Product status
Compression ratio is only one part of the result. Quality, memory and access cost belong in the same evaluation.
Volume and sequence encoding. Decode back to standard .vdb. CPU sampling of compressed fields. The Studio CLI, C SDK, Houdini File Cache, and the compressed-volume path for Karma CPU.
Read the documentationUse a package matched to your environment. Implementation and production acceptance are separate.
A sampler reconstructs the blocks its requests touch, with a bounded decoded-block cache. Sequence access replays the required block history within one GOP. The same input, settings and build give deterministic encoded output.
Understand the read pathsThe cache budget is one part of memory use. Measure the complete application, including metadata and working storage.
Quality, renderer behavior and integration costs need to be checked on the fields, shots and machines you intend to use. A broad claim of production quality acceptance is not made here.
See the published measurementsA published comparison is evidence for its stated workload. It is not a guarantee for every simulation.
Region-read APIs and GPU kernels are planned. They are not required for the implemented CPU workflow, and no delivery date is promised on this page.
Discuss an integration requirementThe current Houdini beta does not support Karma XPU.
Bit-identical encoded files across different compilers, restarting a simulation from lossy reconstructed fields, and support for unvalidated field types are not guaranteed.
Plan an acceptance checkInterrupted export resume, partial-file playback and distributed farm qualification are outside the current beta scope.
Current package scope
The Houdini beta is specific to an operating system, CPU and Houdini build. Use the package’s installation and rollback instructions.
Current Houdini beta package scope.
Choose the archive matching your installed build.
Required by these Houdini packages; a GPU is not required.
Compressed-volume LOP and native volume runtime. Karma XPU is not supported.
The same Houdini build and a suitable license are required. Distributed farms are not qualified.
The standalone C SDK is not bundled with or required by the Houdini package.
For a different operating system, Houdini build or deployment setup, describe the target environment in your pilot request.
Discuss your environmentChange notes
Scope from the current package notes. The release supplied to your pilot remains the authority for its installation and supported environment.
Houdini workflow
VQField File Cache adds foreground and local background saves, current-frame and range export, versioned paths, disk playback and export status. Houdini’s native progress and cancellation accompany foreground export.
Simulation mode stages source VDBs to temporary disk. Cancellation before the final file replacement preserves a previous completed cache. Existing Output and Decoder nodes remain available.
Follow the node workflow
VQField