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Mastering the Basics of Houdini’s SOP Networks
Mastering Houdini begins with using Surface Operators (SOPs). By building a solid understanding of the feature, you can fully grasp the procedural workflow of Houdini before learning about simulation.
The Perfect Match: Harnessing Redshift with Houdini
Discover the third-party renderer that pairs perfectly with Houdini’s powerful particle systems and instancing features. Learn how to use Redshift alongside Houdini to render a wide range of examples, from beginner to advanced, and bring diverse visuals to life.
Simulation Basics: From Particle and Volume Fundamentals to Practical Applications
Learn the fundamentals of Particle simulations (POP networks) and Volumes, the foundation of Pyro simulations. Apply these concepts to create a variety of examples, including waves, smoke, and more.
The Heart of Houdini: Understanding and Applying Essential VEX Coding
Step into the world of VEX coding, often considered the core of Houdini. Learn it step by step while creating animations, and gain control over points, primitives, and other core elements within Houdini.
Complete Creative Control: Art Directing Cloth Simulations with Vellum
Learn how to art-direct cloth simulations exactly the way you envision them. Using Houdini’s Vellum system, create high-quality examples and develop unique cloth simulation outputs with full creative control.
Build Your Own Rigs and Animations in Houdini
Did you know Houdini includes its own rigging system? Use KineFX to rig a simple flower model, experience a procedural rigging workflow, and expand it into fully realized animations.
**Class release dates and content are subject to change without prior notice.
- Section 01
Introduction to Mastering Houdini
1. Intro- Instructor introduction - About the instructor’s style - Pros and cons of using Houdini
2. Understanding Houdini- Installing Houdini and Redshift - Houdini interface and customization - What is a node-based workflow? - Our first node tree
3. Attributes and Data- Four basic elements of geometry: point, vertex, primitive, and detail - Types of data: integer, float, and vector - What are VEX and VOP?
4. Exploring the Redshift Renderer- Using Redshift in Houdini - Camera, textures, light settings - Render settings and presetting in Redshift - Our first render
- Section 02
Basic Exercise 1: Particle Wave
5. About Types of Noise- What is noise? - Types of noise - Checking noise data
6. Exploring VOP Networks- Creating wave-like shapes using noise in a VOP - Useful nodes for VOPs - Designing particle shapes using noise - Looping animations
7. Rendering- Rendering particles in Redshift - Rendering with attributes - Adding details with gobo textures
- Section 03
Basic Exercise 2: Glittering Particle Explosion
8. What Is a DOP Network?- SOPs vs. DOPs - What are dynamics and simulations? - About Houdini’s particle systems (POP networks)
9. Volumes and the Pyro Solver- About volumes - Visualizing and checking volumes - About the Pyro solver
10. Ascending Particle Simulations- Preparing sources for particle simulations - Creating velocity fields with the Pyro solver - Particle simulations
11. Rendering- Rendering particles in Redshift - Rendering with attributes
- Section 04
Basic Exercise 3: Mask Generator
12. Basic Geometry Shape Settings- About Volume VOP nodes - Building velocity fields with curl noise - Creating particle trails based on velocity fields - Extracting various shapes using Labs File Cache nodes
13. Exploring the VDB Node Family- Various ways to convert curve data to meshes - Converting curves to meshes through VDB nodes
14. Rendering- Adding details using Redshift Curvature nodes - Texturing with RS Triplanar nodes without UV maps
- Section 05
Intermediate Exercise 1: Breathing Mountain
15. What Is a Heightfield?- About heightfields - Basic workflow for heightfields - Creating base geometry
16. Fall-off Animations with VEX- Most essential features of VEX - VEX functions used for this setup - Creating fall-off animations
17. Infinite Usages of Fall-off Attributes- Mesh transformation using fall-off attributes - Creating fragments of rocks to place on the surface - Scale animations - Color animations
18. Rendering- Working with emission shaders - Combining shaders through fall-off attributes - Post-processing in Redshift - Camera animations
- Section 06
Intermediate Exercise 2: Living Canvas
19. Delving into Volumes- Legacy volumes vs. VDB - Fog volumes and SDF volumes - About VDB curvature and VDB gradient
20. Simulations Using VDB Gradient- Calculating gradient using the Volumegradient function - Advecting volumes in volume VOPs - Understanding custom SOP solvers - Running simulations in SOP solvers - Applying flow maps to simulated data
21. Creating Terrains with Animated Movements- Making heightfields move - Running the previously created simulation
22. Rendering- Utilizing Displacement nodes - Lighting and camera animations
- Section 07
Intermediate Exercise 3: Push and Pull
23. About RBD Simulations: Preparing Sources- What is an RBD simulation? - Elements and concepts of RBD - Getting hands-on with RBD - Preparing RBD source objects
24. Creating Custom Simulations with VEX- About vector space - Animations using vector addition and subtraction - Controlling RBD solvers
25. Rendering- Creating shaders, and the rendering process - Assigning various texture maps in random ways - Lighting and camera animations
- Section 08
Advanced Exercise 1: Dancing Bands
26. What Is Vellum?- About Point-Based Dynamics (PBD) and Vellum - Vellum SOPs vs. DOP networks - Attributes of Vellum systems - Experiencing various Vellum systems - Cloth, Balloon, Pin, etc.
27. Setting Up Geometry and Animation- Band modeling and UV data creation - Restlength Scale animations - Running Vellum simulations
28. Rendering- Making custom texture maps - Making a range of colors using a texture map - Creating shades with RS State nodes
- Section 09
Advanced Exercise 2: Blooming Balloon
29. Modeling Sources for Vellum Simulations- Creating simulation sources with Labs nodes and VEX - UV texturing and remeshing with the For Loop structure
30. Mask Animation Using SOP Solvers- Making mask animations using SOP solvers - About ways to refer to attributes - About Attribute Transfer, xyzdist, and Point Cloud
31. Creating Partially Swelling Balloons- What is the Pressurescale attribute? - Creating custom constraints using constraint groups - Creating balloon animations using mask animations
32. Rendering- Post-processing of Vellum - Applying various materials - Making a range of materials - Assigning materials as groups - Switching between shaders through IDs
- Section 10
Advanced Exercise 3: Kinetic Flora
33. Modeling Base Geometry- Designing ring shapes - Refining simulation sources
34. Vellum Simulations and the Post-Simulation Process- Vellum simulations using Custom Restlength Scale - Preparing for flower-blooming animation after simulation
35. Setting Up Flower Objects- Sneaking a peek at KineFX - Building a procedural rigging system
36. Rendering with Redshift Proxy Using Orientation- What is orientation? - Animating color values based on attributes - Optimizing rendering through instancing
37. Rendering- Creating shaders, and the rendering process - Lighting and camera animations
- Section 11
Appendix
38. Outro- Useful resources - About Houdini 20.5
This course will use Houdini 20.0.688 and Redshift 3.6.03
Please purchase and install these program(s) for an optimized chapter experience.
*Houdini version 19.5.682 or later and Redshift version 3.5.19 or later with the default build are recommended.
*These programs and/or materials will not be provided with the chapter.
