Python States for Houdini TDs By Paul Ambrosiussen

This course on python states will take you through all major features you have access to when using python states. Learn what they are and how they can help you make powerful procedural tools more interactive.

This course contains Challenges in it, where the intention is for you to try and do some work yourself. Sometimes these will be very easy, and others will require you to do some research of your own.

You don’t need to do the challenges if you don’t want to, but they are highly recommended to get as much practical experience as possible.

1. Overview
   – Learn what python states are, and see some examples of them in action
2. Creating and Installing
   – Learn about different types of python states, and how to create each one
3. UI Event Handlers
   – Learn about the different lifecycle event callbacks, as well as making use of input devices such as mouse, keyboard and more
4. Context Menus
   – Learn how to create your own right-click menu’s containing settings and actions your users will want to use
5. Selections
   – Learn how selections work in Houdini, and how you can bind your own geometry and object selectors
6. Guide Geometry
   – Learn how to build your own drawables and make use of sop verbs to boost your geometry creation using python
7. Handles
   – Learn how to bind both static and dynamic handles to parameters, and update their functionality at runtime
8. State Parameters
   – Learn what state parameters are, and how to allow users to configure how your state interacts with your tool
9. Info Panels
   – Learn how to define your own HUD which got added in H19. Make use of this knowledge to reduce the need of users digging for hotkeys in the documentation
10. Misc
    – Want to get a head-start on having written Python States? Get some tips and tricks from a collection provided by experienced users.- Learn how to implement Undo (and Advanced Undo)- Learn about the Invoke SOP
11. Practical Examples
    – See some examples of python states being built from scratch to finish. Note that this chapter will be ongoing, and will primarily be built after the release of the course. The intention is to make these examples based on popular requests.

• Slides containing educational material, tips and tricks.
• Slides containing video recordings showing all of the Chapters contained.
• Google Drive access containing HDAs, Python files, Recordings
• Discord Access to a community of peers!

• Basic understanding of Python (and basic experience with HOM)
• Basic understanding of Houdini
• Houdini 19.0+ installed (free/apprentice works just fine!)
• SideFXLabs installed
• IDE (Sublime Text, Visual Studio, etc)