know how it goes...

I've a feeling that I've already done this, though. I came across a section at their website which gave you license keys to manually insert and still had no joy. I'll give it another shot, though.

[ndeewolfwood]

turn off firewall during install and first launch

when you reactive it you have to allow a lot of process to get houdini work properly : hmaster,hserver,mantra,mplay and some other process.

[dandelO]

hserver. That's the one I think I have problems with. And it stays installed as a service once you uninstall the program, I had to kill it in task manager. I think there's another called sesi.lib, or something, that was giving me problems.

[ndeewolfwood]

hserver take care about licensing...

i don't know about the other one

[goldfarb]

(Apprentice is free, HD is $990)

HD is 99$ not 990$

hahah -  ooopppss!

oh and some news from SIGGRAPH:
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2005&Itemid=66

and

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2001&Itemid=66
this last one is important for those thinking of using Houdini with other apps - including Terragen...v11.1 will support the Alembic format AND Field3D - Sony's "open source library for storing voxel data" - http://opensource.imageworks.com/?p=field3d

[Henry Blewer]

Terragen v11.1. ?

[ndeewolfwood]

terragen v11.1 on autodesk website at 990$ publish by ea sport...hahah

sorry it's not funny...

we have to read houdini 11.1