FXHoudini MCP
MCP server for SideFX Houdini with 215 tools: an agent builds node networks, sets up simulations and assembles USD scenes
- 382 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- The execute_python tool runs arbitrary code inside the Houdini session, with no authentication or per-tool permissions
- The agent can delete nodes, change the scene and write files and caches to disk
Install
- Works in
Manual install
pip install fxhoudinimcp && python -m fxhoudinimcp installOne command writes the Houdini package file and the client entries. --dry-run shows the changes without writing. Restart Houdini and the client.
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The execute_python tool runs arbitrary code inside the Houdini session, with no authentication or per-tool permissions
- The agent can delete nodes, change the scene and write files and caches to disk
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
FXHoudini MCP connects an AI agent to a running Houdini through the program's own Python API. The server runs in the client over stdio, and a plugin with a web server on port 8100 loads inside Houdini and executes the calls. The agent creates and connects nodes, sets parameters in bulk and edits keyframes. It also inspects USD stages and launches renders. The tools are split into 24 groups, from nodes and parameters to LOPs, PDG and Copernicus. For typical jobs there are calls that set up Pyro, RBD, FLIP and Vellum in one go. Separate tools search Houdini's own manual for the version you have installed. The server ships 8 resources and 9 prompts backed by 31 written workflow guides. One command writes the Houdini package and registers the server with every client it finds, and an MCP menu appears in Houdini.
Who it is for. For technical artists and FX specialists in Houdini who want Claude Code, Cursor or Codex to build networks, set up simulations and check a scene.
Good fit when
- You need to stand up a smoke, liquid or cloth simulation from scratch: Pyro, FLIP and Vellum are set up in one call
- A scene has hundreds of nodes and the agent must find the node with an error, trace the cook chain and read cook timings
- Parameters and keyframes need changing in bulk, without editing each node by hand
- You are building a USD scene and want to inspect the stage, layers, variants and lighting as you go
- You need to run VEX or Python in a Houdini session and validate it before it runs
Not a fit when
- You run a Houdini version below 20.5
- You need strict isolation: the server is built for one workstation and a trusted client
- The server must be reachable over a network: the plugin binds to loopback and refuses requests with an Origin header or a foreign Host
- You use another 3D package such as Blender: this server only talks to Houdini
Example request
In Houdini create a box, hook a Pyro smoke simulation to it, check the network for errors and show a render frameMCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Environment variables
FXHOUDINIMCP_PROJECT_ROOT- Project directory: tools open, save and export files only inside it
FXHOUDINIMCP_BIND- Bind address for the plugin instead of loopback
Limitations
- Needs Houdini 20.5 or newer (tested on 20.5, 21.0 and 22.0) and Python 3.10 or newer outside Houdini.
- A connection to the server is a shell inside your Houdini session, with no authentication or per-tool permission.
- FXHOUDINIMCP_PROJECT_ROOT confines the files the tools open, save, import, export or install. It does not check paths written into parameters, and execute_python and execute_hscript are not sandboxed.
- A bad change can only be rolled back with Houdini undo: one tool call equals one undo step.
- Clients need the absolute path of the Python that has the package: a bare python shows the server as disconnected.
How to disable. Run `python -m fxhoudinimcp uninstall` and then `pip uninstall fxhoudinimcp`. The first command removes the Houdini package file and the client entries; without it they fail silently. The `--dry-run` flag only lists what would be removed.
FAQ
How do I install FXHoudini MCP?
Run `pip install fxhoudinimcp`, then `python -m fxhoudinimcp install`. The command writes a package file into every Houdini packages directory it finds and registers the server with every client it detects, from Claude Code and Codex to Cursor and Cline. Restart Houdini and the client.
How do I connect the server to Claude Code by hand?
Run `claude mcp add --scope user fxhoudini -- <python> -m fxhoudinimcp`, substituting the absolute path of the Python that has the package. Other clients register the same command their own way.
What if the MCP menu is missing in Houdini?
Most likely Houdini skipped the package file. Write it by hand with `fxhoudinimcp houdini-package --write` into the packages folder of the right version and restart Houdini.
Is it safe to give an agent this access?
There is no protection at the tool level: execute_python runs arbitrary code. The plugin listens on loopback only and refuses requests from web pages, and FXHOUDINIMCP_PROJECT_ROOT narrows the reachable files.
Why is the agent slow on large networks?
Every command waits for a Houdini main-thread tick, about 50 ms even on an empty network. Ten nodes in ten calls take about 800 ms, and the same ten through one build_network call about 66 ms.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Entries that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Entry | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FXHoudini MCP (this entry) | no | not required | 382 | |
| Blender MCP | no | not required | 32,717 | drives Blender, while this server works only with SideFX Houdini |
| MCP for Unity | no | not required | 15,537 | drives the Unity editor and its scene projects |
README in short
The MIT-licensed project keeps documentation inside the server: prompts follow the SideFX help scopes, with one guide per area such as Pyro. Developers get an integration suite in hython that needs a Houdini license seat.