Scientific Phenomena in Houdini

HS-112: Scientific Phenomena in Houdini

Students will leave this class with a fundamental understanding of how you can improve your VFX builds through an understanding of scientific application.

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Course Overview

Class Description:

This recorded course introduces students to incorporate scientific ideas into their visual effects. By incorporating science into your visual effects you can create a better understanding on how effects should be built as well as how they should interact with their native environment.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will leave this class with a fundamental understanding of how you can improve your VFX builds through an understanding of scientific application. The more realistic your visual effects are, the more of a chance you will have at having an impressive demo reel.

Course curriculum

1. Files
2. Let's Build a Solar System
3. Marine Systems - Exploring Coral, and Other Marine Structures
4. Aerostatic and Aerodynamic Simulations
1. 1. Introduction
2. 2. Science Behind Clouds
3. 3. Goals
4. 4. Scene Breakdown
5. 5. Creating Side Clouds Part 1
6. 6. Creating Side Clouds Part 2
7. 7. Creating Main Clouds
8. 8. Creating Large Clouds
9. 9. Creating a Cirrus Cloud
10. 10. Creating a Cloud Head
11. 11. Q&A: Add SOP
12. 12. Creating Top Clouds
13. 13. Creating Background Clouds
14. 14. The Final Clouds
15. 15. Background Clouds Part 1
16. 16. Background Clouds Part 2
17. 17. Background Clouds Part 3
18. 18. Background Clouds Part 4
19. 19. Background Clouds Part 5
20. 20. Background Clouds Part 6
21. 21. Background Clouds Part 7
22. 22. Large Clouds
23. 23. Rain
24. 24. Lightning
25. 25. Render
1. 1. Introduction
2. 2. Overview of Solar System
3. 3. Project Overview
4. 4. Creating the Sun
1. 1. Points
2. 2. Point Attributes
3. 3. Geometry Creation
4. 4. Orbit Ring
5. 5. Moon Orbit
6. 6. Merging Orbit Ring
7. 7. Merging Part 2
1. 1. SetUp
2. 2. Rings
3. 3. Moon Geometry
4. 4. Bringing it all Together
1. 1. Overview of Growth Systems
2. 2. Initial Setup
3. 3. Remove Large Edges
4. 4. Creating Growth Start Points
5. 5. Add Initial Direction
6. 6. Creating Food Group
7. 7. Set Seed Direction of Growth System
8. 8. Q&A: Setting Number of Food Points
9. 9. Making Branch Algorithm
10. 10. Making the Growth System Lines
11. 11. Cleaning up the System
12. 12. Making the system Renderable
13. 13. Q&A: Growth-System Normals
14. 14. Q&A: Creating Growth System on Other Geometry
1. 1. Introduction
2. 2. The Ocean
3. 3. Q&A: Water Temperature
4. 4. Volcanoes
5. 5. Creatures/Goals/Cool Sites
6. 6. Vent Pillars Base Rocks
7. 7. Creating the Vent Geo
8. 8. Vent Displacement
9. 9. Smoke Emitter Start
10. 10. Smoke Emitter using Legacy Pyro
11. 11. Vent-Smoke Simulation
12. 12. Q&A: Did you make the Pillars a Collision Object?
13. 13. Creating the Terrain
14. 14. Creating an Anemone
15. 15. Tube Worms
16. 16. Creating Clams
17. 17. Creating Points for Instancing - Part 1
18. 18. Creating Points for Instancing - Part 2
19. 19. Generating Instances
20. 20. Dynamics - Part 1
21. 21. Dynamics - Part 2
22. 22. Dynamics - Part 3
23. 23. Rendering the Lava
1. 1. Introduction to Galaxies
2. 2. Types of Galaxies Part 1
3. 3. Types of Galaxies Part 2
4. 4. Types of Nebula
5. 5. Galaxy and Nebula Facts
6. 6. Black Holes and Dark Matter
7. 7. The Cosmic Web
8. 8. Astrophysical Visulization
9. 9. Creating the Emitter
10. 10. Creating the Particle System
11. 11. Creating the Pop Lines
12. 12. Creating the Nebula's Color
13. 13.Creating the Nebula Clouds
14. 14. Generating Small Stars
15. 15. Generating Big Stars
16. 16. Lighting the Nebula
1. 1. What is the Difference between Aerostatic and Aerodynamic?
2. 2. Important Forces
3. 3. Laws and Principles
4. 4. Simulations
5. 5. Project Overview
6. 6. Creating the Emitter
7. 7. Creating a Collision Object
8. 8. Creating Set Up for the Sparse Pyro Sim
9. 9. Velocity Visualizers on Sparse Pyro
10. 10. Creating and visualizing the Simulation
11. 11. Creating Smoke
12. Submit your work

