How to install Houdini for Unreal

To use this plugin you need to use Houdini Engine 18.5.499 or newer.

1. Install Houdini

This license type is for using Houdini assets in Unreal Engine. That means that you could have someone create digital assets and then you can use these digital assets in your projects.

Go to sidefx.com

Click on Get/Buy

Go to Houdini Engine Unreal and Unity Plug-ins, and add it to the cart

Go to checkout and login to your Houdini account/create a new account. Fill out your personal information then complete the order. Once your order is completed, go to Get/Download and download the installer. Once again, make sure you download build 18.5.499 or newer.

Open the installer and install the Main Application, File Associations and the License Server. Click next.

Make sure that you select the plugins that you want to install. Click next and finish the installation process.

Open Houdini and sign in or create a free Apprentice Licence.

After the License is installed and Houdini has opened, you can close it.

2. Install the plugin

The next step is to install the plugin. In order to do that, you need to copy the plugin from the Houdini install folder to the Unreal Engine runtime plugins folder. Make sure to copy the correct engine version.

By default:

Unreal Engine 4.27: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_4.27\Engine\Plugins\Runtime

Houdini 19.0.455: C:\Program Files\Side Effects Software\Houdini 19.0.455\engine\unreal\4.27

Next, we have to install the free plugin license. Open License Administrator (This was installed with the Houdini Engine). Login with your Houdini account then click File/Install licenses. Choose Houdini Engine for Unity/Unreal, give the quantity (1) then click install.

Once it’s finished, you should see both the Houdini Apprentice and the plugin license installed.

Open your Unreal Engine project. The plugin should be enabled by default, you can check it if you click Edit/Plugins and search for Houdini

When the plugin is enabled, you see a Houdini Engine window on the menu bar.

Click on Create Session and you can start importing .HDA assets the same way as regular 3D assets.