Control SideFX Houdini from the shell via Flue - a Python bridge to hou without an MCP server.
An adapter that lets a coding agent operate SideFX Houdini on the desktop through Flue, a local shell-to-application bridge, without running an MCP server. The agent pipes Python into houdini_bridge.py, which executes against Houdini's hou module and returns structured JSON, following the flow agent shell to houdini_bridge.py to hou to JSON result. This gives a CLI agent a way to act inside Houdini, which it otherwise cannot do.
Use it when a person asks for work performed inside Houdini: inspecting the open scene, nodes, parameters, geometry, or selection; making bounded edits; or running small hou scripts. The recommended procedure is to read FLUE.md in the skill directory first, since it explains how Flue works, the bridge contract, a worked hou example, and safety expectations. If Flue is installed, the guidance also points to the Flue SKILL.md and the Houdini adapter's APP.md for the operational contract. If Flue is not installed, the agent should tell the user; installation is pip install flue followed by flue setup, and it must not be installed without explicit approval in the session.
Because Flue acts inside professional desktop software, the guidance emphasizes treating the human as the driver, preferring small inspectable steps, and avoiding destructive actions unless explicitly requested. The same stdin and stdout contract and single install also cover other applications including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, InDesign, Audition, Blender, 3ds Max, Unity, and Microsoft Office. Flue is MIT-licensed and reviewable on GitHub and PyPI before use.
The agent pipes Python into houdini_bridge.py, which runs it against Houdini's hou module and returns structured JSON. The path is agent shell to houdini_bridge.py to hou to JSON result.
It should read FLUE.md in the skill directory first, which covers how Flue works, the bridge contract, a worked hou example, and safety expectations. If Flue is installed, it should also read the Flue SKILL.md and the Houdini adapter's APP.md.
Flue is installed with pip install flue followed by flue setup. The agent must not install it without explicit approval in the current session; if Flue is missing it should tell the human.
No. The same stdin and stdout contract and a single install also support Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, InDesign, Audition, Blender, 3ds Max, Unity, and Microsoft Office.
Treat the human as the driver, prefer small inspectable steps, and avoid destructive actions unless explicitly requested, since Flue acts inside professional desktop software.
Quick Setup:
.claude/skills/Repository
sfkislev/flue