SideFX has announced a new cloud service, HQueue, that is designed to work with the company's Houdini animation software. The Python-based job manager utilizes Amazon's EC2 compute loud to process renderings and simulations, but without requiring the user to leave the Houdini interface. Intensive computing can be processed by EC2 while the workstation resources are left free for other work.

To use the cloud service, artists add an Hqueue node into the Houdini scene and then direct it to the cloud. All necessary files are sent to the Amazon network and users are provided a choice between different machine configurations depending on individual needs.

HQueue costs $0.50 per machine hour when utilizing a 32-bit system with 1.7GB of RAM, while choosing a 64-bit system with 7.5GB of RAM brings the price up to $1.99 per machine hour. The price includes the EC2 costs and licensing fees for the Houdini software. Upload and download costs range between $0.10 - $0.17 per GB.