About this course

$235.00
109 lessons
5.5 hours of video content

Course Teaser

Session 1

Storm Clouds - Discovering and Simulating the Systems of Storms

In this lesson, we will learn how to build storm clouds and explore volumetrics. We will also cover the science behind storm systems, and base our simulation around this science.

Session 2

Planetary Systems - Let’s Build a Solar System

In this lesson, we will build a functioning procedural planetary system. We will be discussing the science of why our Solar System formed the way it did, and how other exoplanetary systems operate. We will then integrate these ideas into our work, and end up with a customizable system you can use in your projects.

Session 3

Growth Systems and Natural Patterns

Everywhere in nature, there are repeating patterns and procedural shapes. In this lesson, we will discuss and create a few of them. As well as discuss how you can find larger copies of these patterns in larger bodies of the Universe. We will also talk about the science behind these shapes, and why they form the way they do.

Session 4

Marine Systems - Exploring Coral, and Other Marine Structures

When building a marine environment, it is important to understand the structures and different forms of life that could exist in your scenes. In this lesson, we will discuss the different levels of the ocean, and the various systems that exist in the ocean. Then based on the information we’ve discussed, we will model a section of the ocean in Houdini.

Session 5

Nebulae and Galaxies - Creating Space Structures Within Houdini

Simulating fish and other squishy creatures can be a bit of a challenge. In this lesson, we will discuss some of the science behind some of the creatures that live in the dark depths of the ocean. Then we will pick a deep-sea creature to model and simulate based on how it behaves in an ocean environment.

Session 6

Aerostatic and Aerodynamic Simulations

In this lesson, we will talk about Universal structures and the science behind them. There is much more going on behind nebula formations than just their basic visible forms. They are made up of both visible and non-visible matter. After learning about their internal structure, we will visualize a structure based on its scientific formations and surrounding details.

Instructor

Kate Xagoraris

VFX Artist

I am a VFX artist at Mr. X in Toronto, Canada. I have a passion for researching science and its interaction with the world of visual effects. In my spare time, I also run a VFX site for artists to better understand Houdini and to think outside the box. Some of my previous works have included popular TV productions such as Umbrella Academy and The Boys.

WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS COURSE

Computer (Please see SideFx system requirements)
1. https://www.sidefx.com/Support/system-requirements/
2. A second monitor is recommended, but not necessary
Houdini (Apprentice License is free)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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REFUND POLICY:

Multi-Session Courses

Students may request a refund up to 1 day before the start of the course. Students may also withdraw from Multi-Session Courses at any time and are entitled to a pro-rated refund. The withdrawal date must be 1 day before the next class they intend to drop.

On-Demand Courses

All on-demand courses are non-refundable.

How to Drop a Class

Please send a request to drop a class via email to [email protected].

Your written request to drop any or all of your classes must include:

Student’s full name
Name of the course(s) being dropped

Testimonials

“I thought this course was great. Really takes you to a place that crosses science and art and for me is an expression of how maybe no single creator is good as the universe itself. Enjoy!”

Timothy Bladel

See you in Class!

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