For those who don’t know the tool: Natsura, the Houdini foliage toolkit lives inside Houdini, can push assets to Unreal Engine workflows, and now leans harder into assemblies, mapping, and export glue.

What shipped in 0.6

Version 0.6.0.0 landed on March 25, 2026, with support for Houdini 20.5 and Houdini 21.0. The release calls out modular effectors, Nanite assemblies, an assembly decorator, a revamped UI, analytics, scan extension, and Houdini 21 support. The update introduces an Assembly workflow aimed at quickly rigging twig and branch libraries and assembling canopies. There is also a set of tools for Unreal Nanite skeletal assembly support, paired with wind authoring tools. Assembly-related nodes are flagged as experimental in the release notes, though. Be careful.

On the shaping side, the release adds a modular effector system like a bolt on simulation modifiers with no VEX required. Effectors are an extendable stack, and the base effector node supports writing VEX to extend the simulation and respond to geometry and inputs.

Assemblies, decorators, and Unreal export

The release adds new nodes for an assembly pipeline, including an assembly resource node for mesh library import and auto rigging, an assembly decoration node for canopy decoration that can pick modules based on traits and transform instance hierarchies with rigid rotations, and a classify node for trait-based module classification.

Export to Unreal related workflows gets multiple mentions. The export node for Unreal Nanite assembly lists updates including material support, skeletal and static assembly, fixed instance naming, and removal of a transform on points that broke instancing. There is also a LOP node for USD workflows that creates a Nanite assembly for SOP based creation.

Wind support is expanded through new nodes for wind initialisation and validation, wind class assignment for Unreal, a wind preview visualisation tool that is functional but not accurate or meant to look good, and a node that exports UE5 DynamicWindSkeletalData as JSON. If your environment team already has a wind data convention, this is the part to validate early, especially around naming, material binding, and what your in-engine tooling expects.

Effectors, guides, and growth controls

Several new effectors are listed: deflection, magnet attraction, gravitropism, gravity, and noise based growth perturbation. The grow node line gets a long set of updates in this release, including a new spiral parameter with absolute and relative modes, integration with the effector stack, and an updated decorator stack format to match the effector stack.

One practical change is the way mapping and prim construction are described. Map prim construction is deferred to grow, which is described as reducing node count and compile time. There is also an instant colour preview mentioned, plus options for skeleton swapping and custom draw modules. Growth workflows appear to be treated as a family of versions, with backwards compatibility restored across multiple grow versions and various mapping and parameter warning cleanups.

Rig simplification and reskinning

Rig simplification tooling shows up both as a new simplify rig node and as updates to a simplify rig reskin path, as well as multi stem tree support, chaining of simplify nodes, and added carve method and max joints count. If your pipeline needs a predictable joint budget for game ready trees, this is where you will want to spend time.

Analytics and privacy details

Analytics is “opt-in” and disabled by default, with no data collected without explicit user consent. If you work in an environment with strict compliance rules, the opt in default and EU cloud note are helpful details, but you still need to run your own review. Make sure your team knows what is allowed, and that tool telemetry decisions match your facility policy.

The notes also state that 0.7 will be a breaking release, and this 0.6 release includes precursor work such as a standardised mapping architecture, groundwork for decorator cook trigger decoupling, and a foundation for mappable decorator parameters. Read that as a warning to keep a rollback plan, and to budget time for update testing before you touch active porudction setups.

Compatibility notes for Houdini artists

Houdini 21 support is obvious, including mention of an APEX graph schema enforcement fix. The release also claims continued full Houdini 20.5 support, plus compatibility work around Qt bindings.

In practice, this release spans a lot of surface area: SOP level nodes, UI panels, export to Unreal, USD workflow hooks, analytics, and a mapping engine refactor. That is a lot of moving parts for a minor release number, even if the changelog is transparent about what is experimental. Treat the upgrade like you would any node library update: keep a copy of old scenes, validate the graphs, and test exports end to end before shipping anything client facing.

https://www.natsura.com/

The post Natsura 0.6 adds effectors and Nanite export for Houdini Foliage first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

dy Install Libs is built to make installing libraries smooth and simple, with the stated goal of avoiding manual edits and broken installs. It ships as a shelf toolset for Houdini, aimed at the everyday stuff artists actually do: bring in a library, make sure it loads, and move on with their lives. The headline feature in v1.3 is Library Manager, a custom UI tool to download, install, enable, and disable local libraries. Version v1.3 is dated March 24, 2026, with a follow up v1.3.1 dated March 26, 2026.

