Hi everybody! Great news for all of you that have been waiting. The first two new Videos about VEX/VOPs are here!
And with our new highend VOD system, no more shipping costs and you can begin to watch your videos immediately!
Here is the official announce:



cmiVFX Launches New Houdini VEX SOPs Videos Volumes 1 and 2
Watch High Definition Training Videos For The Visual Effects Industry Instantly From Anywhere In The World.

Princeton, NJ., September 20, 2007 — cmiVFX | cmiStudios. launches it dual VEX training video for the SideFX Houdini 3D application. The product series has been in development for several months, and is fine tuned to work with intermediate and experienced users of Houdini The first 2 Videos are available today at the cmiVFX store. http://www.cmivfx.com/store/Browse.aspx?Category=11 [cmivfx.com]
Product Announcements — Houdini VEX SOPs VOLUME 1
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_vex1.asp [cmivfx.com]

Upon general request, CmiVFX is proud announce its two first volumes of new series of Houdini videos about VEX and VOPs. VEX is one of these things that makes Houdini really unique. Initially designed to be a powerful shading language, its paradigm has been extended to enable users to create new custom operators (like new SOPs, POPs, CHOPs). With the Houdini visual programming philosophy, VEX comes as a new dedicated context: VOPS where the data flow of your program is represented by custom nodes that wrap mathematical functions. VEX programming is so immense of a field that you could recreate almost half of the nodes of Houdini in all context combined ! So we had to start somewhere. These first two videos are an introduction to VEX/VOPs in the SOP context, maybe the easiest one to master: this means you'll learn how to create new surface operators, new modeling tools, new deformers with VEX/VOPs. It is at the same time an introduction to VEX concepts that are shared among all the various contexts, that we will reuse in our videos about rendering and shader development, or in videos about particle animation .Seashells, global deformers, water ripples… while being a language reference, these videos are intended to be a great cookbook for useful mathematical formulas.

DVD 1
Emphasis on Operator creation and customizability. Getting much farther than just scribbling one equation to link two parameters, like in a basic expression language, learn how to create elaborate formulas and create rich and detailed User Interfaces.
Creating New Nodes
The ultimate purpose of VEX is to create new operators, and depending on the context you're working on, new surface operators, new shaders, new compositing filters, new particle operators etc.
VEX development is analogous to C++ plug-in development ( with almost the same speed of execution) and is often used to prototype HDK nodes.

Interfaces
Not only are you creating the brains of the node, with implementing advanced algorithm into its core, but you also create visual interfaces for these pieces of functionalities. Some of these UI creation concepts are shared with the digital assets, so this video is also a thorough introduction to Houdini's incredible customizability.

Handles
Sliders, axis, circles: Handles are interactive controls that allow you to visually manipulate your geometry in the viewport. Learn how to create handle and associate them with the different parameters that control your objects.

Slide shows / WhiteBoards
Traditional slide shows are back to recapitulate your knowledge. They're now available as additional pdf files for you to print. You loved the whiteboard in Lsystem videos Well, it's back. Come with engineers to the development room where they draw schematics and formulas to prototype their plug-ins. Because that's how it happens in real life.

Algorithms
The algorithms we show you can be reused in a variety of other contexts, and in a variety of different applications. As often with Houdini, we teach you more than Houdini. We teach you all the real algorithms, that you can Translate in Renderman SL, in Maya expressions and more generally in any package that have expression languages. Don't buy your 3d manuals, just watch them!



Product Announcements — Houdini VEX SOPs VOLUME 2
http://www.cmivfx.com/product_houdini_vex2.asp [cmivfx.com]

DVD 2
You'll go further in customization, learning sophisticated formuals for seashell creation as well as creating animated ripples at the surface of water interactively connected to a rain particle system.

The Beauty of Nature
Seashells: Discover what is behind the algorithmic beauty of seashells, how nature is doing math, producing out of the same mathematical model an immense diversity of beautiful seashell silhouettes. Water Ripples: Learn how to simulate water ripples due to raindrops collision on the surface of a lake. Connect your VEX operator to a particle system and let it rain!

Multiple Inputs
In the same spirit as Renderman's DSO ( dynamic shared object), learn how to use several inputs in a VEX SOP, so that you can have helper geometries. The possibilities are endless, and you can now see Houdini's SOPs and CHOPs as an abstract extension of VEX data types and VEX functions.

VEX and VOP workflow
Learn how you can create new VEX functions as well as new custom VOPs. This means that you're building operators whose purpose is to build operators… Add this to Digital Assets and Python meta-commands, and you get an unprecedented level of hierarchical customization. Learn how to integrate VEX and VOP in the same network.

Math
Matrices, polar coordinates, trigonometry, waves and later, noise octave summation, fourier transform, barycentric coordinates. Sound scary? Well it's not. Your new mathematician / personal trainer takes you by the hand in this world to spark your nostalgia about all that. You will be surprised to find all this math enjoyable again.

Rich as a book, Easy as video
This set of videos is the most comprehensive documentation you will find about VEX and VOPs. You will effortlessly progress through concrete examples, All the examples have been carefully chosen to leave no gaps in your education. The result is something which is as dense as a book, that you regularly come back to watch when your stuck on a project.

About cmiVFX
cmiVFX is the leader in High Definition Video Training for the Visual Effects Community. To test drive the new cmiVFX TVOD © system, visit http://www.cmivfx.com/cmi_window.html [cmivfx.com] For additional information about cmiVFX, visit www.cmivfx.com.
© 2007 cmiVFX | cmiStudios. All rights reserved.

