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houdini

Houdini integration through the Model Context Protocol

Installation
Run this command in your terminal to add the MCP server to Claude Code.
Run in terminal:
View docs
Command
claude mcp add --transport stdio capoom-houdini-mcp node path/to/houdini-mcp-server.js \
  --env LOG_LEVEL="info" \
  --env CAPOOM_API_KEY="your Claude API key or placeholder" \
  --env HOUDINI_SCENE_PATH="default scene/path for initialization" \
  --env HOUDINI_INSTALL_DIR="path to Houdini installation"

How to use

HoudiniMCP connects Houdini to Claude AI using the Model Context Protocol, enabling Claude to directly interact with Houdini for prompt-assisted 3D modeling, scene creation, simulation setup, and rendering tasks. Once the MCP server is running, Claude can issue MCP-enabled prompts to generate or modify Houdini scenes, create articulated objects, configure simulations, and trigger renders. The integration focuses on allowing natural language prompts to drive Houdini actions, with the MCP bridge translating those prompts into Houdini API calls and scene graph updates. Typical workflows include initiating a new scene, adding geometry or assets, configuring simulation parameters, and rendering outputs, all guided by Claude’s AI-driven prompts. Tools available through this MCP include scene generation, asset placement, procedural setup, simulation configuration, and render control, with state updated in Houdini in real time as Claude provides instructions.

How to install

Prerequisites:

  • Node.js and npm installed on your system
  • Houdini installed (or access to a Houdini-compatible environment)
  • Access to the MCP bridge repository (the Houdini-MCP integration)

Installation steps:

  1. Clone the repository (or follow the redirected repo): git clone https://github.com/capoomgit/houdini-mcp cd houdini-mcp

  2. Install dependencies: npm install

  3. Configure environment variables:

    • Create a .env file or set environment variables as described in the mcp_config: HOUDINI_INSTALL_DIR=/path/to/houdini HOUDINI_SCENE_PATH=/path/to/default/scene CAPOOM_API_KEY=your-claude-api-key LOG_LEVEL=info

  4. Run the MCP server: npm run start

    or if using a direct node command:

    node path/to/houdini-mcp-server.js

  5. Verify connectivity:

    • Ensure the MCP bridge reports as active
    • Connect Claude to the MCP endpoint and test a basic prompt like: "Create a new scene with a ground plane and a cube."

Additional notes

Notes and tips:

  • This integration is a third-party project and is not official SideFX software. Follow the redirected repository for latest updates: https://github.com/capoomgit/houdini-mcp
  • Ensure your Houdini installation path is correctly configured in HOUDINI_INSTALL_DIR to allow the MCP bridge to interface with Houdini APIs.
  • Export or securely manage your Claude API key (CAPOOM_API_KEY) to enable interaction with Claude.
  • If you encounter connectivity issues, verify that the MCP server process has permission to access Houdini directories and that any firewall rules allow the necessary ports.
  • The mcp_config can be updated to expose additional environment variables or adjust logging levels as needed.
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