The part you came for: Library Manager

Library Manager adds a single interface for discovering, installing, and managing open-source and commercial Houdini libraries. That matters because library installs rarely fail in exciting ways. They fail in slow, petty ways, like a missing file, a wrong path, or a package file that loads everywhere except the one machine that counts.

This release frames Library Manager as an evolution and combination of the earlier toolkit tools. The idea is simple: fewer trips into the filesystem, fewer chances to fat finger a package entry, and more time spent actually using the tools you installed.

There is also an explicit caveat: it may not work for installing render engines, since they typically require a custom JSON package file to set up environment variables and paths. In other words, the tool targets the library side of life, while heavyweight integrations can still demand a hand-tuned setup.

What dy Install Libs does around the manager

The toolkit includes several functions that cover the library lifecycle, from bringing in data to keeping package files aligned with where the library lives. Library from JSON imports a downloaded library using its JSON file and automatically copies and updates the package file in your library folder. This is the one for when a library arrives with its own packaging info and you want it to just land cleanly.

Install Library generates a new JSON package from scratch tied to your library folder. That means you can start from nothing and still end up with a package file that points where it should. Library from GitHub clones and installs libraries straight from a GitHub URL, which is handy when the library lives as a repo instead of a zip. It also supports downloading repository releases. That support is listed in v1.1 dated August 5, 2025.

Create Library builds a library scaffold with templates and auto-generates the package file, which aims at standardizing how a library starts its life on disk. Restart Houdini to reload everything with one click, when you want the tool to do the classic on-and-off ritual for you.

GitHub reality: releases, missing packages, and relative paths

Git based libraries come with their own quirks. The release notes for v1.1 include a fix for cases where a repo does not have a package file, replacing an older path JSON variable with hpath. It also adds support for relative paths using the $HOUDINI_PACKAGE_PATH variable in installed package files.

That combo matters because repos vary wildly in structure. Some ship a tidy package file. Some ship nothing but hope. Tooling that acknowledges those differences tends to be more usable in real production setups, where you do not control every library you need to install.

Small fix, big impact

v1.3.1 lists support for the enable key from package files when it appears as a string, while it should be a boolean. It also lists a URL key fix for when a library from a database is installed manually as a standalone library, along with small fixes and improvements.

Pricing and the practical bit

The tool is free to download, with a Gumroad listing shown as $0+. Pricing beyond that is pay what you tink it is worth.

Pipeline advice that still counts

Even if Library Manager makes installs feel effortless, new tools and innovations should be tested before use in porudction. Try it in a clean preferences setup first, confirm your package behavior matches expectations, and then let it anywhere near a show.

https://cdordelly.gumroad.com/l/dy_install_libs

The post dy Install Libs adds Library Manager to Houdini first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Houdini support: same toolset, different habitat

AdonisFX 2.0 extends the framework into Houdini via SOP nodes. The port covers the same categories available in Maya: deformers, solvers, locators, sensors, and utility nodes. In practical terms, it is an attempt to stop the classic production sport of rebuilding the same character tech twice, once for animation, once for simulation.

The Houdini port includes deformers like AdnRelax and AdnPush; solvers including AdnMuscle, AdnRibbonMuscle, AdnSkin, AdnFat, AdnGlue, AdnSkinMerge, and AdnSimshape; locators and sensors for position, distance, and rotation; and utilities such as AdnRemap, AdnActivation, and AdnEdgeEvaluator. Tools such as AdnTurbo plus Importer and Exporter are also part of the Houdini toolset, alongside a per-SOP visual debugger for constraints and setup inspection.

Core simulation: anisotropy, triangle-to-triangle self-collisions, substepping

Version 2.0.0 adds anisotropy to the muscle solvers, implements triangle-to-triangle self-collisions, and introduces relaxation for points affected by those self-collisions. Substepping is implemented for AdnSimshape and the muscle solvers, and core functions are reworked to support DCC agnosticity, which is the unglamorous prerequisite for “works the same in both places”. A new AdnPush deformer is part of the 2.0.0 core feature set, and also lands in Maya.

