Preset Manager

A Houdini Python Panel for browsing, categorizing, saving, and applying node presets with a visual tree interface. Part of the tfrog toolset for Houdini 21.

Installation

1. Open Houdini
2. In Houdini, go to Windows → Python Panel Editor
3. Click the New Interface button to create a new interface
4. Name it Preset_Manager and Label it Preset Manager
5. Activate Include in Pane Tab Menu
6. Paste the entire script into the Script tab
7. Click Apply / Accept
8. Open the panel via New Pane Tab → Python Panel → Shelf Manager

Interface Overview

• Header Bar — Title and Colors button
• Node Info — Displays the currently selected node's name and type
• Search Bar — Filter presets by name
• Category Toggle & Sort — Toggle category grouping on/off, choose sort order
• Tree View — Categories as folders with presets inside, supporting drag-and-drop
• Action Buttons — Apply, Refresh, Save Preset, Category, Reset to Defaults, Delete

Basic Workflow

1. Select a node in your Houdini scene — the Preset Manager automatically detects it and loads all available presets
2. Browse the presets organized by category
3. Double-click a preset to apply it, or select it and click Apply
4. Save your current node settings as a new preset with the Save Preset button

The panel polls for node selection changes automatically — whenever you select a different node, the preset list updates.

Managing Presets

Applying a Preset

• Double-click a preset in the tree to apply it instantly
• Or select a preset and click the Apply button
• The node header flashes briefly to confirm the preset was applied
• All changes are undoable via Ctrl+Z

Saving a Preset

1. Set up your node parameters as desired
2. Click Save Preset
3. Enter a name for the preset
4. The preset is saved using Houdini's native preset system and appears in the tree

Deleting Presets and Categories

Select any combination of presets and/or categories, then click Delete. A confirmation dialog lists exactly what will be deleted. When a category is deleted, presets inside it are moved to "Unsorted".

Resetting a Node

Click Reset to Defaults to revert the selected node to its default parameter values.

Managing Categories

Creating a Category

Click the Category button (when no presets are selected) to create a new empty category. You can also right-click empty space in the tree and select New Empty Category...

Assigning Presets to Categories

• Drag and drop presets from one category onto another
• Or select presets and click the Category button to pick from a dropdown
• Right-click a preset and select Set Category...
• To remove a preset from its category (move it back to "Unsorted"), right-click and select Remove from Category

Creating Subcategories

Drag a category onto another category to nest it. Category names use / as separator internally (e.g. "Effects/Fire"). The tree displays them as nested folders.

Moving a Category to Top Level

Drag a category onto the empty space below the tree to move it back to the top level.

Renaming a Category

Right-click the category and select Rename Category...

Deleting a Category

Right-click and select Delete Category, or select it and click Delete. Presets inside the category are moved to "Unsorted".

Category Toggle & Sorting

Categories On/Off

Click the Categories: ON toggle button on the left to switch between grouped view (presets inside category folders) and flat view (all presets in a single list).

Sort Options

Use the dropdown on the right to sort presets:

Appearance Customization (Per-Preset)

Each preset and category can have a custom icon and color. Right-click a preset or category to access:

Set Icon

Choose from shapes: circle, star, diamond, triangle, square, heart (for presets) or folder, folder_open, box, tag, bookmark (for categories).

Set Color

Pick any color using the color picker. The icon updates to show the chosen color.

Appearance Presets

Save frequently used icon+color combinations as named appearance presets for quick reuse:

• Save Appearance Preset... — Save the current icon and color as a named preset
• Appearance Presets submenu — Apply a saved appearance to the selected item(s)
• Delete Appearance Preset — Remove a saved appearance
• Reset Appearance — Revert to default icon and color

Search

Type in the search bar to filter presets by name. The search uses Houdini-style fuzzy matching — you can type the beginning of each word in any order. For example, typing atim matches "Attribute Import", and imat also matches.

Context Menu (Right-Click)

On a Single Preset

On Multiple Presets

Batch operations: Set Category, appearance changes, and Delete for all selected presets at once.

On a Category

Color Settings

Click the Colors button in the header bar. These settings are shared across all tfrog tools. See the Expression Manager documentation for the full list of color options.

Data Storage

$HOUDINI_USER_PREF_DIR/tfrog/preset_manager.json    — Categories, icons, colors, appearance presets
$HOUDINI_USER_PREF_DIR/tfrog/tfrog_colors.json        — Shared color settings

Preset data itself is stored in Houdini's native preset system (managed via hscript). The Preset Manager only stores category assignments and visual customizations.