CGPress
  • News
    • General
    • Software
    • Industry
    • Video Games
    • Tech
    • Hardware
  • Articles
    • General
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
  • Tutorials
    • By subject
    • By software
    • Training & Courses
  • Resources
  • Spotlight
    • Reels
    • Films
    • Film Trailers
    • Game Trailers and Art
    • Breakdowns
    • Making Ofs
    • Music Videos
    • CG Videos
    • Images
    • Spots
  • Contribute News
  • News
    • General
    • Software
    • Industry
    • Video Games
    • Tech
    • Hardware
  • Articles
    • General
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
  • Tutorials
    • By subject
    • By software
    • Training & Courses
  • Resources
  • Spotlight
    • Reels
    • Films
    • Film Trailers
    • Game Trailers and Art
    • Breakdowns
    • Making Ofs
    • Music Videos
    • CG Videos
    • Images
    • Spots
  • Contribute News
No Result
View All Result
CGPress
Home Software
SideFX previews upcoming Houdini 20 features

SideFX previews upcoming Houdini 20 features

by Paul Roberts
October 19, 2023
Reading Time: 1 min read
31

SideFX has provided a brief look into the new tools and functionalities set to debut in Houdini 20 in a brief video posted on YouTube.

RELATED POSTS

Epic Games releases Twinmotion 2025.2 with Nanite support

Miauu releases Layer Colorizer for 3ds Max

Topaz Labs ends perpetual licenses with launch of Topaz Studio subscription

The company has announced that a more detailed launch presentation will take place next week, which is expected to provide a comprehensive overview of the changes and additions in the upcoming version of Houdini. For those who can’t be present for the live event, a recording will be made available on the official SideFX website within the week following the presentation.

Users and interested parties are encouraged to check the SideFX website for the launch recording and further updates on Houdini 20.

ShareTweet

Paul Roberts

Paul is the owner and editor of CGPress, an independent news website built by and for CG artists. With more than 25 years in the business, we are one of the longest-running CG news organizations in the world. Our news reporting has gathered a reputation for credibility, independent coverage and focus on quality journalism.

Related Posts

Epic Games releases Twinmotion 2025.2 with Nanite support
Software

Epic Games releases Twinmotion 2025.2 with Nanite support

October 2, 2025
Miauu releases Layer Colorizer for 3ds Max
3DS Max

Miauu releases Layer Colorizer for 3ds Max

October 2, 2025
Topaz Labs ends perpetual licenses with launch of Topaz Studio subscription
AI

Topaz Labs ends perpetual licenses with launch of Topaz Studio subscription

October 2, 2025
World Creator releases version 2025.1 with new biome system and more
Software

World Creator releases version 2025.1 with new biome system and more

October 1, 2025
Ornatrix makes its software free for students and educational institutions
Plugin News

Ornatrix makes its software free for students and educational institutions

October 1, 2025
Photoshop desktop 26.11 released
Photoshop

Photoshop desktop 26.11 released

September 30, 2025
Next Post
RebusFarm releases updated rendering technology

RebusFarm releases updated rendering technology

ENSI’s Boom short film wins Student Academy Award

ENSI’s Boom short film wins Student Academy Award

Please read our community guidelines
Please read our community guidelines
31 Comments
Oldest
Newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Nossgrr
1 year ago

SideFX crushes it. Such a solid set of features every year..

Reply
shineoooo
1 year ago

Shit.. Did Autodesk’s developers see this?

Reply
Ken_Smith
1 year ago

autodesk just deleted the roadmap coz they cant keep up so people wouldnt bother them with it anymore lol

Reply
Steve Burke
1 year ago

Amazing as always. SideFX consistently delivers so much goodness every year.

Reply
damm
1 year ago

Good release but I expected something a bit more “special” for their v20.
I thought they would have a new brand new engine and that they would brag about its way better performances or a reworked user interface with a more modern look with plenty of workflows improvements or a next gen view port with greatly improved visuals.

But that seems like a yearly release like any others.

Reply
Tack
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

What are you talking about? Brand new engine??? H20 includes the first step towards Vulkan as a beta and its already known that there will be a third render engine building on that foundation called "Karma RT". Regarding the interface - its completely fine as it is.

Reply
ralph
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

Karma is now here and a real choice for rendering going forward.

Reply
Komodo
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

hey damm,
you sound so funny, like a loyal Autodesk devotee.

Reply
damm
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

I was discussing a new geometry processing engine, aiming for significantly improved unpacking and cooking times. This is unrelated to Vulkan or Karma.

Regrettably, much like Blender, the Houdini community seems predominantly comprised of enthusiasts who take personal offense when someone addresses specific issues.

