Learning Houdini

#1

Side Effects Software’s Houdini software utilizes a node-based procedural approach which provides digital artists with an unprecedented level of power, flexibility and control. Houdini’s feature set includes modeling, rigging, animation, particle effects, dynamics, compositing, integrated rendering, although it is best known for its VFX tools. Houdini is available for the Mac OS X, Linux and Windows operating systems.

Listed below are some resources you can use to learn Houdini:

Free Learning Software: For CG artists who are working on shots to spruce up their demo reel, developing new skills, or working on personal projects, Side Effects has created the Houdini Apprentice program. Houdini Apprentice contains virtually all of Houdini Master’s features with only a few limitations. It uses a special non-commercial file format (.hipnc) and you can share files between all of these versions. Visit http://www.sidefx.com/apprentice to access this learning software.

Tutorials: You can access tutorials by Side Effects Software here. To get started you should take a look at the user guides and these excellent videos created by Peter Quint on Vimeo. You can also find lots of third party materials on this page. The 3D Buzz and Digital Tutors lessons are also great for getting started with Houdini

Customer Stories: To learn how Houdini is used to create movies, commercials and video games, check out the customer story and the Houdini in the News sections at sidefx.com

Houdini Jobs: Demand for Houdini talent is very high in the market right now. You can visit the jobs page at sidefx.com for a list of studios looking for artists or join the following linkedin group for more specific job postings.

#2

awesome :slight_smile:

#3

What a good new! A new Houdini forum in CGtalk, and the best, in the birthday anniversary of Harry Houdini :stuck_out_tongue: (Have you seen today’s doodle?)

#4

It’s great to have a Houdini forum back.

#5

many thanks!

#6

Woohooo, Houdini forum surfacing from the depths of cgtalk! Amaaazing :smiley:

#7

A pile of tuts from voronoi fracture to Vops.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Khermah

Khermah

#8

I’m definitely going to check out your tutorials Khermah, thanks for sharing!

Another great resource are Peter Quint’s Houdini tutorials on Vimeo, they are superb in coverage and depth:

http://vimeo.com/channels/54102

cheers!

#9

joining the ranks of houdini learners :slight_smile:

#10

thanks a looooooooooot!

#11

This is really great!! Finally thanks again for making the forum to live again.

Cheers…

#12

You can also check out www.cg-masters.com for Houdini tutorials by Houdini gurus such as Peter Bowmar and Sean Lewkiw.

#13

I am max user for 5 years, working in CG for a year now in local studio doing archviz and animated adverts. What’s interesting that I got into Houdini thanks to my teammate at work - Maya user. He pushed me saying, hey check this app instead, its crazy.

Been trying to learn Maya twice with no result and passion whatsoever. Just didn’t like it :banghead:

Houdini attracted me from the very beginning.
I started with 3DBuzz Houdini Fundamentals (FastTrack) and found it to be very usefull. It really helps to grasp Houdini in a controled and explained fashion.

But seems that Houdini user base is waaay smaller than others. And lack of tutorials in certain fields such as Character FX - cloth,muscle,fur.
Would be cool to hear from experienced users how Houdini is “talking” with other apps. Is it possible to get predictable results if doing character modeling, animation in max and getting all of that inside Houdini and doing fancy character fx magic there? is a transfer, point cache transfer painfull and workable in reality?

I started to learn Houdini two weeks ago as a means to explore new ways of doing things and broaden my horizon.

#14

Same here, started learning Houdini about 2 weeks ago :smiley: I didnt say there is lack of tutorials, for me they’re enough, Peter Quint/Sidefx tutorials have very much information, those are only free tuts. CMI_VFX have some greats tuts.

About transfering animation, havent done that (only static mesh), but I have heard that Alembic format does that job very good, only problem is that, 3ds max doesnt have Alembic support, but Houdini have.

Ha, nepamanīju, ka tu no Latvijas :wavey: , tagad laikam Latvijā ir jau divi Houdini lietotāji :smiley:

#15

Than there is rising hype around upcoming Houdini 12 :bounce:
With recent events around SideEffects, deals with Dreamworks and new version, Houdini without doubt will get a boost in popularity, I guess.

Hopā, āreče, ļautiņi no lv :wavey:
Man pilnigi nav info, kas ar Houdini lietotājiem mūsmājās :shrug:
Ir kāda local userbāze, moš kādi veterāni? Diez vai, bet kas zin :shrug:

#16

Just watching this video makes me crazy

http://vimeo.com/28025808

Hopā, āreče, ļautiņi no lv :wavey:
Man pilnigi nav info, kas ar Houdini lietotājiem mūsmājās :shrug:
Ir kāda local userbāze, moš kādi veterāni? Diez vai, bet kas zin :shrug:

Nu nav jau brīnums, ka tā. LV jau dominē archi viz, kur 3ds max ir iemīļotākais softs, bet pats tagad taisu vienu interjera scēnu, lai patestētu Mantru, gan jau testus iemetīšu šeit pie WIP tēmas, gan iekš cgimage. Veterāni varbūt ir noslepušies kādā dziļā pagrabā, bet nēsmu neko par tādiem dzirdējis.
Par to userbase, nav jau nekādu lv forumu vai kas cits, kas to reklamētu un reti kurš zin par tādu zvēru kā Houdini un pirmais, kas liekas atverot houdini ir vēlme atrast unistall pogu :D, bet houdini ir tākā ar cilvēkiem, vajag tikai iepazīt, lai saprastu viņa īsto dabu. Varētu pieprasīt iekš CGimage houdini foruma sadaļu, tas būtu vienīgais veids, kā to puplarizēt lv rajonā :D.

PS. Sorry guys for not writing in english :shrug:

#17

Video was teasing indeed. Seems like milestone release.

Ir skumīgi ar to boring arch-vizu. Un apzināties, ka var taisīt uber cooligākas un interesantākas lietas. Bet grjobanijs archviz visu gremdē. Es strādāju ar Maya useri, spēcīgu mākslinieku. Tas līdz vēmienam tos archvizus taisījis.

Sākumā Houdini interfeiss bišk nobiedēja, tiesa :smiley:

CGImage, lūk šis man pagāja secen kaut kā. Sanāca saregoties praktiski tikai ārzemju forumos. Tomēr šad tad iemetu aci imedžā un palasu, ko ļaudis raksta. Tur tā problēma iekš lv, visi pa saviem dzīvokļiem saslēgušies :banghead:

Bet ir interesanti apzināties, ka vēl kādi vietējie CG ļautiņi šeit blandās. Moš no rīdziniekiem esi?
Ej nost, takš rakstīts zem avatarkas :banghead:
Bļīns, vienkārši nepamanīju :smiley:

PS: double sorry folks for good portion of non-english text. Just excuse us for a minute :blush:

#18

http://sweb.cityu.edu.hk/sm4123/

http://www.janwalter.com/Houdini/filmakademie.pdf

#19

So you guys say that to start learn Houdini over Maya:?
I too don’t like maya, can fit it, and Houdini is more awesome and more attractive app:)

And guys, what about Python? do you learn python at same time when you learn Houdini?

#20

Hi guys,
Just a quick note that I started to record Houdini Video training.
Right now I have 2 free on my website and the third one will be ready soon.

http://training.adrianlazar.com

Hope you will enjoy,
-Adrian