This Tool finds and updates file paths across all nodes in your Houdini file, allowing you to replace them completely or only in specific parts. It also allows you to target a single path individually, or batch-process multiple paths at once to quickly fix broken dependencies.
Relink Manager
Documentation
Relink Paths
A Houdini shelf tool for scanning, previewing, and batch-replacing file paths across your entire scene. Part of the tfrog toolset for Houdini 21.
Installation
- In Houdini, go to the Shelf area and right-click → New Tool...
- Name it
Relink Paths - Paste the entire script into the Script tab
- Set the language to Python
- Click Accept
- Run the tool from your shelf — it opens as a floating dialog window
Note: Unlike the other tfrog tools, Relink Paths is a shelf tool (standalone dialog), not a Python Panel.
Interface Overview
The Relink Paths dialog is divided into four sections:
- Header — Title, path counter, Colors button, and Rescan button
- Find & Replace / Select by Path — Two side-by-side panels in a resizable splitter
- Path Table — A sortable table listing every file path parameter in the scene
- Bottom Bar — Selection controls, Jump to Node, broken path filter, Preview, Apply, and Close
How It Works
When you open the tool, it scans your entire Houdini scene for all file path parameters — textures, geometry caches, USD layers, render outputs, alembic files, and more. It detects paths in:
- Over 200 known node types (SOPs, LOPs, VOPs, ROPs, TOPs, OBJ)
- Multiparm instances (e.g. USD
referenceandsublayernodes with numbered filepath parameters) - Only parameters whose values look like actual file paths and are not at their default values
The scan results are displayed in a table. You can then find-and-replace path segments across all selected entries.
Find & Replace
Setting Up a Replacement
- In the Old Path field, enter the path segment you want to find (e.g.
/mnt/nas01/show) - In the New Path field, enter the replacement (e.g.
/mnt/nas02/show) - Matching entries in the table are highlighted automatically as you type
Slash Conversion
Click the \\ ↔ / button next to either field to swap all backslashes and forward-slashes. Useful when moving projects between Windows and Linux.
Preview Changes
Click Preview Changes to see a detailed list of every path that would be modified, showing the old and new values side by side. No changes are applied yet.
Apply Relink
Click Apply Relink to execute the replacement. A confirmation dialog shows how many paths will be updated. All changes are undoable via Ctrl+Z — the tool wraps everything in a single undo group.
Select by Path Content
The right panel lets you check or uncheck table rows based on path content:
- Enter a path fragment in the Path contains field
- Click Select Matching to check all rows whose path contains that fragment
- Click Deselect Matching to uncheck matching rows
You can also click any row in the table to copy its path to the clipboard, or double-click to copy the path into the "Path contains" field for quick filtering.
Path Table
The table has five columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| ✓ | Checkbox — only checked rows are affected by Find & Replace |
| File Path | The current value of the file path parameter |
| Node | The full node path in the scene (e.g. /obj/geo1/file1) |
| Type | The node type (e.g. file, principledshader, sublayer) |
| Parm | The parameter name (e.g. file, basecolor_texture) |
Sorting
Click any column header to sort the table by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order.
Selection Controls
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Check All | Check every row |
| Uncheck All | Uncheck every row |
| Invert | Toggle all checkboxes |
Jump to Node
Select a single row in the table and click Jump to Node. The node is selected in the Network Editor and the view centers on it. Useful for quickly locating nodes with broken or outdated paths.
Broken Path Filter
Click ⚠ Show Broken Only to filter the table to only show paths that don't exist on disk. The tool uses hou.expandString() to resolve variables like $HIP, $JOB, and $F before checking. For paths with frame tokens (like $F4), the parent directory is checked instead.
Click the button again to show all paths.
Supported Node Types
The tool has a comprehensive registry of over 200 Houdini node types and their file path parameters, including:
- SOP — File, File Cache, Alembic, VDB, ROP Geometry/FBX/glTF
- LOP/USD — USD Import, Sublayer, Reference, Load Layer, Scene Import, Karma, ROP USD
- VOP — All texture nodes (Principled Shader, Classic Shader, Hair Shader, MaterialX, Renderman/PxR), environment maps, point clouds
- ROP — Mantra, OpenGL, Compositing outputs
- TOP — PDG schedulers, ROP fetches, USD tools, script paths
- OBJ — Geometry output paths
Multiparm nodes like sublayer and reference::2.0 are handled dynamically — the tool scans numbered parameter instances (filepath1, filepath2, etc.) up to 200.
Color Settings
Click the Colors button in the header. These settings are shared across all tfrog tools. Accent color affects focus borders, checkboxes, scrollbar hover, and the "Select Matching" button. Secondary color affects the "Apply Relink" button.
Data Storage
The Relink Paths tool does not store any persistent data beyond color settings. Path scanning is performed live each time the tool is opened or rescanned.
$HOUDINI_USER_PREF_DIR/tfrog/tfrog_colors.json — Shared color settings (only file used)
Tips
- Use Rescan after making changes outside the tool (e.g. manually editing parameters) to refresh the table.
- Check broken paths first — Use "Show Broken Only" to find missing assets, then use Find & Replace to fix them in bulk.
- Double-click rows to quickly populate the "Path contains" field for selective operations.
- Slash conversion saves time when migrating projects between operating systems.
- All changes are undoable — Ctrl+Z reverts every path change made by Apply Relink.