Using the Render Network API for Generative Houdini Workflows

A walkthrough by technical 3D artist MHX

Technical 3D artist MHX demonstrates how the Render Network API can be used to support generative 3D workflows built in Houdini and rendered with Octane on the Render Network.

In these examples, procedural scenes are generated in Houdini, submitted to the Render Network for rendering via the API, and retrieved as part of a connected workflow. MHX shows this process running both locally and in a virtualized compute environment, using Dispersed.

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Generative workflows driven directly from Houdini

In the first workflow, MHX shows how the Render Network API can be accessed directly inside Houdini using a custom Houdini Digital Asset (HDA).

At a high level:

• Houdini generates procedural or generative scenes

• The HDA packages the scene as an ORBX

• The Render Network API submits render jobs

• Job status is tracked programmatically

• Rendered frames are retrieved back into the workflow

This allows MHX to manage the full render loop - submission, rendering, and file handling - without leaving Houdini, making it well suited for iterative and generative work.