Productivity AutomationVerified
Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, April 22, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.
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.
Details
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.
Products affected
Houdini 21
Sources & Evidence
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). SideFX (Houdini): 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 (data as of 2026-04-22) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/46a17b6b-7d90-48be-ac9b-df3cd020e634. Accessed September 11, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/46a17b6b-7d90-48be-ac9b-df3cd020e634
- Data as of
- April 22, 2026
- Last verified
- April 22, 2026
Other practices by SideFX (Houdini)
Data AnalysisHoudini 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.ProductivityHoudini 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.ProductivityHoudini 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.
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