Five Steps to Learning Houdini Quickly
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2024
- I get a lot of individuals who ask me how long it takes to learn Houdini and how I went about learning to use it. Well as always it’s different for everyone. Some learn Houdini in 6 to 7 months and for some it can take years. I have been using Houdini for over 9 years now and I can honestly say I never became completely comfortable till about after a year and a half.
Now there’s a reason that it took me about a year and half to become fully comfortable in the software package. That is because I would use it on and off. I never fully dedicated myself, in the beginning, to use it fully on a project. I would switch back and forth between Maya and Houdini, using tools that I knew I could use well and that was mostly fueled by deadlines. If I didn’t have the time to fully learn something in Houdini, I would switch back to Maya and get the job done, because I was more comfortable there.
Many years later I now only use Houdini and have ended my Maya Subscription. So for me it took around 4 years to become sooo proficient with Houdini that I could do anything with it. So what was the catalyst, what drove me to finally make the leap? I want to give you the 5 steps to learning Houdini Quickly based off of how I went about learning the massive application.
STEP 1: User Interface
STEP 2: Start with SOP's
STEP 3: Attributes and Groups
STEP 4: VOP's and VEX
STEP 5: Digital Assets
Saved the time !
step 6：give up
shame is, that the first step alongside with remembering tons of parameters is by far the hardest, when it's the only step that could be enhanced by its creators...
@@zhungbob9906 dont, look for a video series called houdini isnt scary on youtube!
@@zhungbob9906Step 7: realize you want to go to step 1 again
Thanks, I've been looking through the menus for days. Creating and deleting like crazy, but not learning a great deal.
This helped to direct my attention.
Thanks for another excellent video. I love quick tutorials like this that give the viewer just enough to get going without getting bogged down in concepts they already know.
This makes the learning path quite evident. Thanks for the info!
I would love to see similar videos for intermediate level progression. What to get into, and what are the bread and butter nodes for game vfx, or simulation, etc.
Also what are things like vellum, solaris, and all the other named modules within houdini
Thanks. Exactly what I wanted to know.
I just discovered your channel while looking for beginner-friendly tutorials for Houdini. Just recently downloaded Houdini indie to getting used to prcedual creation, after messing with it in blender for 5 months. I liked the way ya explain things earned a sub. :)
How much have u learned?
Great advice. this was great even looking at it late.
Thanks for sharing this. I really appreciate.
Wonderful, thank you!
Great Introduction! Thank you so much!!!!
step one : be lazy and not wanting to do manual work that can be done proceduraly
step two : have a need in your project and a deadline
step three : sacrifice a monkeys hand
step four : have a month of hell of using houdini and integrating into project and using it at the same time
step five : now you know houdini
As a programmer and solo game developer, it will be way more worthwhile to learn procedural modelling with Houdini than it would have been to learn traditional modelling. When you're starting from zero either way, procedural is the obvious choice. Trying to do both the technical and the art side of your games as a solo dev is very often unreasonable, but with a fully procedural pipeline it's a whole different story.
@@kulak8548 Nope. This is simply not true.
As with any procedural or automation tool ever, you would need to know how to do something the correct and good way manually, first.
I'm talking both about technical side (what makes it good gameart) and art side (what makes that art good as art)
If you don't have those two fundamental sets of knowledge, you will not create any good art procedural modeling - unless by a simple accident.
I've seen this happen, students struggle and spend more time than if they went the logical route.
So good luck if you believe you can succeed in this way, but please don't suggest this harmful route to others.
P.S. "solo indie dev" should not be an excuse to do things in bad way on the large scale, unless you're a "solo indie dev of really flawed games".
@@mercai You're just full of shit and gatekeeping. Blender which is more manual has a different purpose than houdini. I started blender because of the need I had at the time and of course it kind of helped me as I am learning houdini now but these are two different workflow. You don't need to learn manual workflow to learn procedural workflow.
BROOO thankyou so much, this really helped and the tutorial was really easy to use as well :)
Thank you so much this helped a lot!!!! You saved my life
Hey Kenny! Big fan of your Udemy courses, didn't realize you had a UA-cam channel until today. Just wanted to toss you a thank you, as I really enjoy both your attitude/approach and your choice of toolsets. Coming from a Cinema 4D production background, Houdini has always been a bit intimidating. That said, having gotten interested in game dev, procedural modeling techniques seem like enough of a workflow breakthru to push me through the learning process. Anyway, great job!
Howdy Lee! Well thanks man! I really appreciate that. I do love making fun courses! :-) I totally agree about the procedural workflows. Its a game changer adn will only get better from here on out! I love this stuff and will keep pumping out videos and courses on the latest! Thanks again! Super happy you found the channel! :-)
@@IndiePixel3D Do I really need to know complex math for this? Trig,Cal etc.