Maya updates: collisions integrated, paint tools get visibility, topology changes get less dramatic

In Maya, anisotropy is implemented for muscle deformers, and triangle-to-triangle self-collisions are integrated into AdnGlue and AdnSkin deformers, including relaxation for collision-affected points. Substepping is implemented for AdnSimshape and muscle deformers, and an update utility supports moving setups from v1.x to v2.x.

The AdonisFX Paint Tool adds Visualisation Modes with Greyscale and Heat Map views. AdnPush and AdnRelax add an Update on Topology Change attribute. The release also modifies default attribute values across most nodes, reorders shelf and menu items, appends geometry names to custom deformer names in the creation UI, and includes a utility to reconnect currentTime to Maya’s time node, because time nodes still occasionally need adult supervision.

Maps and art direction controls: non-linear remaps and rest-geometry-driven shapes

Paintable maps add non-linear remap modes: squared, cubic, square root, cube root, and logarithmic. These modes are integrated across multiple nodes, including AdnMuscle, AdnRibbonMuscle, AdnGlue, AdnFat, AdnSkin, and AdnSimshape.

Muscle deformers also gain art-directable shapes based on a rest muscle geometry used to refresh constraint data. This is a control layer aimed at keeping constraints in sync with rest geometry changes, without turning every sculpt tweak into a full rebuild.

Houdini-specific additions: muscle fibre workflow nodes and setup utilities

Houdini gains new nodes for the muscle fibre workflow: AdnFiberProjection, AdnFiberDiffusion, and AdnFiberGroom. An experimental API is included, plus menu utilities designed to speed up common prep tasks: Make Paintable, Make Groomable, Separate Geometries, and Create Muscle PieceID.

Improvements, deprecations, and known limitations

Initialization is optimised for slide constraints in the AdnSkin solver, and for slide-on-geometry constraints in AdnMuscle and AdnRibbonMuscle. The Maya Mirror Tool improves support for left and right tokens in the middle of names (for example, L and R). The Maya Connection Editor restricts connections to AdonisFX locators (source) and AdonisFX muscles (destination). Maya also supports multiple AdnRelax and AdnPush nodes on the same geometry. AdnSkinMerge adds a currentTime attribute for correct dependency graph evaluation.

Deprecated items include removal of the Concrete material from all solvers and removal of AdnWeightsDisplayNode (deprecated since 1.4.0).

Pricing and availability

Inbibo lists AdonisFX 2.0 as available now. Pro licenses start at £110 per month (node-locked) or £150 per month (floating). Indie pricing is listed as £250 per year for individuals and studios under £100k annual revenue, and a 30-day free trial of Pro is available via download and install.

https://inbibo.co.uk/news/adonisfx-2-0-release


https://inbibo.co.uk/adonisfx/downloads

The post AdonisFX 2.0 brings Houdini support, anisotropic muscles, and triangle-level self-collisions first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the tool: The Grove by F12 is a biologically driven tree growth system for Blender and Houdini. It simulates yearly growth and exports animated meshes for DCC and real time pipelines. It sits between modelling and layout, replacing static tree assets with parametric growth.

A measured update, not a rewrite

Dutch developer F12 has released The Grove 2.3, a new version of its procedural tree generation system for Blender and Houdini. The update focuses on workflow refinement, storage reduction and export behaviour rather than introducing a new simulation model. The Grove simulates tree growth year by year using a biologically inspired algorithm. Parameters control branching, apical dominance, tropism and environmental factors. The result is a procedural tree that can be edited non-destructively and regenerated at any stage. The software is delivered as a Blender add-on and as a Houdini plugin.

Version 2.3 does not alter the core growth algorithm. Instead, it introduces new interaction tools and structural changes to data storage. Growth simulation data now occupies roughly 75 per cent less storage than in previous versions. This reduction is achieved by limiting the recording of certain editing operations, including Prune, Bend and Draw. As a result, older files may load with reduced edit history in some cases. The release notes describe this as a trade-off between storage footprint and full historical edit retention.

