Ive been looking left and right for Houdini tutorials and have found a nice selection, though Id like more. I often like to watch tutorials, rarely read manuals or books.

I know some of you guys like to read books, some video tutorials and others just play with it. If you guys dont mind, Id like to know how you learned Houdini. What personal practices did you take to learn/study and how long did it take until the light above your head finally came on?

I think different peoples opinions might help me create a decent road map to learn Houdini and maybe acquire different learning styles. Also if possible, if you have a site or book to refer Id love to know it.

It took me a couple of tries before I got it.

My first time around was on v8 and I just didn't get it and ended up giving up. I came back to Houdini at version 9 and between 3D Buzz, CMI and browsing the Houdini mailing list archives I was able to figure things out. It took about a year before it clicked.

Searching and browsing the mailing list archives was probably the key for me.

Mailing list archives? Im sorry I dont know enough about that. If that was key would you mind pointing me in that direction. I dont know where to start with that.

No problem, the mailing list archive is under the “community” menu at the top of this page and is called “Mail Archive.” It's searchable or you can just browse starting at the most recent post. It's good if you're trying to do something specific and need some direction.

The CMI rendering tuts are nice. I can't comment on the other ones.

Before there was all the cmi stuff and most of the 3dbuzz stuff.
Drop node, check docs, check examples, the past version of Houdini docs and tutorial pdfs (ICE BREAKING!) and mainly browsing and READING(this is key) sidefx and odforce forums.

And just trying things and using the app.

Don't depend on having tutorials for everything

I have to agree just just dropping a few nodes in sops and reading / looking at the examples , is the way to go. Your never going to get a tutorial for everything so you might aswell get into the habit of solving things using your grey matter

rob

http://www.vizyacky.com/ [vizyacky.com]

jacob clark
http://www.vizyacky.com/ [vizyacky.com]

Unfortunately the links to the tutorials say page not found.

I learned through: The Magic of Houdini book, The Gnomon Workshop DVD's, Digital Tutors, the Tutorials on this site, Peter Quints videos and from my start with Blender3D- 2.45 to 2.49b.

DJ

Hi,

http://www.aiworks.eu/ [aiworks.eu]

Wow. Thanks guys for the feedback. These are going to help me alot.

I was forced to learn at gunpoint. Now I Love Houdini. No, nobody holding a senior position in my company has a gun to my head at this exact moment.

Seriously though, like any other software, work through the problems, get help from the forums. Once you get your head wrapped around it, alot more of the thinking becomes more obvious. Just don't give up when you hit a snag.

I'm also very fortunate to be working with some serious Houdini experts.

Nick

I started with free tutorials on 3D Buzz,Peter Quint's tutorials on Vimeo , and tutorials on sidefx website. It helped me to understand the basics of Houdini.
I learned a lot by studying the file posted on the forums.

Lmayfield
What personal practices did you take to learn/study and how long did it take until the light above your head finally came on?

I just emailed this guy named “Jeff Wagner” a lot, worked out well.

Took me about 6 months to really “get it” coming off Softimage 3D (this was late 90's, Houdini was Alpha .9) and I never understood Prisms

I think Ray had some video training back then too.

In all seriousness, despite having used Houdini for a long time, I still go through all tutorials I can get my hands on. I find that learning from a variety of sources, even the same topic, pays off in dividends later. Each person who learns Houdini then teaches it brings a different angle, and makes different assumptions about what people know already.

Cheers,

Peter B

Sorry, but Houdini is the most complex and difficult 3D App of all but there is NOT any complete Tutorial or Lessons from start to end for the whole Pipeline Integration and realistic use(!) in VFX projects.

Here is one of hundred examples for a step-by-step through process from start, simulate liquid material, adding lights, materials, shading and proper render settings to a final product output in Maya.

http://www.digitaltutors.com/09/lesson_one.php?cid=414 [digitaltutors.com]

This kind of Tutorials I'am missing for Houdini!

ps.: Houdini courses ends in 2009 at digitaltutors…

You'll be excited to learn some new training is coming soon for Houdini that does just what you want, takes a shot from beginning to end… Can't say more but watch for something in early 2011.

Cheers,

Peter B

Not true. Houdini is not complex or complicated. Only need patience and confidence in yourself.
There is no word by which a person begins to speak.
The experience necessary to use a system takes time.
I think that the difficulty-is that we believe that the thing is technique.
Technicians are doctors in hospitals.
The confusion at the time to learn also is that it has so many things.
Think of all the plugin in other applications that would be required for the same benefits that houdini has long ago not to mention that the architecture on the other hand is poor, is an earache.
Artists from Autodesk tools, what they think of “merge sop” “add sop” atrrib Transf… There are centuries of difference

What is cheaper in the long run is expensive, believe me
Study all day.
Jeff Wagner. Peter Q, Kermhan, and Many Other are the key.
Remember this, how fast you learn to use the lights?
and how long it took you to learn to do well?

Put on vimeo and youtuve or cgtuts.
“Houdini tutorial”, and looking for the past months.


anddddddddd anddddddddddddddddd

!!!!!!!!!!Houdini For Win!!!!!

pbowmar
You'll be excited to learn some new training is coming soon for Houdini that does just what you want, takes a shot from beginning to end… Can't say more but watch for something in early 2011.

Okay, I waiting for great HD stuff in 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JA6t9uA72Q [youtube.com]

But you know what 2012 happens :wink:
http://www.cebasstation.com/index.php?pid=testimonial&tid=54 [cebasstation.com]

But who is “for something” here at sidefx?

hopefully next time

what you mean by the phrase “who” lack the proper lighting on the subject.
if someone said “i” that is not the same as Eaglexx and likewise also is no different.
underage people who want to learn everything at once, I have to tell you, patience, and flattery will not help.

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=122&Itemid=306 [sidefx.com]

what you mean by the phrase “who” lack the proper lighting on the subject.
if someone said “i” that is not the same as Eaglexx and likewise also is no different.
underage people who want to learn everything at once, I have to tell you, patience, and flattery will not help.

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=122&Itemid=306 [sidefx.com]

if you can not learn on their own. should try to pay a university. Sometimes people can not learn not because they did not have capacity, but among many things, are subject to certain psychic seizures.

Who wants to be Homer Simpson? .
to 3d studio still has plenty of time to resemble houdini.

pbowmar
You'll be excited to learn some new training is coming soon for Houdini that does just what you want, takes a shot from beginning to end… Can't say more but watch for something in early 2011.

Any news about this :?