Exploring Houdini R&D with Python for Massive Exporter Tool UI using hou module and PyQt

Creating a custom tool in Houdini can greatly enhance your workflow and productivity. In this tutorial, we will focus on creating a Massive Exporter Tool using the Houdini R&D Python module and PyQt for the user interface.

Step 1: Setting up the project

1. Open Houdini and create a new Python script in the Script Editor.
2. Import the necessary modules:

   import hou
   from PyQt5 import QtWidgets, QtCore

Step 2: Creating the UI

1. Define a class for the custom tool:

   class MassiveExporterToolUI(QtWidgets.QWidget):
   def __init__(self):
       super(MassiveExporterToolUI, self).__init__()
   
       self.initUI()
   
   def initUI(self):
       # Create a layout for the tool
       layout = QtWidgets.QVBoxLayout()
   
       # Add a label for the tool title
       title_label = QtWidgets.QLabel('Massive Exporter Tool')
       layout.addWidget(title_label)
   
       # Add a file browser button to select the export folder
       self.export_folder_btn = QtWidgets.QPushButton('Select Export Folder')
       self.export_folder_btn.clicked.connect(self.selectExportFolder)
       layout.addWidget(self.export_folder_btn)
   
       # Add a button to export the scene
       export_btn = QtWidgets.QPushButton('Export Scene')
       export_btn.clicked.connect(self.exportScene)
       layout.addWidget(export_btn)
   
       # Set the layout for the tool
       self.setLayout(layout)
   
   def selectExportFolder(self):
       # Function to open a file browser and select the export folder
       export_folder = QtWidgets.QFileDialog.getExistingDirectory(None, 'Select Export Folder')
       if export_folder:
           self.export_folder_btn.setText(export_folder)
   
   def exportScene(self):
       # Function to export the scene
       export_folder = self.export_folder_btn.text()
       selected_node = hou.node('/obj/').selectedItems()[0]
       selected_node.save(export_folder + '/' + selected_node.name() + '.obj')

Step 3: Displaying the UI

1. Create an instance of the MassiveExporterToolUI class and show the tool:

   app = QtWidgets.QApplication([])
   tool_ui = MassiveExporterToolUI()
   tool_ui.show()
   app.exec_()

Now, when you run the script in the Script Editor, the Massive Exporter Tool UI will be displayed. You can select an export folder and export the selected node as an OBJ file.

This is just a basic example of creating a custom tool in Houdini using the Houdini R&D Python module and PyQt. You can expand on this by adding more functionality and customizing the UI to suit your needs. Experiment with different layouts, widgets, and functionalities to create a tool that fits your workflow.