Course Overview

Class Description:

Do you want to expand your skillset and broaden your CG horizons? Want to dive into Houdini but don’t know where to start? Then this recorded course is for you! We’ll be walking through the foundations of Houdini, referencing Cinema 4D as we go. Once we’ve mastered how to use attributes to manipulate geometry, we’ll look at how to recreate some of C4D’s Mograph with procedural setups by leveraging the new tools in Houdini.


Learning Outcomes:

You’ll come away from this class being able to confidently manage and manipulate geometry in Houdini. You’ll know the Houdini equivalent of C4D’s deformers and be able to create procedural motion graphics setups. You’ll also know best practices for how to approach animating procedural setups.


Course curriculum

    1. Files

    1. 1. Welcome

    2. 2. Starting Houdini

    3. 3. Side by Side with C4D

    4. 4. Editing Objects

    5. 5. Geo vs. Objects

    1. 1. On the Surface of Geos (SOPs)

    2. 2. Manipulating Geometry

    3. 3. Node Flags

    4. 4. Making Selections

    5. 5. Group Selections By Geometry Types

    6. 6. First Look at Attributes

    7. 7. Using the Geometry Spreadsheet

    8. 8. Polyextrude Node

    9. 9. Randomizing Attributes with Noise

    1. 1. Custom Attributes Driven By Noise

    1. 1. Introduction

    2. 2. Set Group With Attribute

    3. 3. Attribute Transfer & Attribute Create

    4. 4. Polyextrude

    5. 5. Procedural Group Based on Attributes

    6. 6. Transform

    7. 7. Blend

    8. 8. Looking at VOPs & VEX

    9. 9. Blending with VOPs

    10. 10. Trick with Attribute Create

    1. 1. Note on Mask Using Attributes

About this course

  • $135.00
  • 78 lessons
  • 5.5 hours of video content

Course Teaser

Session 1

Introduction to Houdini

In this session, we will go over the ‘language of Houdini’ and demystify its complexities. Reference C4D as we learn how to create, and then edit, geometry in Houdini. Go over attributes and how to read the geometry spreadsheet.
  1. Refresher on Houdini UI and Navigation
  2. Organize the Interface
  3. Go over the ‘Language of Houdini’
  4. Houdini’s Contexts
  5. Replicate the steps of building a simple animated scene in C4D using Houdini

Session 2

Introduction to Houdini Pt. 2

In this session, we will continue getting familiar with the attributes of geometry. Learn how to create, randomize, and paint attributes. From there we’ll take a look at VOPs and VEX, learn their differences and similarities, and how to use them to access our attributes. We’ll then use those attributes to edit or move our geometry.
  1. Go over how to read, create, and manipulate attributes that are stored on our geometry
  2. Take a look at what VEX and VOPs are 
  3. How we can use them to make modifications to our geometry
  4. Go over how we can randomize attributes in various ways 
  5. how to use those for procedural animation

Session 3

Introduction to Houdini Pt. 3

In this last session, we’ll review the fundamentals of Houdini that we’ve learned so far and apply them to create a motion graphics setup. We’ll be transferring attributes between geometry and using them to animate our setup. We’ll also be adding in Houdini’s equivalent of Mograph deformers and giving them procedural animation.
  1. Review our understanding of attributes so far
  2. Recreate C4D’s cloner  
  3. Use attributes to replicate its effects
  4. Transfer attributes between geometry and clones 
  5. create a procedural motion graphics animation

Instructor

Matthew Taylor

3D Artist and Animation Director

Matthew Taylor is a 3D Artist and Animation Director currently at Futuredeluxe using Houdini as his main tool. He graduated from the Royal College of Art with a MA in Experimental Animation and now mostly directs animated music videos, and commercials, and creates motion graphics for international brands. You can find more of his work on Instagram @humanballoons.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS COURSE

  1. Computer (Please see SideFx system requirements)
    1. https://www.sidefx.com/Support/system-requirements/
    2. A second monitor is recommended, but not necessary
  2. 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:
  1. Student’s full name
  2. Name of the course(s) being dropped

See you in Class!