Editing TOP to Deadline

This article is about the link between Houdini TOP Network and Deadline render-farm.

''This paragraph is addressed to artists with a minimum knowledge of Houdini's software and would be interested in understanding how this functionality works''

== TOP Basic Setup ==

[[File:Toptodeadline-basicrocktree.png|thumb|right|alt=Basic Rock Creation based on a sphere with noise|Basic Rock with Noise based on a Sphere]]

IN THIS EXAMPLE : Using Houdini TOP Context the goal is to create a simple geometry, and create iterations of this geometry using Wedges and TOP Network. 

The File used will be available :: here.

This exemple is going to focus on the following setup made in SOP.
A sphere and different types of noises on top. 
Ending the Node Tree with a filecache pointing to the directory the file should be saved to. 

[[File:Toptodeadline resultbasesetup.png|thumb|center|alt=Result of the basic rock setup|Result of the Basic Setup]]

The image above should be the result from the Basic Setup Node Tree.

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== INSTALLATION PROCESS ==
'''BE WARNED ''' // We encountered a lot of troubles making the PDG work, so possibly some of the following steps are unnecessary.

<sub> This part will not help you intall Deadline. </sub>
*'''You need Deadline to be installed.'''
*'''You need to have ''ADMIN ACCESS'' '''
*'''You need a shared space which the files can be access by any computer'''

=== - STEP 1 : Install the PDG Plugin ===

To use the Plugin, you need to verify that the plugin is installed and recognized in Deadline.
Go inside : '''TOOLS''' / '''Configure Plugins'''
[[File:Toptodeadline configure-plugin.png|frameless|center]]

[[File:Toptodeadline configureplugins PDGDeadline.png|200px|thumb|PDG Plugin inside of the '''Configure Plugins''']]

This window will provide a list of all plugins detected by Deadline, and different parameters to modify.

Unfortunatly PDG Deadline plugin in our case didn't provide any parameters. 
Letting us dubitative if the plugin even worked.

This didn't bring any issue, but is clearly abnormal.
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=== - STEP 2 : Defining Variables ===

3 Variables need to be defined for the Deadline Plugin to map paths correctly.

To change the Variables, you need to go into : '''TOOLS''' / '''Configure Repository Options'''
[[File:Configure Repository Options.png|frameless|center]]

[[File:Toptodeadline mappedpaths.png|thumb|right|Mapped Paths]]
The 3 Variables are the following : 

<sub>The directory needs to be the same for every computer on the Renderfarm</sub>

*'''$HFS''' : Directory of Houdini
*'''$PYTHON''' : Directory of the Python Executable of Houdini
*'''$PDG_EXE''' : Directory of PDG Deadline Plugin
<sub>From the documentation we have been trying to understand, it wasn't clear if the $PDG_EXE should be pointing to the Deadline Plugin Directory or Python File</sub>

=== - STEP 3 : Defining Space on the Server ===
For the plugin to work properly it needs space to retrieve data (your Houdini file), and store the output (folder to store the output)

For this '''Mobydick''' (a 5th Year Artfx Movie from 2024), just created a folder called "PDG_WORK", following the '''Silex''' (used to share files across same team members) Folder Name Creation.

" I:\MOBYDICK\tools\publish\v000\PDG_WORK "

This folder will receive multiple files contained into "pdgtemp". Those files won't be automaticly deleted.

== TOP to DEADLINE ==

== TOOL ==