Houdini To AE exporter (Houdini2AE)

Export cameras, locators and lights from Houdini to After Effects. Works in Houdini 20.5 and earlier.

Main features:

• Export cameras
• Export nodes (as nulls)
  • optionally adds a 2D-layer of each null
• Export lights
  • also export color and intensity
• Check if you want to keep animated keyframes or not
• Choose a scale (recommended scale for AE is 100-1000)

Usage:

Install the tool in a scene (Assets -> Install Asset Library). In the OBJ context press TAB and type "Houdini2ae". I recommend to rename the node after creation with the camera name. Use the fields provided to select camera, locators (optionally) and lights (optionally). Choose if you want to export keyframes for each type, select a frame range, choose a scale (I recommend 100-1000), choose a path to an export .JSX file and press "Export". If succesfull, it will print "Export succesfull" in a Houdini console. If there are some errors it will let you know where exactly the error is.

After you have the .JSX file exported, open it in your AE project: File->Scripts->Run script file. It will create a new composition. Open it and enjoy!

(In older versions of AE you may need to have a checkbox "Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network" on)

NOTES:

• Be sure that width/height parameters of a camera are correct and match width/height of the AE composition you want to import into. FPS is also must be the same in Houdini and AE.
• all the obj nodes will be exported as Nulls in AE (with an optional additional 2D layer created and linked to 3D);
• you can export only one camera from one node and as many objs and lights as you need; Just lock the parameter window and drag-and-drop all the objects you need to a proper field;
• all types of lights in Houdini are supported, but in AE they will be point lights. Color and intensity are supported.

You are welcome to write me if you have questions.

P.S. An original idea of the script is from Mohammed Mansour.