This was so helpful!! Thank you
Fantastic! thank you so much!
Thanks. Learned from this.
Thanks for you help I’m a total beginner..🙏🏻😇
Subscribed. You Tube just popped you up on me and your system looks good. Thanks
thanks sir
First step: Makes sense.
Second step: Whaat?
Third fourth and fifth step: Whaaaaaat?
Last step: Oohhhhhhhhh....
It's not 'Whaat', it's SAAPS SAAAAAPS SAAAAAAAAAAAPS 😲
Bohot Hard
cool vid, tnx
Thanks
Hi Kenny, thanks a lot for the great article and the video! I have a question, you mentioned that in order to get the real power out of Houdini - Trigonometry and the Vector Math is needed. Trigonometry is all clear, but what do you mean by Vector Math? Sorry for this maybe stupid question but English is not my native language so I'm a bit confused translating it. Also could you recommend some Udemy course maybe on both topics? Thanks a lot!
Thanks! Glad you liked the video! So vector math is the area of math that deals with well, vectors. These are values that store things like direct, position, and distance in the form of x,y,z or r,g,b. They are crucial when learning procedural modeling cause we need to procedurally position things, find the distances from two objects, or the direction from one object to another. For me the Nature of Code (natureofcode.com/) book really helped me as well as the authors youtube channel (ua-cam.com/video/6vX8wT1G798/v-deo.html). All of the math you learn from that book and his videos are completely relevant to Houdini procedural modeling as well as Game Development in general. Id start there and see if you like it. Thanks! :-)
@@IndiePixel3D That's exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much man!
Very helpful
i'm in love in this crack
Great Vid. I'm not sure whether to learn Maya or Houdini. I wanted to ask whether Houdini can be used to create and model characters? I don't think I'll have many problems in Houdini because I'm pretty good in programming
Abdullah Bukhari Sorry it is not. Maya and houdini is not good for character modeling. If you wanna make characters you should learn zbrush or mudbox, etc. Maya is good for “hard surface” modeling, Houdini is good for procedural modeling.
Do you know how to animate parameters, but not from the nodes inside the SOP VOP, but rather in the MAT? When i promote a parameter in MAT (noise freq for example), i don't see the option up on level on the mat node that the parameter has been promoted.
I've read somewhere that it is possible but i don't know how, do you?
Thanks! :))
step 2-a: practice in sop. step 4: expressions. Step 5: vex builder. Step 6: sheider lighting+vex builder
Hi,
I cant find tutorial for learning SOP'S nodes. When I try to use it IDK how it works or how it effects on the object, I'm really confused.
Do you know what is a list of tutorial i can foll in order to go throw those step.. like SOP tutorial references ?
it work on my pc thx bro vеry much
Super
greats =]
Hey Kenny, since I'm all in on Houdini and learning from the ground up, should I really spend some time learning TOPS right off the bat? I got your videos on sidefx queued up and I'm going through them now. The PluralSight stuff was a little advanced for someone brand new. I was doing a lot of stuff without understanding why. Anyone can follow a video but I want to learn why I'm doing what I'm doing. Thanks!
Howdy Mike! I wouldn't start with TOPs, it's best to get comfy with SOPs first, then digital assets. TOPs is a very advanced topic so best to keep it simple at first. I'll start posting some good beginner exercises here. Any requests?
@@IndiePixel3D yes. The game I'm working on involves tree houses. I can totally see that being procedurally driven. Get that discord up man, I’ll pay for it :)
Please make fundamental Houdini tutorial by "latest version_v19 higher".
Can you do that?
So, having watched this, apart from learn this and that steps (which are usefull and i 'am going to embark on it), do you know any tutorials that cover this principle so that it can be much simpler to learn insted of scrolling through text documentations of each thing?
Or, have you thought of doing yourself a bunch of series that will cover this whole core conceptualisation of Houdini, that is suitable for people who start learning Houdini?
There are plenty of interface for example, tutorials, the best i found was on hipflask with Fraser Shiers as an instructor, but for now thats only about it.
Would you consider walking through different situations for (well not every SOP node) but atleast the most of them and/or most used ones, doing multiple explanations for each?
Now i know, that as a professional, time is a luxury, have you or would you consider doing this that you mentioned in this video?
Every beginner would benefit it (guess you'r videos too :) )
Howdy Milan! Oh yeah, I've been formulating a plan for UA-cam and a full official course around Houdini for the ultimate beginners.
Rohan Dalvi also has a nice free set of tutorials on the intro to houdini...