Rather than complaining that someone hasn’t praised how fantastic Houdini is, it would be more constructive for individuals to focus on other aspects of life.
Houdini relies on dated foundations, and with each passing year, these limitations become more apparent. However, it requires an advanced understanding to notice; simply watching promotional videos on YouTube is insufficient to become frustrated with its constraints.

Reply
d3d
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

I suppose you are right , but i didnt understand the dated foundations you mentioned ?
i am just a newbie in this large ununderstandable industry (3d in general) but i guess that blender geonodes are easier to understand ?

Reply
damm
Reply to  d3d
1 year ago

Houdini struggles with handling complex data much more than most believe, leading us to employ various workarounds to mitigate its performance issues. Significant portions of the software lack multi-threading or are outdated, hindering optimal utilization of modern hardware.
While Houdini is a powerhouse, its efficiency is really lacking A LOT. I believe a substantial part of its core requires a fresh codebase to avoid growing counterproductive.
Unfortunately, saying that out loud triggers some weird individuals.

Reply
d3d
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

somehow like 3ds max right ? its lack multi cpu cores support as well , and really can be sluggish based on former experience with it.

Reply
equiso
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

As much as I love Houdini, and I could never go back to 3dsmax, Blender or Modo, viewport navigation is awful, solaris can be unpredictable ( damn you variant node), for a reason all the imports change the main uv set name( there are workarounds thou) and it can be crashy sometimes.

Reply
d3d
Reply to  equiso
1 year ago

pardon me equiso , but do you think that blender is enough for a solo want to learn 3d like myself ?
i,m not interesting in complex procedurilisim like houdini,s , is geonodes good enough ?

Reply
Animatect
Reply to  d3d
1 year ago

that is a broad question and I think one that should not be answered in a forum where people is not familiar with your particular situation, if you are just starting and don’t know 3d, linear algebra, trig, are not familiar with programming principles or logic operations and want to get into the industry just don’t worry about proceduralism, get a grasp on the building blocks like modeling, if you have traditional art inclinations, yo can apply whatever you learn in art school to look dev or character development.

I used max for a few years before coding in maxscript, switching that knowledge to Houdini was really easy, I don’t particularly like geo nodes, the data access and storage is cumbersome and stuff that I can do in houdini in a few vex lines and a couple of nodes gets really complex in geo nodes really quickly. That is just my personal opinion

For working by yourself in modeling, texturing animation and rendering blender is awsome, it has all you need.
For working in teams and mixed pipelines it gets challenging, it does not play well with others to say the least and this is far from being a priority for devs.
Having said that we implemented a blender pipeline that is functional it just gets frustrating at times.

At the end of the day the best tool is the one you know well, I would say stick to whatever is going to keep you motivated in the short term and when you have a grasp of things specialize.

Reply
d3d
Reply to  Animatect
1 year ago

good morning Animatect , very helpful advice thank you very much.
for me i hate coding , i prefer an pure artistic career away from coding.
kind regards.

Reply
equiso
Reply to  d3d
1 year ago

Houdini is the last step. For a start take one major : 3ds max/maya and blender. Once you feel confident, then getting technical makes sense as it is a massive time saver.

Reply
Krause3D
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

Would you mind elaborating on these “dated foundations” for us? Honestly curious. What limitations are you talking about that other solutions may handle better?

Reply
twouser
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

Houdin cult is far worse than Blender vegans.

Reply
Animatect
Reply to  twouser
1 year ago

Ah the meatlovers trolls, such a delight and a funny cult just full of contradictions.
just be carefull with your fingers when trying to light the fire 🙂

Reply
twouser
Reply to  Animatect
1 year ago

meatlovers sounds much happier than mindless cult.

Reply
Animatect
Reply to  twouser
1 year ago

🙂

Reply
Mr. H
Reply to  damm
1 year ago

It’s a good point, damm.
The only thing I would be careful about is user interface, which I think is almost perfect. Sure, some minor improvements would be very welcome (like MMB parameter tweaking, which is annoying to say the least). But generally here is my top prio list:

  • viewport interaction / UX – comparing to max/maya it feels like no real person (artist) is actually testing this thing. Whenever I need to “touch” anything in the viewport I’m literally scared XD
  • I was hoping for a serious COPs revamp. Probably it’s happening (based on job offers from SideFX), but not this time. Dissapointed.
  • I’m waiting for any technical announcements regarding SOPs 2.0. Last update of geometry engine happened in H12. Compiled blocks + invoking was another one. Maybe there’s more that the sneak-peak doesn’t show us.
  • For a software aimed primarily at FX this update is very poor 🙁 Bringing solvers to SOP level is a cool addition for a dot release – not a major anniversary version IMHO. MPM, GPU detangle for vellum collisions, bringing Pyro closer to Axiom or a general purpose GPU-DOPs network, sparse flip solver… Seems like they’re mostly progressing FX tools at TD level, which, to be honest, any experienced TD has already done anyways. And low level specialized solutions are kind of at halt. No good.