David

Great stuff ……v1 purchased !

Rob

damn.. someone should have told me because i bought procedual citty's,L-systems1 and Lsystems 2.

if i had waited like 2 more days i could have had a nicer intro into houdini and get them L-systems later.

Couple of questions:

1. If you opt to purchase the DVD(global warming aside, I have a problem with purchasing something that will always rely on the target site being in operation in order to watch), is it shipping with quicktime, or the cmivfx format?

2. Is there any option other than Paypal(i.e. credit cards)?


Btw, I applaud the intent of trying to lessen the impact of DVD's on the environment, I'm just unsure the world needs another video standard. Personally, I'd be very happy to download, for example, video files as an option. I also appreciate the urge to protect your product, which previously you used encrypted quicktime to handle. Is there a downloadable file option that would respect that? I honestly don't know, I'm curious.

Cheers,

J.C.

I have had a skip through vex 1. The only real area I have difficulty with is a, the time taken to cache the entire video even on adsl 2. The information is brilliant and well worth the money plus I welcome the approach to ditching dvds !

regards Rob

coldrick,

There are many more reasons then environment alone to move from DVD's to online VOD…

some of them i cant say yet, cuz big announcements will be made over the next year…. BUT…

one of the main reasons now is piracy. It nearly brought us down in the past, and we must take initiative to protect those who are serious about the craft they spent a fortune on learning.

The good news is, cmiVFX isnt going anywhere. We are only growing. BUT in case of an emergency such as death of a partner or stipulation of financial ruin.. we are alway paid 5 years in advance on our hosting servers so that the software version will be obsolete and your the training will take you well past its traditional lifespan.

I mean, how long before houdini 10 comes out really? It wont be more then 2 years. This content will be way updated in 5 years.. so the conclusion is: the need to harbor all the stuff locally isnt really a concern for the customer anymore. AND with the free upgrades to the “so called cmiPlayer” that will be happening… its going to be a lifestyle for the VFX community at large… and still you will be able to maintain simplicity if you choose.

not to ramble on, its just i get all excited just thinking about some of the things im working on to get people on top with training and communication with like minds.

Im sure david “frenchOp” will be keeping you in the loop as cool things progress.

You can certainly give feedback from the player itself… I READ EVERY REPORT PERSONALLY.. so if you have a great comment… it will most likely happen, quick, fast, and in a hurry.

chris | www.cmivfx.com

Can I use this thread to ask two questions Chris? Perhaps others here would like to know the answers also:

1) I'm a owner of a two previously realized DVDs. Are any chances to watch them in cmiVfx player without buying them again? There was some rumor about upgrading those DVDs to H9. Does it include seasoned owners?

2) Your player really needs a chapters selection possibility (at least can't find them now). These are long videos…


thanks,
sy.

1, yes there is an upgrade fee to pay for bandwith. However, to all houdini users, i will upgrade multiple disks as 1 instead of charging per item.

contact me at chris@cmivfx.com and i will get you going. Make sure to register first so i know your user account ID.

2: chapter markers will just show up in your player 1 day. AS WELL AS you being able to set your own where ever you want.

we are working on that not in the next phase.. but the sencond phase from now. The next phase is back end stuff that most of it you wont notice.

but when phase 3, 4, and 5 hit.. you will notice lots of things extra for you to control and communicate with.

It takes approximately 3 days to download a DVD's worth of data on my internet connection (very far from the DSL hub where I live) plus I use Linux exclusively (is there a Linux player?) so I'll be for the DVDs. It's also nice to be able to take the DVD wherever and watch it on a laptop etc.

I think VOD is an good option to have but it's certainly not a replacement for physical media.

Just my input…

Cheers,

Peter

thanks,
I'm already registered user (with the same nick as here) and I'm watching VEX's part one! I'll PM you.

cheers,
sy.

Peter - just FYI I tested the player on Linux/FF and it seems to run fine, no hiccups.

wavesmack - thanks for your reply, but sorry, I might have missed it in there, but what was the answer to my question #1? Are shipped DVDs containing quicktimes or the new format?

That's good to hear about the 5 year safety buffer, but I guess there will always be people that want the security of having something in their hands when they buy something. Running a laptop on a commuter train without decent wifi comes to mind.

Cheers,

J.C.

pbowmar
I use Linux exclusively (is there a Linux player?)

Peter

These are flv files, so mplayer should work with them, not sure if current version supports flv files generated in flash 9.

kuba

it works in linux just fine…

the only stipulation is ON FLAME BOXES on linux with 64 bit i noticed sound problems due to the flash version.

but other then that it works fan freaking tastic


-c

my tech guy in china says:

then just normal plugins from adobe plugins
normally broswer will auto download and install the plugins

translated:

Firefox browser, Adobe Flash for linux 32 bit, and away you go.

hope that helps

Kewl daddy-O!

VLC also plays FLV movies

cant wait to see those DVD though …

we are still offering DVD's on the bottom left of each product page. We will phase them out over the next year.

But get em while there hot.

c

Due to alot of requests, I finally put up all the DVD / videos as one kit.

So you now save a considerable amount on all of them. EVEN MORE SO with the player version.

You can see the cheaper group pricing from this page:

http://www.cmivfx.com/products.asp [cmivfx.com]

hope that helps some folks out.

-c

( I have bought all of them already….can i get a rebate on one of your next wonderful releases Chris?

page, we will figure something out..

just be sure to email me at chris@cmivfx.com