Node Weaver

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Node Weaver is a toolset for Houdini TDs that streamlines tool creation and customization workflows. Whether you're building HDAs, managing node networks, or customizing the Houdini interface, Node Weaver provides utilities to make your work more efficient.

Customize Houdini

That is how this tool set started. I began by creating a better way to customize Houdini's Network Editor color palette. The default process is clunky and difficult to extend, so I built a tool to make it more intuitive. This became the Color Palette Configurator, which offers gradient sampling, text-based colors, and easy color palette export.

Then I remembered seeing custom node shapes somewhere online, and wanted to know how it was done. I discovered the work of Simon Fiedler and Bastian Schiffer but the process wasn't particularly user-friendly. This inspired the Node Shape Creator and Inspector - tools that makes custom node shape design accessible for artists.

I wanted it to be as easy to use as possible, because even tools for building tools should be intuitive.

Building Better Tools Through Automation

As I have developed tools, I kept encountering repetitive tasks that needed to be done. Writing menu scripts, modifying multiparms, building node networks programmatically - these tasks were tedious but essential. Rather than re-solve the same problems in different tools over and over, I built utilities to handle these tasks systematically. The result is the Tool Maker Tools collection and Python API, which automates common TD tasks while maintaining the intuitive feel I strive for in all my tools.

A Full Python API

Node Weaver isn't just a collection of tools - it's also a Python API designed to make Houdini tool development more accessible. The API tackles challenges I've found as a TD with clean, well-documented solutions. There is nothing worse than coming across what seems like a useful bit of undocumented code. Every module, class, and function comes with comprehensive docstrings that provide:

Clear descriptions of purpose and behavior
Detailed parameter and return value documentation
Usage examples that demonstrate real-world applications
Type hints for better code completion and error catching

This focus on documentation means you can use Node Weaver's utilities as confidently as you'd use Houdini's built-in HOM API.

Did I mention that it's all documented online in an easy-to-search way?

VIEW THE API REFERENCE

Design Philosophy

Throughout Node Weaver's development, I've focused on three core principles:

Intuitive Interfaces

Tools should be self-explanatory, whether they're for artists or TDs. Complex functionality doesn't have to mean complex user experience.

Systematic Solutions

Rather than creating one-off fixes, Node Weaver provides reusable solutions that can be applied to similar problems.

Solid Documentation

Good tools need good documentation. Every feature is thoroughly documented, from high-level concepts to API details.

Looking Forward

I have a lot of plans to make this toolset more useful. Node Weaver continues to evolve based on my own needs, and the GitHub repository is quite new. I'm constantly adding new utilities, improving existing tools, and refining the API based on practical experience and user feedback. The goal remains consistent: make Houdini tool development more efficient without sacrificing usability.