Houdini 19.5 released

Updated SideFX has announced the release of Houdini 19.5 at a 90-minute livestreamed launch event. Some of the new features and improvements include:

• SOP Flip workflow – Flip Fluid sourcing and solving are available in SOPs

• SOP Flip Viscosity

• SOP FLIP Configs – many convenient setups for FLIPs in SOPs including lava, beach, wave, ocean

• SOP FLIP Boundary – Custom Flip Boundaries

• SOP FLIP Domains – Resizable domains with multiple collisions within a tank

• SOP FLIP Uprising – Balance low and high-resolution sims to capture detail where needed

• Kelvin Wakes – a new time-independent deformer

• Curve Orientation – Enhanced curve tool with orientation and auto-tangent support

• Polyscalpel – a versatile cutting tool for curves and surfaces

• PolyWireUV – UV Generation for polywire geometry, plus the ability to output the rig to pose and deform using KineFX Tools and the ability to animate curves to drive geometry output

• Pyros source instancing – GPU accelerated instancing and turbulence

• Environment Lights – enhanced lighting for volumes in the 3D viewport

• Content Library – Free pyro project files for Karma, Unreal, and Unity

• Layout Line Brush – more dedicated brushes for building environments in Solaris

• USD Asset Database – Create, save and load individual database files for quick access to assets

• Layout Finish Brush – Place USD assets with random scale, orientation, and distribution

• Layout Stack Brush – vertical placement with optional spacing, randomized translation, and rotation

• Layout Comb Brush – Orient USD Asses based on the direction of the cursor

• Light Filters – Karma gobo, barn doors, and gels

• Light Filter Network (CPU Only)

• Crowds LookAt – redesigned and expanded Agent look at capabilities

• Grooming Improvements – mirrored brush actions also now work on asymmetrical grooms

• Hair HDA Procedural – Generate simple fur and deform complex hair grooms at render time

• Karma Ocean – dedicated ocean rendering with Karma Ocean LOP and Encino waves in Ocean Spectrum SOP

• Material X Nested Dielectrics

• Ongoing Karma XPU development

• Facing Ratio and Curvature VOPs

• Rounded Edges VOP

• Coving – watertight subdivision or displacement

• Material X SSS – random-walk subsurface scattering.

• Motion Blur – Dedicated Motion Blur SOP for simplified setup.

• Muscles and Tissue – Vellum muscle, tissue, and skin sims are faster, more accurate, and robust

Detail: https://www.sidefx.com/products/whats-new-in-195/

Source: https://blog.superrendersfarm.com/tutorial/houdini/houdini-19-5-released/