Houdini Digital Asset (HDA)
Packaged Houdini network with parameters
Also known as: HDA · Houdini HDA · Houdini digital asset · Houdini tool · Houdini asset parameters
Definition
A Houdini Digital Asset, or HDA, is a network of nodes packaged into a single node with its own parameters, so it can be reused, shared and used in other projects. An HDA hides the complexity of a procedural setup behind sliders and inputs, such as a building generator with a number of floors, or a fence tool with a length and style. It is saved as a file and can be loaded into any Houdini scene, or into Unreal Engine and Unity through Houdini Engine.
In production
Build a working network first, then wrap it into an HDA and expose only the parameters people need with clear names and ranges. Document the inputs and outputs, and version your assets. For games, HDAs are a way to give level artists procedural tools without them opening Houdini, and they can bake results into regular meshes. Test the HDA with different inputs to make sure it behaves.
Tools that use Houdini Digital Asset (HDA)
See also
Houdini Engine
Run Houdini tools inside Unreal and Unity
Copy to Points
Scatter objects across points in Houdini
Attributes (Houdini)
Data stored on points, primitives and vertices
PCG (Procedural Content Generation)
Rule-based placement of content in Unreal
Geometry Nodes
Blender's node-based procedural modeling system
Technical Artist
Bridge between art and engineering
Vertex Animation Texture (VAT)
Simulation baked into textures