The reduction is significant for productions that store multiple growth iterations per asset. Vegetation assets are often versioned across layout, look development and lighting. A three-quarter decrease in simulation data can materially affect scene management, particularly in large environments.

Drawing trees directly in the scene

A key addition in 2.3 is the expanded Draw tool. In earlier versions, artists could draw branches onto existing trees. The updated Draw tool now allows users to draw complete trees directly into the scene, either from the ground plane or from arbitrary surfaces. Drawing can begin from geometry, allowing trees to be placed on terrain meshes or architectural elements without manual alignment. This shifts some layout tasks from object instancing to interactive placement of growth.

Drawn strokes are converted into growth instructions. The tree then grows according to the defined biological rules rather than remaining a static curve structure. This maintains the parametric nature of the asset. For layout artists working in Blender or Houdini, this means that trees can be sketched into position rather than generated from presets and repositioned after the fact. The difference is subtle but practical. It moves early composition decisions into the growth stage itself.

Subdivision for cleaner branch geometry

Another addition is a Subdivide option intended to smooth segmented branches. Procedural tree systems often represent branches as chains of nodes connected by straight segments. At lower resolutions, this can produce visible angular transitions along the branch.

The Subdivide option adds additional nodes between existing ones, reducing visible kinks. Subdivision is applied selectively and is not equivalent to a global mesh subdivision modifier. It operates at the growth-structure level rather than purely at the mesh output level.

For rendering pipelines that rely on displacement maps or high-frequency bark detail, smoother base geometry can reduce shading artefacts. The release notes include before-and-after comparisons showing reduced angularity along curved branches. These images suggest a visible improvement, although final render quality will still depend on your shading and tessellation settings.

Automatic bark texture scaling

Texturing adjustments form another part of the 2.3 update. The Grove now automatically scales bark texture repetition around the circumference of branches based on their thickness. In previous versions, artists needed to manually adjust bark scaling to prevent visible stretching or excessive tiling on thicker trunks. The new behaviour calculates scaling from the branch radius, automatically aligning texture repetition with geometry.

This is an automatic scaling of bark texture, which repeats around branch circumferences. No additional user input is required. This is a small change, but in vegetation workflows, small changes reduce repetitive corrective steps across dozens or hundreds of assets. No new shading model is introduced in 2.3. The change concerns UV scaling behaviour rather than material definition. The Grove continues to output meshes compatible with standard Blender and Houdini shading systems.

Export adjustments for real-time engines

Export behaviour has also been revised. The release notes state that The Grove now uses a split seam structure intended to align better with real time engines and modelling tools such as three.js, WebGL and Rhino. The split seam structure separates end cap geometry and allows per point normals and UVs where supported. In practical terms, this affects how branch junctions and cut ends are represented in exported meshes.

Real-time engines often rely on explicit vertex normals and clean UV seams for correct shading and normal map interpretation. Adjustments at export level can reduce the need for manual cleanup in downstream tools.

The vendor supports common interchange formats, including FBX, OBJ, and USD. Animated exports, including growth over time and wind motion are available via Alembic. These formats are standard in both offline VFX and real time pipelines.

Houdini Indie and Blender support

The Grove 2.3 expands support on the Houdini side by adding compatibility with Houdini Indie. Houdini Indie is the lower-cost edition of Houdini from SideFX, targeted at individual artists and small studios. Previous limitations restricted some editions of The Grove to full commercial Houdini licences. The addition of Indie support broadens access for freelancers and small teams.

According to coverage by CG Channel, the update makes The Grove available in Houdini Indie environments, although the vendor release page remains the primary source of technical detail.

On the Blender side, The Grove is compatible with the Blender 5 series. Blender is developed by the Blender Foundation. The Grove is distributed as a Blender add-on and integrates directly into the host application interface.

Editions and pricing

The Grove 2.3 is available in three editions: Starter, Indie and Studio. All editions include the Blender plugin. The Studio edition adds full Houdini support.

At the time of writing, pricing listed on the vendor site is 99 euro for Starter, 199 euro for Indie and 799 euro for Studio. The vendor also offers separate Twigs geometry packs containing leaves, flowers and fruits, priced individually.

