OctaneRender 2024.1.2 for Houdini production (2024.1.2.1)

[bruce.chai]

This is a production release of the OctaneRender™ 2024.1.2.1 for Houdini™ plugin compiled with the Octane 2024.1.2 core. This 2024.1.2.1 release is available for the latest Houdini production builds on Windows x64, Linux, and macOS arm64.

Houdini production builds supported by this release: 19.5.805, 20.0.896, 20.5.410, 20.5.445, 20.5.487.

If you are not sure if your Houdini version is compatible with the plugin - just run it and you will see an error message in case of incompatibility.

Linux Note
On Linux only default Houdini builds are supported.
This means that for Houdini 20.0 and 20.5, gcc11.2 builds are supported, and for Houdini 19.5, gcc9.3 build is supported.

New features
To learn more about the new features and improvements of OctaneRender 2024.1.2, please check out the 2024.1.2 release post

Known bugs
On Linux, MPlay IPR may not be working. If you are having problems with it, please switch to QT5 IPR and disable "Render to MPlay" in ROP nodes.
Octane is still working on supporting OCIO V2.3 (the version that Houdini 20.5 uses). The workaround for now is to use the Houdini 20.0's OCIO files when you use Houdini 20.5. e.g. You can use 20.0.751's OCIO file by adding the below line in your houdini.env file for Houdini20.5.

Code: Select all

OCIO = "C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 20.0.751\packages\ocio\houdini-config-v1.0.0_aces-v1.3_ocio-v2.1.ocio"

Important Note
2024.1.0.2 fixed the problem that the layered material nodes cannot be loaded properly, however this fix affects all layered material nodes and OSL material nodes in existing saved .hip files. When loading a .hip file for the first time using this build, it's necessary to adjust the connections of these nodes. Once the file is saved with the updated connections, the issue will be resolved.

Downloads

Release 2024.1.2.1 Studio+ license
Windows Houdini 19.5.805 - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Win64.zip
Windows Houdini 20.0.896 - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Win64.zip
Windows Houdini 20.5.410 - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Win64.zip
Windows Houdini 20.5.445 - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Win64.zip
Windows Houdini 20.5.487 - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Win64.zip

Linux Houdini 19.5.805 - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Linux.zip
Linux Houdini 20.0.896 (gcc11.2) - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Linux.zip
Linux Houdini 20.5.410 (gcc11.2) - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Linux.zip
Linux Houdini 20.5.445 (gcc11.2) - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Linux.zip
Linux Houdini 20.5.487 (gcc11.2) - https://render.otoy.com/customerdownloa ... _Linux.zip

Release 2024.1.2.1 macOS Prime license
MacOS Houdini 19.5.805 - https://render.otoy.com/downloads/bd/8f ... _macos.zip
MacOS Houdini 20.0.896 - https://render.otoy.com/downloads/24/7c ... _macos.zip
MacOS Houdini 20.5.410 - https://render.otoy.com/downloads/e1/2f ... _macos.zip
MacOS Houdini 20.5.445 - https://render.otoy.com/downloads/9c/31 ... _macos.zip
MacOS Houdini 20.5.487 - https://render.otoy.com/downloads/72/00 ... _macos.zip

Release Notes
=============================================
RELEASE 2024.1.2.1
=============================================
PLUGIN FEATURES AND FIXES:

• Fixed moving NULL parent of a camera doesn't update IPR
• Improved slow IPR update when moving object with lots of polygons
• Hide ROP Archive tab when render mode is not update
• Connections of dynamic pins can be restored when the input node is a subnetwork
• Support absolute path with two or more materials
• Workaround to avoid Octane Improvement Project propmt dialog on OSX
• Support NT_SWITCH_CAMERA node in RenderTarget

Important Note
2024.1.0.2 fixed the problem that the layered material nodes cannot be loaded properly, however this fix affects all layered material nodes and OSL material nodes in existing saved .hip files. When loading a .hip file for the first time using this build, it's necessary to adjust the connections of these nodes. Once the file is saved with the updated connections, the issue will be resolved.


Common Issues and Solutions
- If the plugin doesn't work at all, set HOUDINI_DSO_ERROR = 2 in houdini.env and check for messages in the terminal.
- If you're missing libglut.so.3, install the freeglut package.
- If you are having any issues with the Deadline - please submit a support ticket to the AWS.

Happy rendering,
Your OTOY Team

[galleon27]

Don't know if this was reported but Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR.

[bruce.chai]

Don't know if this was reported but Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR.

Thank you for reporting this, galleon27.
I believe you are saying rotating Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR (requires manually update the scene), right?
Will look into the issue.

[galleon27]

Don't know if this was reported but Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR.

Thank you for reporting this, galleon27.
I believe you are saying rotating Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR (requires manually update the scene), right?
Will look into the issue.

Yes, exactly. Just the rotation. Everything else works just fine. Thanks

[seesharpstudio]

The lights are impossible to move when you have a scene with some heavy geo - it's like it reloads everything in that scene when trying to move a light - thus waiting like 10 seconds for the IPR to refresh. It's a current limitation or what?

[bruce.chai]

Don't know if this was reported but Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR.

Thank you for reporting this, galleon27.
I believe you are saying rotating Distant Toon Light doesn't update in IPR (requires manually update the scene), right?
Will look into the issue.

Yes, exactly. Just the rotation. Everything else works just fine. Thanks

Thanks for the confirmation, galleon27, I'll see if this can be fixed in the next release, looks like an easy one.

[bruce.chai]

The lights are impossible to move when you have a scene with some heavy geo - it's like it reloads everything in that scene when trying to move a light - thus waiting like 10 seconds for the IPR to refresh. It's a current limitation or what?

Thanks for reporting this, seesharpstudio.
Could you please share a test scene file for this issue? I tried a scene, there is no problem for me to move octane_universalLight, octane_light and octane_spectron light. I guess the scene's geo is not heavy enough？

[seesharpstudio]

Sure. Please find attached a scene for test - it's just a sphere with a light. I've made the scene with OctaneRender 2025.1 - but as I can see in OctaneRender 2024.1.2 it says "Improved slow IPR update when moving object with lots of polygons" and in 2025 it says "Includes all fixes in 2024.1.2.1" - so this shouldn't be a problem.

https://mab.to/t/UCLIIXxWepy/eu1 - Test file

[bruce.chai]

Sure. Please find attached a scene for test - it's just a sphere with a light. I've made the scene with OctaneRender 2025.1 - but as I can see in OctaneRender 2024.1.2 it says "Improved slow IPR update when moving object with lots of polygons" and in 2025 it says "Includes all fixes in 2024.1.2.1" - so this shouldn't be a problem.

https://mab.to/t/UCLIIXxWepy/eu1 - Test file

Thanks for the scene, seesharpstudio.

I reproduced this issue.
It's not reloading everything in the scene.
Moving objects sends a lot of updating light position events. And updating light with with heavy geo is indeed a slow operation.

For this test scene, I exported the scene to orbx file and opened it in Octane Standalone, I found one single operation changing the light's position made Octane Standalone take about 10 seconds to refresh as well.
So unfortunately, there isn't really much the plugin can do to improve the performance...

I think the slowness is caused by /mat/glass/Material_Standard_Surface1/Emission weight in this scene. I'll let Octane Core team know if there is anything that can be done to improve this.

[seesharpstudio]

Please do - I always try to do a whole project in Octane from start to finish and I always find some little quirks like this - that make it impossible in the middle of the project.