houdini-hda

name	houdini-hda
description	HDA skill - install, inspect, create, author, publish, validate, cook, and synchronize Houdini Digital Assets with typed public parameters. Use when loading .hda/.otl assets, building reusable interfaces, or publishing an HDA library. Not for generic node edits.
license	MIT
compatibility	dcc-mcp-houdini 0.1+, Houdini 18.5+, dcc-mcp-core 0.19.45+
allowed-tools	Bash Read Write Edit
metadata	{"dcc-mcp":{"dcc":"houdini","layer":"domain","stage":"authoring","version":"1.1.1","tags":["houdini","hda","otl","digital-asset","automation"],"search-hint":"install hda, expose controls, author interface, publish versioned hda, validate contract","search-aliases":["use hda","install hda","load otl","run digital asset","instantiate hda","execute hda","save hda","create digital asset","promote hda parameters","author hda interface","publish hda","validate hda","update hda definition","sync hda instance"],"example-prompts":["Install this .hda file and run the asset","Use the labs::my_asset HDA under /obj with these parameters","Save /obj/geo1 as a digital asset","Promote these internal controls and publish a new HDA definition version","Publish this asset with a safe reusable interface and dependency manifest","Upgrade this HDA instance and run its version handler"],"intent":"Install, author, publish, validate, instantiate, cook, and synchronize Houdini Digital Assets.","recall-context":{"app_type":"houdini","domain":"assets","workflow-stage":"authoring","task-category":"mutate"},"requires":[],"produces":["scene_node","file:hda"],"preconditions":[{"type":"software","name":"houdini","version":">=18.5"}],"side-effects":{"creates":true,"modifies":true,"file-output":true,"targets":["scene_node","file:hda"]},"tools":"tools.yaml"}}

houdini-hda

Typed Houdini Digital Asset operations. execute_hda is the main high-level entry point: it can install an asset file, instantiate a node, set parameters, press button parms, and cook the node.

Reusable asset lifecycle

1. Build and test the internal node graph.
2. Use author_hda_interface for a complete callback-free declarative interface, or promote_hda_parameters to clone selected internal parameter tuples.
3. Use save_node_as_hda for a new asset, then publish_hda_library for an explicitly namespaced/versioned library with metadata and dependencies.
4. Gate the result with validate_hda_contract.
5. Use sync_hda_instance to reload a library, match an instance to the current definition, and run its native SyncNodeVersion handler.
6. Use houdini-hda-automation graph cooking tools when a reusable asset needs pipeline-level verification.

update_hda_definition updates the current definition. publish_hda_library requires an explicit namespace, version, and overwrite policy.

save_node_as_hda refuses an existing target by default. overwrite=true explicitly authorizes Houdini to add or replace definitions in that library in-place. The write is not atomic; use a new versioned path when an interrupted write must leave the previous file intact.