Hey guys, I would like to ask you something …

How is it Houdini as a generalist tool? I've been seeing some amazing work at motion graphics, animation, etc, and even some cool training.

People say that only modeling is average, but if I bundle it with something like Silo or other cheap but good modeler, what you guys think?

Yup - Houdini is an artist brush - it can do what you can do

I thought so … I'll play with Maya also for the sake of finding jobs.

I working with Maya for 10 years and Houdini for 4 years.

Maya is a good tool to modeling standard models at the less time.
If you made your model (Like character) in the Maya and create it's UV and make skeleton and skin for it and finally make an animation for this guy ,

in the last step if somthing is wrong (like UV or Model !)
Usually you can't come back to the previous steps for example change it's UV or make small change on the base model.
In this case you have to do again other steps (like skeleton , skin , uv )

But if you make this guy in the Houdini ,you can make change on the any previous steps (like change UV) and of course you don't need to make again skeleton or … (or just easy changes)

Becuase your model is fully procedural !

Also you can create some parameter to define and change it's animation ,shape ,UV and … to achieve new character without modeling!

This feature is very usfull in the Games or Crowd Systems .

The Dynamic Simulations (Fire ,Explosion ,Water & Flood ,Rigid Bodies , Cloth … ) are very coooool and I think we can't compair this with other 3D softwares !

One of the impressive feature of the Houdini's Dynamic is that all of them have same type !
That's mean you can interact all of the dynamic types like Cloth & Water & Rigid Bodies with together whitout any special try or tricks.

I believe that if you work with Houdini , you don't need any additional softwares like FumeFX , Real Flow , Naiad , …

I really LOVE both softwares :-*

So I just using Maya for normal and standard modeling and rendering in my projects !

CONCLUSION :

1.Maya is a good and fast tool to make normal modeling
Lighting and Rendering and Maya is so simpler and faster than Houdini

2.Houdini's Lighting & Materials & Rendering are more complex than Maya But making custom and optional shader or light in the Houdini is so better than Maya

3.Houdini is Coooooooooool software for VFX

4.Learning of the Houdini is so hard and needs long time ,But if you do that ,you can make anything on it , YES ANYTHINGS

There are no basic rigging tutorials. I mean there are some for the autorigger but none (free) for basic rigging. The only ones I could find are on 3dbuzz and requires an investment.

Hey people … I started the thread and went away, sorry about that.

Joker386, thanks for the reply. Very well thought out. Now … since you are a Maya guy also and uses it mostly for modeling, that means I could change Maya for Softimage and be ok?

I say that because Softimage is kind of Houdini procedural also, it's good for motion graphics and has the plethora of render engines that Maya has. Maybe it'll be harder to find jobs … but what the hell. :twisted:

Yes ,Softimage is a really cool tool like Maya and you can start to learn it too !
Just don't forget Softimage is not really complete procedural software like Houdini ,Just ICE is a complete procedural and you can just compare ICE with Houdini's VEX !!!

All of the 3D softwares (Except Houdini !!! ) are really powerful at this time and each one has special feature and facilities , Like :

3D Max : Too many powerful and various Plug-ins and Tutorials like FumeFX

Blender : Free Complete 3D Software and Open - Source

Maya : One of the biggest software in the VFX and Animation industry with really stable core and very very powerful SDK for writing Plug-Ins with C++ and include Really Powerful and easy Scripting languages (MEL - Python) and good compatible with Pixar Renderman

Softimage : Really powerful software in the Rigging , Animation , Rendering with a impressive and special procedural system that's called ICE for creating and customize Motion Graphics and VFX effects and good compatible with Solid Angle Arnold

Cinema4D : One of the best software in the Motion Graphics fields with a really fast and beautiful result rendering engine in this field

HOUDINI : Biggest complete procedural software in the world !!!

So I believe that a user's ability and knowledge is important than softwares or at least 50% , 50%

If you wanna learn Houdini along side another software ,Because Houdini is complete procedural software you don't need another procedural software !

