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OctaneRender 2026.1.0.0 for Houdini Production (2026.1.0.0)

https://render.otoy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=85382

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OctaneRender 2026.1.0.0 for Houdini Production (2026.1.0.0)

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2025 12:39 am
by bruce.chai
This is a production release of the OctaneRender™ 2026.1.0.0 for Houdini™ plugin compiled with the Octane 2026.1 core. This 2026.1.0.0 release is available for the latest Houdini production builds on Windows x64, Linux.

Houdini production builds supported by this release: 20.0.896, 20.5.684, 21.0.440, 21.0.512 and 21.0.559.

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, 20.5 and 21.0 gcc11.2 builds are supported.

New features
To learn more about the new features and improvements of OctaneRender 2026.1, please check out the 2026.1 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.

Downloads

Release 2026.1.0.0 Studio+ license
Windows Houdini 20.0.896
Windows Houdini 20.5.684
Windows Houdini 21.0.440
Windows Houdini 21.0.512
Windows Houdini 21.0.559

Linux Houdini 20.0.896 (gcc11.2)
Linux Houdini 20.5.684 (gcc11.2)
Linux Houdini 21.0.440 (gcc11.2)
Linux Houdini 21.0.512 (gcc11.2)
Linux Houdini 21.0.559 (gcc11.2)

Release 2026.1.0.0 macOS Prime license
MacOS Houdini 20.0.896
MacOS Houdini 20.5.684
MacOS Houdini 21.0.440
MacOS Houdini 21.0.512
MacOS Houdini 21.0.559

Release 2026.1.0.0 Demo version
Windows Houdini 20.0.896
Windows Houdini 20.5.684
Windows Houdini 21.0.559

Linux Houdini 20.0.896 (gcc11.2)
Linux Houdini 20.5.684 (gcc11.2)
Linux Houdini 21.0.559 (gcc11.2)

Release Notes
=============================================
RELEASE 2026.1.0.0
=============================================
PLUGIN FEATURES AND FIXES:

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We updated the octane material node naming and tab menu structuring to align with Octane Standalone and other plugins, so many of the nodes will have slightly different naming or will be found in different submenus. Overall this should be an improvement from before!

Changes:
  • Added trace set selector button to trace set parameters for each trace set selection and overview
  • New Tool: Octane Light ID Manager - allows easy overview and editing of light IDs in scene
  • Added multiple HDRIs to RT/Rendersetup and ability to blend/combine them
  • Octane now automatically adds relevant octane parameters to instance obj node
    -> instance get their object layer settings from source object now
  • Improved Octane Decal HDA default subnet for easier use
  • OpenPBRSurface materialX node is supported
  • You can now set Octane cache directory in Octane settings & the file caching tab in the octane settings got an overall overhaul
  • New clipping parameters for gaussian splats, with option to create a control object for easy viewport modification + other new parameters (wireframe material etc)
  • Octane vop nodes were overhauled and now get their names and categories from octane core - matching octane Standalone
    -> THIS MEANS SOME OCTANE MATERIAL NODES WILL NOW BE IN A DIFFERENT MENU OR HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NAME
  • Octane vop nodes now have foldered sections, for better UX
  • New halftone texture
  • Octane now supports up to 10 float and 10 vector vertex attributes.
  • Much improved updating when using expressions (for example camera focus expression etc) in IPR
  • Texture nodes now virtual texturing bias setting
  • Renamed Decal wireframe IPR button to Decal and Gaussian splat wireframe
  • Added object layer parms to toon light
  • Hid Octane light, and spectron light, as universal light replaces them and is better in every way
  • New switch nodes for materials, emission etc
  • Updated meshlet ID settings. It now is much more robust and in most cases delets old meshlet cache files after updating
  • You can also now see active meshlet files when hovering over meshlet count in IPR info panel
  • When using a not enabled AOV in the OutputAOVs this AOV is now automatically enabled (AND WILL BE EXPORTED). The added AOVs will now also show up in IPR AOV dropdown.
  • Added warning message when incorrect Octane installation is detected
  • Updated quickmaterial for 2026.1:
    -> Supporting new displacement settings
    -> Include emission parms (double sided, surface brightness etc)
    -> Rebuilt sop level quickmat to use the mat level one
    -> Added customAOV settings
    -> Added Sheen BRDF mode setting
    -> Added vertex displacement option
  • Changed RT backplate setting name from "Disabled" to "Same as Environment"
  • Changed distortion texture to 32bit and added transform parameters.
  • Changed octane range vop node min and max to -1 and 1 (was really high values before)
  • Added support for 21.0.559
  • Ignore mtlx standard surface node's normal parameter value (usually 0,0,0) which caused weird rendering
  • When no opacity node is set in the decal node it defaults to 1 (visible) instead of previous 0 (invisible)
  • Removed depreciated "Pack into UVs" from fur and particle sections
  • Support Houdini native mtlxifequalbool, mtlxifgreaterbool and mtlxifgreatereqbool nodes
  • Environment Unoccluded checkbox on by default
  • Hide the vop octane nodes that are hidden in octane standalone

Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed errors when copy/paste octane light or quick material
  • Fixed missing "T" at the beginning of an error message
  • Fixed camera creation script to accept switcher nodes (instead of sending an error)
  • Fixed IPR Disable Scene Update Crash
  • Instance color texture now accepts float values beyond 1, making it more useful for things like offsetting uvs per instance etc
  • Fixed instance texture not working with more than 65565 instances
  • Fixed un-linked octane info pass settings in RT hda
  • Fixed instancing source geo in disabled subnet reappearing
  • Removed ray tracing option as it is always enabled on all platforms
  • Fixed layer settings (trace sets, lightids etc) not working for directional lights and toon lights
  • Fixed universal light not updating when changing mode (for example from directional light to analytic light)
  • Fixed IPR alpha showing black when not at 100% zoom
  • Fixed long save times/slowdown on unlocking hdas bug when IPR was open
  • Fixed light ID manager scaling
  • Fixed a mtlx import crash
  • Fixed bug where camera selection dropdown would stop working when the IPR button in octane shelf was pressed while IPR was running
  • Fixed Environment texture blend parameters not connected in RenderSetup node
  • Fixed "No matching configuration found" error message caused by mtlx range node
  • Fixed Composite material "unknown" checkboxes
  • Fixed Direct Lighting kernel's unnecessary default white color AO ambient texture
  • Fixed Daylight ENV texture - Colorspace link broken
OctaneRender for Houdini tutorial
Still updating

Note
From 2025.1.Beta_1.0, Octane plugin for Houdini uses Houdini package file. Each build ships a script (createPackageFileForOctane.bat for Windows, createPackageFileForOctane.sh for Linux and Mac) to help create the Octane.json file as below under C:\Users\<username>\Documents\houdiniXX.Y\packages on windows, ~/Library/Preferences/houdini/XX.Y/packages on Mac, or ~/houdiniXX.Y/packages on Linux.

Code: Select all

{
    "enable": true,
    "env": [
        {
            "OCTANE_AUTOSPAREPARAMS": {
                "value": 1
            }
        },
        {
            "OCTVERSION": "<path_to_plugin_directory>"
        },
        {
            "HOUDINI_PATH": {
                "value": "$OCTVERSION"
            },
            "HOUDINI_MENU_PATH": {
                "value": "$OCTVERSION/config/Menus"
            },
            "HOUDINI_SCRIPT_PATH": {
                "value": "$OCTVERSION/scripts"
            },
            "PATH": {
                "value": "$OCTVERSION/bin"
            },
            "PXR_PLUGINPATH_NAME": {
                "value": "$OCTVERSION/dso/usd_plugins"
            }
        }
    ]
}
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
All times are UTC
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