Personally I’m waiting for the full presentation as there’s usually more under the hood.

As for the level of “discussion” happening here… You guys are really keeping up the modern standards. Great job.

Reply
GCharb
Reply to  Mr. H
1 year ago

You forget the new cloud tool-set, which they probably developed in response to Embergen becoming more and more popular, clouds are an important part of VFX, and my take on Houdini 20 is that they wanted to complete all the new CFX tools they introduced in 18.5, making it a VFX and CFX tool, and I am not complaining seeing what has transpired in that preview!

Reply
Tack
Reply to  GCharb
1 year ago

Lol. So you are here, too? Blender rules!!! 😀 And, btw, ai can do hands correctly! 😀

Reply
Dave
1 year ago

It’s not bad I suppose, still not a patch on 3ds max though!

Reply
Alberto
1 year ago

Life’s too short to learn this.

Embergen and c4d are the way to go.

Reply
Mr. H
Reply to  Alberto
1 year ago

Embergen is like FumeFX – I can tell it’s them anytime I see the results.
And it’s not in a good way.
Plus, Maxon is such a decent company, subscription lovers paradise.

Reply
Anthony
1 year ago

I always feel inspired by these previews. The main reason I stick with 3dsmax is that Tyflow, PhoenixFD bred new life into it and its native ability to import a variety of CAD formats, some native. With that said I have never tried Houdini to compare.

Reply
d3d
Reply to  Anthony
1 year ago

imo 3dsmax with tyflow , phoenixfd , speedtree , forest pack , vray.
easier to learn and work with than houdini , right ?

Reply
Mr. H
Reply to  d3d
1 year ago

Of course it’s easier, because these tools don’t require any deeper understanding of the process.
Whether it’s a good thing or not, I guess we’ll find out in the coming years…

Reply

Recent Comments

  • paul on Miauu releases Layer Colorizer for 3ds Max
  • Jumanji on RenderMan 27 beta released
  • Animatect on Autodesk pitches AI future for media and entertainment at AU 2025
  • Jumanji on SceneLinter Pro: free scene validation script for 3ds Max
  • nomad on Anym introduces physics-based animation engine for sparse keyframing in Maya, Blender and C4D

Popular Stories

  • Adobe faces lawsuit over clarity of subscription and cancellation terms

    Adobe faces lawsuit over clarity of subscription and cancellation terms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Autodesk pitches AI future for media and entertainment at AU 2025

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • OpenHDRI launches free CC0 library

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Aviz Studio Tools introduces AI image generation tool AImagine for 3ds Max

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 3ds Max 2024 now available for download

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Facebook Twitter
CGPress

CGPress is an independent news website built by and for CG artists. With more than 15 years in the business, we are one of the longest-running CG news organizations in the world. Our news reporting has gathered a reputation for credibility, independent coverage and focus on quality journalism. Our feature articles are known for their in-depth analyses and impact on the CG scene. “5 out of 5 artists recommend it.”

Recent Posts

  • Epic Games releases Twinmotion 2025.2 with Nanite support
  • Miauu releases Layer Colorizer for 3ds Max
  • Topaz Labs ends perpetual licenses with launch of Topaz Studio subscription
  • About Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy (UK)
  • Contact Us
  • Contribute News
  • Advertise on CGPress

© 2025 CGPress

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Manage Cookie Consent

CGPress uses technology like cookies to analyse the number of visitors to our site and how it is navigated. We DO NOT sell or profit from your data beyond displaying inconspicuous adverts relevant to CG artists. It'd really help us out if you could accept the cookies, but of course we appreciate your choice not to share data. 

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • General
    • Software
    • Industry
    • Video Games
    • Tech
    • Hardware
  • Articles
    • General
    • Reviews
    • Interviews
  • Tutorials
    • By subject
    • By software
    • Training & Courses
  • Resources
  • Spotlight
    • Reels
    • Films
    • Film Trailers
    • Game Trailers and Art
    • Breakdowns
    • Making Ofs
    • Music Videos
    • CG Videos
    • Images
    • Spots
  • Contribute News

© 2025 CGPress

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
wpDiscuz
31
0
Join the conversationx
()
x
| Reply