So I suggest to you that learn Maya (Maybe you can find a job easier than Softimage)

*** This is my personal idea and maybe this is wrong *** :?

Joker386
Yes ,Softimage is a really cool tool like Maya and you can start to learn it too !
Just don't forget Softimage is not really complete procedural software like Houdini ,Just ICE is a complete procedural and you can just compare ICE with Houdini's VEX !!!

All of the 3D softwares (Except Houdini !!! ) are really powerful at this time and each one has special feature and facilities , Like :

3D Max : Too many powerful and various Plug-ins and Tutorials like FumeFX

Blender : Free Complete 3D Software and Open - Source

Maya : One of the biggest software in the VFX and Animation industry with really stable core and very very powerful SDK for writing Plug-Ins with C++ and include Really Powerful and easy Scripting languages (MEL - Python) and good compatible with Pixar Renderman

Softimage : Really powerful software in the Rigging , Animation , Rendering with a impressive and special procedural system that's called ICE for creating and customize Motion Graphics and VFX effects and good compatible with Solid Angle Arnold

Cinema4D : One of the best software in the Motion Graphics fields with a really fast and beautiful result rendering engine in this field

HOUDINI : Biggest complete procedural software in the world !!!

So I believe that a user's ability and knowledge is important than softwares or at least 50% , 50%

If you wanna learn Houdini along side another software ,Because Houdini is complete procedural software you don't need another procedural software !

So I suggest to you that learn Maya (Maybe you can find a job easier than Softimage)

*** This is my personal idea and maybe this is wrong *** :?

No problem. I asked for your input and I appreciate the answer! 8)

Your welcome my friend

Hey folks! I am new here on SideFX forums!

I am in a similar pickle.

I read and asked questions about future software for a loooong time now, and the general consensus, if a bit shady. Seems to be that it doesn't matter what software you learn, all you learn is transferable and if you apply to a studio you will just use whatever they use.

Which gives the question, either conform to the rest and use Autodesk software, or Houdini, in my case.

I hasn't gone that far into Houdini as of yet, but I have to say, I love nodes and non-destructible workflows, which no other software can give.

If I were to say, aspiring to be an vfx artist, it would be a no brainer. But I don't know what I want to be, be it character, environment, game artist, you name it.

All I know is that I want to create things, be part of creating beautiful worlds, tell my own stories, and I want to be able to live of it some day.

Am I shooting myself in the foot if I decide to go all out for Houdini, should I just use whatever I like as of right now? Or should I suck it up and deal with whatever is the industry standards?

Sorry for the long post and bringing up the overly discussed topic of what software to finally sit down and learn.

I just want to hear what experienced Houdini users has to say about it.

Best regards

//Morgan

If you're telling your own stories you can use what ever tool helps you tell your story. Working for others will most likely require you, at least until senior - supervisor level, to use the tools that others want you to use.

I would shoot for the moon and learn the best tools around, and that includes Houdini

MartybNz
If you're telling your own stories you can use what ever tool helps you tell your story. Working for others will most likely require you, at least until senior - supervisor level, to use the tools that others want you to use.

I would shoot for the moon and learn the best tools around, and that includes Houdini

Hey!

Didn't mean my own stories in the literal sense, even though that probably will happen a lot on recreational use.

Okay, as I suspected, the off chance that most studios happen to have a Houdini license laying around probably isn't the highest. (How come a senior/supervisor, would be able to break off and use something entirely else?)

Thanks for your reply!

Best regards
//Morgan

MorganNilsson
How come a senior/supervisor, would be able to break off and use something entirely else?
Best regards
//Morgan

Who else do you think decides which software to use on a show?

MartybNz

MorganNilsson
How come a senior/supervisor, would be able to break off and use something entirely else?
Best regards
//Morgan

Who else do you think decides which software to use on a show?

Right, you got me… Was being stupid.

MorganNilsson
Seems to be that it doesn't matter what software you learn, all you learn is transferable and if you apply to a studio you will just use whatever they use.

//Morgan

Too many years ago ,Houdini (And Prisms) was a expensive and really complex software for 3D Artists ,Just really technical persons and big companies were working with Houdini.

