Understanding Houdini’s License System

Photo by Vincentiu Solomon on Unsplash

If you’re new to Houdini, you may find its license system confusing. In this post, I’ll provide you with a clear and concise summary of Houdini’s license options, so you can choose the one that’s right for your needs.

Houdini Apprentice (Free)

Houdini Apprentice is a free version of Houdini that you can use for non-commercial purposes. With this license, you can do most of the things you would do in Houdini, but there are some limitations:

• You will work with files with nc at the end of the extension (e.g., .hipnc, .hdanc, and .usdnc) — these files are not compatible with other license versions.
• You cannot create .hda files that can be opened in Unreal or Unity (Engine or Engine Indie).
• You cannot export .FBX files.
• You cannot use 3rd party rendering.
• Your renders have limited resolution and will be watermarked.

Houdini Indie (Paid)

Houdini Indie is a paid version of Houdini that is much cheaper than Houdini FX. With this license, you can do all of the things you would do in Houdini commercially, as long as your revenue does not exceed a set limit.

• You will work with files with lc at the end of the extension (e.g., .hiplc and .hdalc) — these files are not compatible with higher license versions (though there is a one-time upgrade option from SideFX).
• You can create .hda files that can be opened in Unreal or Unity (Engine Indie).
• You can export .FBX files.

Houdini Core (Paid)

Houdini Core is a paid version of Houdini that is cheaper than Houdini FX. With this license, you can do most Houdini things commercially, with the exception of special effects (Pyro FX, Fluids, Rigid Bodies, Particles Crowds, Vellum, Wire dynamics).

• To work with Unreal or Unity, you have to pay extra for Houdini Engine.

Houdini FX (Paid)

Houdini FX is the full commercial Houdini license.

• To work with Unreal or Unity, you have to pay extra for Houdini Engine.

Tip

You can covert some of the Houdini files using Orbolt service https://www.orbolt.com/upgrade-houdini-files

I hope this guide has helped you understand Houdini’s license options. If you have any questions or would like more information, be sure to check out the official SideFX website (https://www.sidefx.com/products/compare/).