Tutorial: install modules in Houdini & other fixes

Here’s some exploration into basic python setups, notes for myself as I’m a beginner in this…

Install NumPy into Houdini:
Use binary installer, it detects an installed standalone python32bit (not houdini), and places files into the python libraries. Append standalone python’s path to Houdini’s to access all modules:
import sys
sys.path += [‘C:\dev\Python25\Lib\site-packages’]
import numpy
# start using the numpy functions, in my case I like the powerful array module that acts like N-dimensional matrices in matlab.
You can run these in the initialization scripts like pythonrc.py or 123.py.

Or simply move the numpy folder from: C:\dev\Python25\Lib\site-packages
to: $HFS\python\lib\site-packages

While learning HOM I managed to break Houdini:
Cannot create geometry error, toolsutil.py has some access denied issue. Lights and cameras work, but creating and editing geometry all give the same error.

Perhaps I overrode the geo node or some basic node type accidentally? Whatever happened, I somehow removed the Houdini presets (it seems the only files shared across multiple Houdini versions besides maybe python?) from $HOME\HoudiniVersion\, and Houdini regenerated the files and basically reset itself. Actually weird problems often are fixed with reseting all preferences/presets, and worked for Maya and Houdini for me.