Installation

Introduction:

To help you prepare an archive, you can upload on the Ranch site, to send Houdini Rendering or Simulation projects, in the plug-in RANCH tools, we provide:

1. A node TOP, named RANCHecker:
It allows building an archive(.vuh) you can upload on the RANCH site to run your project.
The archive includes your Houdini scene with the assets needed for a smooth run on the farm.

2. A node SOP named Ranch Cache, which generates bgeo, vdb or abc caches type files.
This is required for running the RANCHecker in Simulation mode.

3. A node SOP named Ranch Cache Layer which allow generates extra bgeo, vdb ou abc caches type files.
It should be used along with a Ranch Cache to generate, in the same process, extra data on a separated file different from the Ranch Cache file.
For instance : generate a lower resolution simulation version in the same process than the main simulation, to be able to create a preview (“playblast”).

Project types: Rendering or Simulation

1. Rendering project steps (Still image or animation):

• Generate the .vub archive with the RANCHecker in the TOP node selecting the RANCHecker → Render option.
• Log on your account on our web site
• Create a new project in your dashboard, select the Houdini version and the render engine you need to run.
• Run first a small test of ten frames to check.
  In the project parameters → Specify the frames that should be rendered (frame range example: 10-15,100,150,230-240 means that frames 10 to 15, 230 to 240 and frames 100 and 150 will be rendered). By default, if this field remains empty, the scene settings will be taken into account for the rendering.
• Upload your .vuh archive on our site.

2. Simulation project steps:

• Generate the .vuh archive with the RANCHecker in the TOP node selecting the RANCHecker → Sim option.
• Log in your account on our web site
• Create a new project in your dashboard, select the Houdini version and Mantra render engine.
• Upload your .vuh archive on our site through the “new project” button.

Install the RANCH HDA

Download the RANCHecker HDA

Unzip the .hda file into the OTLS folder (default folder for custom HDAs) or into a folder that is listed in the houdini.env file.

Later, you may update it smoothly directly from Houdini when it is already installed.