I'll try to start uploading vids for beginners here shortly...needs to be done in a proper order...thanks so much!!:)
Indie-Pixel As an experienced music producer, i understand how deep and organised that kind of course need’s to be, in order to translate well on a student’s mindset, in order to be grasped well.
Happily looking forward to that then:)))!!!
@@NextroneOfficial Oh yeah, Ill make it more centered around small projects. So we see how we can build up recipes of nodes. Stay tuned! :-)
@@IndiePixel3D Smart. Right! :)
is there a way to zoom using the mouse wheel?
now this may be a stupid question... but I would like to understand why this is so much better than just doing all of that physically in the view port ?
No prob at all...so kits say we are making a crate...we model it, texture it, bake it out, and we are happy with the results! Well let's say we no need to make 100 crates with different sizes, different plank counts, which means new uv layouts, etc. With houdini and a procedural workflow you could do all that by defining the base properties of a crate....which translates into you not having to physically model 100 crates...let me know if that helps or not! Thanks!:)
Cool little tutorial. But what bothers me is nobody tries to explain the data types and compatibility between connecting the nodes. You can't just connect stuff just because they have an in and an out. Or can you? I'm used to the old school node behaviors where at least you know if something coming out is a float, or an integer, or a 3D vector etc. This blind connection of nodes is missing some context from my POV as a new user.
I am using a Wacom tablet and I cannot right click zoom in and out I was wondering of you are just using a mouse?
Yep, I use a mouse with houdini.
I have a Houdini Apprentice license and I can´t find attribute-create mode.
I couldn't find it either - you have to be inside the geo. Attribute Crete is not available in th obj context
Hi man! I got an 0x00007 error ("unable to open the file correctly ") opening the first installation file (.exe). I ve done everything you did, encluding disactivate the antivirus and run it as administrator. Could you help me? Could it be because I have currently installed another flstudio version in my laptop?
Hey Kenny, I am one of your students on Udemy. I am halfway through your Airplane course. Your models are awesome. Did you create them in Houdini? Perhaps you can teach a Houdini Udemy course!! ✍️🖥️
Thanks Public Static Void! Much appreciated! Yep...next course on udemy is a Procedural Rac Track course!:) stay tuned!:)
@@IndiePixel3D that actually sounds super fun
Modelling in houdini is a nice change of pace with the whole non-destructive thing
@p.z +=chf("offset"); .z is showing error i am doing the same but not getting the same results :(
Looks like you need capital P.z. The position variable is always capital @P. That should fix it for ya. Thanks!
Все, Господа! Расходимся! Вы боги в гудини! )
Step6 : Learn the indie pixel tutorials !
Any discord channel yet? Thanks
If I’m very dedicated, can I learn it in one summer?
I'd say youd be able to pick up procedural modeling in the summer...its a good place to start and theres tons of free resources about it.
4:21 SOPs: Start Of Projects ;)
Houdini seems really expensive. If you don’t work at a big studio, how do you get Houdini at an affordable price in order to learn it?
Like your explanations. You do say SO! too often and too loud. But very clear explanations.
Hehe...yeah...I have noticed I use "so" to transition a lot. All good, I'll mix it up more. Thanks again!:)
1 year to learn???
I whatched this video at x2 speed
5 steps must be in 5 minutes then its quick
ua-cam.com/video/As2TGNRLiDc/v-deo.html this video shows you my very first issue. I'm trying to load that attributecreate when I first open up houdini for the very first time you will see in the bottom right corner couldn't do this and that is probably why I don't see the groups attribute create
sorry it's not friendly for users for any design
I love it and use it all the time.
Directions unclear. Now my cats pregnant
Blender 2.8 is much simpler!
But it's got a lot less features.
It's all relative,learn what works for you.
Notepad is much simpler.
They dont do the same thing for all, 80 to 20 rule
@@irql2 No, notepad is the top level of professionalism. You should write an obj file without even having a viewport. Then you shold write a script to manipulate objects. Then you should write a renderer from scratch. And you're lucky if the system has some programming language installed )))
still makes no sense but thanks
too complicated program. blender seems much easier.
Rex Winz Both have pros and cons. It depends hugely on what you’re looking for. Like comparing Nuke to AE - neither one is superior overall. They both excel in different areas.
Honestly that's p ignorant. The way houdini is structured on a basic level is conducive to way better work flows. That's the appeal of the software
@@humanoid9787if someone is trying to compare the procedural power of houdini to something like blender, they simply don't have any real grasp on what they are looking at or talking about, at all.
So yes, a form of ignorance for sure.
I can't believe that there is a stupid and difficult program like this that is unfortunately successful