AI Usage at a Glance
Timeline
Jul 10, 2024
ProductivityPractice documented: Houdini offers a machine learning–based character deformer that artists can train inside the software to produce more realistic skin and tissue movement than traditional bone-based animation methods. The tool, introduced with Houdini 20 and expanded in Houdini 20.5 and 21, lets artists train and apply the model entirely within Houdini's node network without writing custom code.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Apr 1, 2025
Data AnalysisPractice documented: Houdini offers a platform for creating large volumes of labeled synthetic data — artificially generated images and 3D scenes — that other companies and researchers can use to train machine learning models. SideFX also partnered with Endava in April 2025 to publish a suite of computer vision tools in SideFX Labs that automate the creation of annotated training datasets.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Apr 1, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Houdini offers a built-in machine learning platform that allows artists and technical directors to train, test, and deploy custom AI models entirely within the software's node network, without needing to write separate training scripts or install external machine learning frameworks. This capability has been progressively expanded across Houdini 20, 20.5, and 21.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Apr 22, 2025
Data AnalysisNew evidence: SideFX Partners With Endava To Transform Synthetic Data for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Evidence AddedView practice →Aug 1, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: What's new Machine learning – Houdini 21
Evidence AddedView practice →Aug 1, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Houdini 21 offers an ML Train Style Transfer node that trains a machine learning model to apply visual style from one class of images to another, enabling artists to automate the transformation of textures or rendered images to match a target aesthetic.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Aug 1, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Houdini 21 offers a Neural Point Surface node that uses pre-trained machine learning models to convert point clouds — clusters of 3D data points produced by simulations or 3D scans — into smooth, detailed meshable surfaces. The feature ships with four built-in models tuned for different materials, such as liquids and granular matter.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Aug 1, 2025
ProductivityPractice documented: Houdini 21 offers an ML Volume Upres node that uses a pre-trained machine learning model to upscale low-resolution fire and smoke (pyro) simulations, adding fine detail without changing the overall shape of the simulation. Artists can use SideFX-supplied pre-trained models or train their own.
Practice DocumentedView practice →Aug 1, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: What's new Machine learning – Houdini 21
Evidence AddedView practice →Aug 27, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: SideFX just released Houdini 21: check out its five key features
Evidence AddedView practice →Aug 27, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: SideFX just released Houdini 21: check out its five key features
Evidence AddedView practice →Sep 15, 2025
ProductivityNew evidence: Entagma explores the new AI tools in Houdini 21
Evidence AddedView practice →Recent activity
Houdini 21 offers an ML Train Style Transfer node that trains a machine learning model to apply visual style from one class of images to another, enabling artists to automate the transformation of textures or rendered images to match a target aesthetic.
The new ML Train Style Transfer TOP node, introduced in Houdini 21, trains a neural network on two classes of images — the source and the target style — and exports the resulting model in ONNX format. The trained model can then be applied inside Houdini via the ONNX Interface SOP (for 3D geometry contexts) or the ONNX Inference COP (within the Copernicus image-processing framework). This allows artists to automate texture and image stylization within their production pipeline.
Houdini offers a platform for creating large volumes of labeled synthetic data — artificially generated images and 3D scenes — that other companies and researchers can use to train machine learning models. SideFX also partnered with Endava in April 2025 to publish a suite of computer vision tools in SideFX Labs that automate the creation of annotated training datasets.
Houdini's procedural node system and Procedural Dependency Graph (PDG/TOPS) allow users to automatically vary 3D environments, object configurations, and rendering parameters at scale, producing thousands of labeled image variants without manual effort. The Endava partnership, announced in April 2025, contributed ML Computer Vision tools now distributed through SideFX Labs — the free, open-source companion toolset to Houdini — designed to generate dataset variations and annotations for computer vision training scenarios such as manufacturing inspection and autonomous vehicle training. These tools require no coding skills and are available to any user of the latest SideFX Labs release.
Houdini 21 offers an ML Volume Upres node that uses a pre-trained machine learning model to upscale low-resolution fire and smoke (pyro) simulations, adding fine detail without changing the overall shape of the simulation. Artists can use SideFX-supplied pre-trained models or train their own.
The ML Volume Upres node takes a VDB or native Houdini volume as input and runs ONNX-format model inference to increase the simulation's detail. SideFX updated the built-in 'Sparse Billowy Smoke' shelf tool to use this node by default. The node processes volumes in tiles to manage GPU memory and supports GPU acceleration via CUDA, DirectML, or CoreML depending on the platform. This capability was shipped as part of the Houdini 21 release in August 2025.
All practices by category
Houdini 21 offers an ML Train Style Transfer node that trains a machine learning model to apply visual style from one class of images to another, enabling artists to automate the transformation of textures or rendered images to match a target aesthetic.
Houdini 21 offers an ML Volume Upres node that uses a pre-trained machine learning model to upscale low-resolution fire and smoke (pyro) simulations, adding fine detail without changing the overall shape of the simulation. Artists can use SideFX-supplied pre-trained models or train their own.
Houdini offers a built-in machine learning platform that allows artists and technical directors to train, test, and deploy custom AI models entirely within the software's node network, without needing to write separate training scripts or install external machine learning frameworks. This capability has been progressively expanded across Houdini 20, 20.5, and 21.
Houdini 21 offers a Neural Point Surface node that uses pre-trained machine learning models to convert point clouds — clusters of 3D data points produced by simulations or 3D scans — into smooth, detailed meshable surfaces. The feature ships with four built-in models tuned for different materials, such as liquids and granular matter.
Houdini offers a machine learning–based character deformer that artists can train inside the software to produce more realistic skin and tissue movement than traditional bone-based animation methods. The tool, introduced with Houdini 20 and expanded in Houdini 20.5 and 21, lets artists train and apply the model entirely within Houdini's node network without writing custom code.
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). SideFX (Houdini): documented AI practices (data as of 2026-04-22) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/company/653619ac-fb6a-4ec8-9253-9b40c52fab1f. Accessed September 7, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/company/653619ac-fb6a-4ec8-9253-9b40c52fab1f
- Data as of
- April 22, 2026
- Last verified
- April 22, 2026
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