Course Overview

Please note: This class is currently being edited into small clips and will replace the raw footage that is currently available for viewing. 

Class Description:

In this class, transformation matrices are reconceptualized from mysterious mathematics to suit an artist’s sensibilities, providing an understanding of fundamental technical concepts. This approach will prove useful in your Houdini learning journey, especially if you wish to understand Houdini “under the hood” and/or pursue advanced tool building. Explore a fresh and intuitive approach to visualizing the structure and transformation of multidimensional meshes. Learn how transformation matrices effectively encode both linear and spatial transformations, enabling precise manipulation and positioning of objects within scenes. Discover applications of inverse matrices in animation and motion simulation, the method of adjoining objects by multiplying matrices, and common pitfalls in implementation. By the end, students will have gained a foundational understanding of transformation matrices. 

Learning Outcomes:

This class aims to provide students with an understanding of transformation matrices and their practical applications in animation, object hierarchies, and other areas of computer graphics. Students will learn how homogeneous coordinates form a framework for managing complex transformations across multiple dimensions. Additionally, students will explore matrix multiplication and inversion techniques, which are essential for precise object manipulation and positioning within scenes. By the end of the class, students will have gained a foundational understanding of how to apply transformation matrices to their creative projects while avoiding common pitfalls. 

Course curriculum

    1. Files

    2. Discord

    1. 1. Transformations in 2D Space

    2. 2. Transformations in 3D Space

    3. 3. Row Major vs. Column Major Matrices

    1. 1. Using 3D Matrices to Transform 2D Geometry

    2. 2. Using 4D Matrices to Transform 3D Geometry

    1. 1. Fast and Computationally Cheap Transformations

    2. 2. Modifying Animations Without Animation Data

    3. 3. Invertible Matrices

    1. 1. Collinear & Coplanar Matrices

    2. 2. Interpolation

    3. 3. Gimbal Lock

    1. 1. Using Quaternions Instead of Euler Rotation

Transformation Matrices: An Intuitive Approach

  • $25.00
  • 2.5 hours of video content

Course Teaser

Session 1

Demystifying Multidimensional Meshes:

Transformation Matrices without Mathematics

Embark on a journey through the multiple dimensions of transformation matrices. Students will delve into the principles, applications, and challenges associated with transformation matrices. Beginning with the basics of vectors and meshes, students will advance from two-dimensional to four-dimensional concepts through detailed demonstrations of matrix computations, including rotation, scaling, and shearing. The session culminates with a practical example illustrating the use of multiple matrices in linear blend skinning and deformation hierarchies.

  • Defining Meshes and 2D Transformations
  • Homogeneous Coordinates
  • Transforming 3D Meshes via 4D
  • Multiplying Matrices to Adjoin Objects
  • Inverse Matrices and Applications
  • Optimization of Matrix Computations
  • Challenges: Degeneracy, Euler Interpolation, Gimbal Lock
  • Quaternions in Rotation Computation
  • Linear Blend Skinning and Deformation Hierarchies

Instructor

Ivan DeWolf

Software Engineer

After studying Fine Art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ivan Dewolf attended Siggraph 1992 in Chicago, where he obtained a computer and a license for SideFX software, which at that time was called "Prisms". While teaching himself how to use the system, he was working professionally on music videos and commercials, and in 1995 he relocated to Los Angeles where he began working on feature films and learning to program. In 2001, he founded “Martian Labs,” a small boutique effects shop and developer of ocean surface simulations and other tools. In 2007, he moved to the Vancouver area where he helped bring Houdini and procedural animation tools to the nascent Vancouver film effects industry. He now has crossed into the fertile, novel areas of virtual and augmented reality avatar creation on Meta platforms, developing tools and systems as a Software Engineer.

LinkedIn 

WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS COURSE

  1. Computer (Please see SideFX system requirements)
  2. Houdini (Apprentice License is free)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Subscribe to our newsletter.
Add the full Houdini.School schedule to your calendar:

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.

Refund a Class
Please send a request to get a refund 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!