HOUDINI FX
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

In the first chapter, you will learn how Houdini’s Interface works The first lessons and classes are all about understanding how Houdini works and to use it efficiently. Here we will be discussing the interface and navigation techniques that will make your journey during this program a lot easier and fun.
Modeling, Shading, Animation, and Rendering in Houdini are some of the main topics in this module, but remember that you should be already familiar with some of these areas because more than anything, we will be discussing how these things work in Houdini rather than teaching you the process and techniques about every single skill in particular.

(Your job here will be to deal with all the projects that we will give you for you to come up with something amazing in every discipline using what you already know and the power of Houdini).

In this part of the course, you also will be introduced to the concept of using groups, attributes, functions, and expressions in Houdini.
The idea is to start developing your technical skills using Houdini’s procedural approach and becoming familiar whit this environment.
Procedural modeling, introduction to VEX, and the creation of tools using Houdini’s ability to personalize our interface are among the last topics covered during the first three months of the program.

This second session will continue developing our VEX skills, but we will be mainly focusing on understanding how simulations work inside Houdini. This part of the course will focus strongly on DOPS, understanding RBD objects, Particles, Vellum, constraints, and forces.

DOP simulations allow you to interact simulating physically correct environments. Here we can manipulate particles and make them look like a thousand objects, use them to simulate a burst of dust, make thousands of cars appear in a city, and many other interesting effects.

(Your job here will be to deal with all the projects that we will give you to come up with something amazing in every discipline. Always using what you already know and the power of Houdini).

Inside DOP’s we can use RBD objects to create collision geometry needed to interact with some other networks. Here, we can specify weight, mass, friction, bounciness, and many other physical parameters to tell Houdini how to react when starting our simulation.

DOPs at the same time can help us with liquids, gases, explosions, wires, hair, and cloth dynamic simulations, so in this chapter, you will be learning a lot about DOPs, Particles, RBD objects, Cloth, and some other interesting concepts that will set you up for our next Chapter.

This class is all about explaining how to manipulate two of the most used and fun scenarios when dealing with Houdini Simulations. Destruction and Explosions (technical directors need to deal with all this every day).

Here you will be dealing with fractured objects, deformations, construction of geometry, techniques of art directing your simulations, materials, behaviors, and much more. Add details, debris, and sculpted geometry. Those are some of the other skills that you will get after this training session.

But right after that, you will be into how to deal with velocity forces using quite simple but efficient little pieces of VEX code and to use particles, dust, and some techniques learned from before so that you can put them in use.

You need to execute a force to destroy something, mmm… what could be better than using pyro effects, fire, explosions, or even a tsunami to do just that?

Yes, while we will be setting up your destruction pieces, assets, and other objects, we will be learning about fluids in Houdini as well. Fluids allow you to use volumes and create effects like fire, smoke, dust, or explosions.

On the other hand, we also have Flip Fluids, and these friends… are an amazing set of tools that we can use to simulate water effects (waves, splashes, a sculpted water shape, etc.) and many others. And last, just like in the destruction, we need to add detail to our pieces but in the form of foam, mist, bubbles, spray, and some other details that will help you sell your shots.

The cloth system is one skill that you will have to pull out as a VFX TD. Learn the principles of cloth physics and the different systems that we can use to implement them in our simulations getting cool and realistic results.

At this point, your modeling skills should be strong. Take advantage of them, and start preparing geometry for cloth simulations and avoid headaches later in the process.

Vellum in Houdini is powerful, but it is not the only resource available to achieve amazing results. With that said, we will move to another level, and we will start using rigging techniques to aid our simulations and art direct the process of our animated-simulated cloth.

We are in the last chapter of our Houdini Technical Director Visual Effects training program, but that does not mean that the fun is over. Now you will start a completely new chapter in your life, “YES”.

Crowd simulation is another remarkably, interesting, and FUN thing to see (in the final shots of epic movies). Implementing a good crowd visual effects simulation can be difficult if you do not know anything about animation, particles, physics, and simulations. But… HEY!!! At this point, you are in complete control of all these techniques, do not be afraid, and start creating your greatest apocalyptic shoot ever.

And yes… with all this… we will be finishing our one-year certification VFX TD Master Program Houdini course. But your journey as a Visual Effects Technical Director will be just starting.