After previewing its biggest features during last month's keynote, SideFX has officially released Houdini 22, the newest version of its procedural 3D software. The update introduces a broad range of workflow improvements, but several additions stand out as particularly relevant to game developers and technical artists. Check out the official Houdini 22 Foundations playlist on YouTube for tons of tutorials on the new features.

One of the headline features is native support for 3D Gaussian Splats. Rather than relying on third-party tools, artists can now create, edit, relight, rig, animate, and render Gaussian Splats directly within Houdini. 

Another major focus is Copernicus, SideFX's procedural image processing framework introduced in Houdini 20.5. Version 22 greatly expands its capabilities with new pattern generation tools, texture synthesis features, image-processing nodes, and VFX workflows. For Unreal Engine users, SideFX has also added improved support for exposing Copernicus networks through Houdini Digital Assets, making procedural texture workflows easier to bring into game projects.

Character artists will also find plenty to like. Houdini 22 continues to mature KineFX and APEX, introducing new rigging tools, improved retargeting, nested Motion Mixer clips, stronger character FX integration, and workflow enhancements for animation and grooming.

Elsewhere, the release includes updates across Solaris, Karma, USD world building, terrain generation, simulation tools, and rendering, alongside what is arguably the most immediately noticeable change: a refreshed user interface. The redesigned UI offers a cleaner look with modernized panels, improved customization, and a more streamlined workflow intended to make navigating Houdini's extensive toolset less intimidating for newcomers while improving efficiency for experienced users. 

We previously took a deep dive into many of Houdini 22's new features following SideFX's keynote presentation, but now artists can finally get their hands on the full release and explore everything it has to offer and get started with new creations.

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