| name | houdini-dev |
| description | Pipeline skill — development workflow helpers for authoring Houdini Python tools in a live session: attach a local project to sys.path, hot-reload modules by prefix or name, run module entrypoints or scripts with captured stdout/stderr/traceback, start a debugpy listener, introspect HOM objects/signatures/node-type categories, and inspect or trigger safe UI actions (headless-safe). Not for scene editing — use domain skills first. |
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | dcc-mcp-houdini 0.1+, Houdini 20.5+, dcc-mcp-core 0.17+ |
| allowed-tools | Bash Read |
| metadata | {"dcc-mcp":{"dcc":"houdini","layer":"domain","stage":"pipeline","version":"1.0.0","tags":["houdini","development","debug","hot-reload","debugpy","introspection","hom","ui","diagnostics"],"search-hint":"develop houdini tools attach python project hot reload modules run entrypoint script debugpy attach introspect hom node type categories signatures ui snapshot headless diagnostics","tools":"tools.yaml"}} |
houdini-dev
Development workflow helpers for agents iterating on Houdini Python tools.
Stays outside the minimal startup surface (load explicitly with
load_skill("houdini-dev")). The intended loop:
attach_project("/path/to/tool") once for the project root.- Edit files in the normal workspace.
reload_modules(prefix="mytool") → run_entrypoint("mytool.cli:main").- Inspect the concise stdout/stderr/traceback summary.
Set DCC_MCP_HOUDINI_DEV_ROOTS to a path-list of trusted roots to restrict
which local projects attach_project / run_script will accept.
Tool groups
dev-project: attach_project, reload_modules.dev-run: run_entrypoint, run_script (captured output).dev-debug: start_debugpy (safe 127.0.0.1:5678 default,
already-running detection).dev-introspect (read-only): introspect_hom — members/signatures,
node-type categories, and available node types.dev-ui: ui_snapshot (read-only), ui_action.
Context limitations
- Headless hython:
ui_snapshot / ui_action return a clean
supported=false result instead of failing when no UI is available.
- Trusted roots: when
DCC_MCP_HOUDINI_DEV_ROOTS is set, project and
script paths outside those roots are refused with a structured error.
- debugpy: requires
debugpy installed in the Houdini Python env; a
second call reports already_running=true rather than re-binding the port.
- HOM only with hou:
introspect_hom and the UI tools require hou;
they degrade through skill_error when it cannot be imported.
Tracer-bullet flow
attach_project("/projects/mytool")introspect_hom(category="Sop", name_filter="attrib") → discover node typesreload_modules(prefix="mytool", reimport=true)run_entrypoint("mytool.build:run", kwargs={"dry_run": true})ui_snapshot() → confirm the active desktop when running interactively