Production considerations

The Grove remains a specialised tool focused on biologically plausible growth rather than purely parametric mesh generation. Its value in production depends on whether growth behaviour is part of the creative requirement or simply a means to an end.

Version 2.3 does not introduce a new solver or simulation paradigm. Instead, it refines interaction, reduces storage overhead and adjusts export behaviour. For studios already using The Grove, the update appears incremental rather than disruptive.

For new users, the addition of Houdini Indie support lowers the entry barrier. The storage reduction may also make the tool more viable in asset dense scenes where file size becomes a concern.

As always, new tools and updates should be tested in a controlled environment before deployment in live productions. Behavioural changes in data storage and export structure should be validated against existing pipeline assumptions.

// F12 The Grove homepage
// https://www.thegrove3d.com/

// F12 The Grove 2.3 release notes
// https://www.thegrove3d.com/releases/23/

The post The Grove 2.3 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the tool: Houdini by SideFX is a procedural 3D and VFX platfrom used across film, broadcast, and games. The new Learning Library centralises official tutorials for artists working in simulation, FX, lighting and pipeline.

SideFX has launched a centralised hub for educational content within its official Learning section, consolidating Houdini tutorials into a structured Learning Library. The update brings together video tutorials, guided learning paths and project-based lessons under a single navigation framework on the SideFX website.

The move is practical rather than flashy. Houdini has long been supported by a large volume of tutorials, masterclasses and conference talks, but these were historically distributed across various sections of the site. The new Learning Library groups official material in one place, categorised by topic, skill level and workflow area.

According to SideFX, the library is designed to support students, educators and production artists seeking structured training. It covers core Houdini workflows including modelling, Solaris and USD, lighting, rendering, simulation, and procedural asset creation.

A central index for Houdini education

The Learning Library sits within the official Learn section of the SideFX website. It presents tutorials in a searchable interface with filters by category, difficulty level and topic. The categorisation includes beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. This distinction is useful for production artists who do not need introductions to nodes or SOP context but want to focus on specific techniques or production problems.

The interface organises material by domains such as modelling, FX, rendering, Solaris, and pipeline. Each tutorial entry includes a short description, duration, and the intended skill level. Where applicable, SideFX provides downloadable project files.

SideFX has not described this as a new training programme, but rather as a consolidation and structuring of existing and ongoing official content. There is no indication that third party tutorials are being included. The focus remains on vendor produced material.

Intermediate and advanced standouts

For experienced Houdini users, the most relevant material sits in the intermediate and advanced sections. Several tutorials in these categories focus on production centric topics rather than introductory node explanations.

One example is the Solaris and USD focused material. Solaris is Houdini’s USD based layout and lighting context. Tutorials covering Solaris workflows address stage building, lighting setups and rendering using USD workflows within Houdini. These are clearly positioned for artists working in modern USD based pipelines.

Structured learning paths

In addition to individual tutorials, the Learning Library presents curated learning paths. These paths sequence multiple lessons into a structured progression. The intent is to guide users through a topic in a logical order rather than leaving them to assemble disparate videos manually.

The learning paths are grouped by subject area, allowing artists to focus on specific disciplines such as FX, lighting or modelling. This organisation is likely to benefit educational institutions using Houdini in classroom settings.

Context in production

The consolidation of training content into a single hub addresses a practical issue. Houdini’s depth can be a barrier to entry, even for experienced 3D artists. Structured learning paths reduce friction when onboarding new team members. For studios using Houdini alongside other DCC tools, centralised official documentation also simplifies internal training. Rather than curating internal lists of links, supervisors can reference the Learning Library directly.

What is not stated

SideFX does not detail update frequency for the Learning Library. It is not clear how quickly tutorials will be revised when major Houdini updates introduce new nodes or deprecate older workflows. There is also no explicit roadmap outlining the future expansion of the library. The consolidation signals that SideFX recognises education as a core part of its ecosystem. Houdini’s learning curve is quite steep. Providing a single, organised entry point is a pragmatic response.

There is no dramatic announcement of new algorithms or rendering engines here. Instead, the update tidies an important part of the user experience. That may be the most production-friendly feature of all.

https://www.sidefx.com/learn/learning-library/tutorials

The post SideFX launches central Houdini learning hub first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.