But for now ,Houdini is a fantastic software with too many tutorials and powerful forum ,So 3D Artists who working with other softwares like Maya ,Can be work with Houdini and learn it very very easier than before :wink:

So this is good time for invest your time in the learning of Houdini
too many companies on the world wanna put Houdini in their production's pipeline and I thinks persons who working with Houdini can find this Jobs easier than others ,Just take a look around VFX Jobs on the WEB.

You should find something like this sentence :
Require Software : Maya (And Houdini is plus)

Also check sidefx job's page :

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=70&Itemid=185 [sidefx.com]

Joker386

MorganNilsson
Seems to be that it doesn't matter what software you learn, all you learn is transferable and if you apply to a studio you will just use whatever they use.

//Morgan

Too many years ago ,Houdini (And Prisms) was a expensive and really complex software for 3D Artists ,Just really technical persons and big companies were working with Houdini.

But for now ,Houdini is a fantastic software with too many tutorials and powerful forum ,So 3D Artists who working with other softwares like Maya ,Can be work with Houdini and learn it very very easier than before :wink:

So this is good time for invest your time in the learning of Houdini
too many companies on the world wanna put Houdini in their production's pipeline and I thinks persons who working with Houdini can find this Jobs easier than others ,Just take a look around VFX Jobs on the WEB.

You should find something like this sentence :
Require Software : Maya (And Houdini is plus)

Also check sidefx job's page :

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=70&Itemid=185 [sidefx.com]

That is true for VFX work, Houdini is gaining a foothold there for sure. I dont know how it is looking on other fronts such as game dev and general modelling.

MorganNilsson
That is true for VFX work, Houdini is gaining a foothold there for sure. I dont know how it is looking on other fronts such as game dev and general modelling.

I working with Maya about 10 years and I think General Modeling in the Maya like Character , Cars , Architect and etc is so simple than Houdini !

But in the Game industry I think Houdini can be really useful too ,exactly like Maya ,Because one of the powerful and effective tools in the Game is Procedural Modeling.

For example you can make a Digital Asset to create randomize Weapon ,Or another one to create City with randomize Building or maybe another one to create Procedural Roads for Racing Game :?

Exactly like cmiVFX procedural Modeling Tutorials !

Maybe sometimes Sidefx will Release another version of the Houdini Engine for another Game Engines (except Unity) like UDK , CryEngine and …

And Finally I think for general purpose It's so good to learn and use Houdini along side of the others 3D Softwares like Maya 8)

If you just want a job then simply pick one software; if you want a career then learn many software and more importantly the theory behind it; checkout this thread on exr format where industry professionals battle Chris Cox at Adobe, Chris schools the software super-experienced with ‘Computer Science 101’.

'Change in EXR open from CS2 to CS3 can this be fixed?'
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/369637?start=0&tstart=0 [forums.adobe.com]

MartybNz
If you just want a job then simply pick one software; if you want a career then learn many software and more importantly the theory behind it; checkout this thread on exr format where industry professionals battle Chris Cox at Adobe, Chris schools the software super-experienced with ‘Computer Science 101’.

'Change in EXR open from CS2 to CS3 can this be fixed?'
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/369637?start=0&tstart=0 [forums.adobe.com]

Yes ofcourse down the road I intend to learn whatever is best suited for the task. But you have to start somewhere, and my personal preference is Houdini as of now, my main concern was that it might be a moot point starting with it.

But now I feel fairly confident that I have nothing to worry about if I want to start going in-depth with Houdini over Maya.

That for sure was an incredible read, even if it was beyond my knowledge of the matter. I for sure was very interested if they ever came to a conclusion, which appears to be the case!?

MorganNilsson
That for sure was an incredible read, even if it was beyond my knowledge of the matter. I for sure was very interested if they ever came to a conclusion, which appears to be the case!?

The conclusion is that the Exr spec was updated and when you open an exr in Photoshop a dialog appears asking if the Alpha Channel Data is Transparency or alpha Channel.

My personal experience is there a quite a few senior/supervisors/producers who miss fundamental concepts i.e. as one example I was told that the 8 bit file format represents the colour as 4bit for luminance, and, 2 bits each for U and V as colour. I'm yet to figure that one out after 13 years of trying