Hi all,

I've been reading about and watching demo videos on the new nParticles in Maya 2009, which look pretty slick. I'm curious… how do you think this will affect the competition between Houdini and Maya?

It looks like as far as overall dynamics capabilites are concerned, the gap is shrinking an awful lot between the 2 apps. However, I have no doubts Houdini still has a much better workflow for particulate stuff. It seems to me that studios that are already using Houdini will naturally realize the benefits of it, but it'll be harder to sell studios on Houdini's merits now, since they're probably more concerned with capabilites than how nice and flexible the workflow is.

I'm still quite new to Houdini, so you can take all that with a grain of salt. Or a whole lot more than a grain! But anyway…. any thoughts?

This smells of app vs. app, but anyway.

First of all, particles are an advanced feature, and being good at it takes time. The people that learn particles well using 3d package X, won't rush over to a whole new workflow because 3d package y has a new feature called feature X, that saves you two clicks on your mouse.

When all comes to all, it's all about points and polygons…

Nothing beats Houdini when it comes to demanding FX problem solving. If any package could be interesting to follow, it's XSI with the ICE technology. That's a nice feature. Not like the minor changes that Autodesk has tried to push in the last five years, by renaming it…

Keith, I see your signature says you are a rigger and TD. When Houdini 9 came out with it's slick new interface and boasting fully function rigging and animation features, did you go home and download it and begin using it exclusively? Just curious.

I think new features are nice, but if you're comfy with one software, then you're going to suffer through it's inabilities until you are forced into other alternatives. It's the way of man. That being said, no software is perfect, it's why Zbrush, Vray, RealFlow and a host of other tiny 1 feature programs made it off the ground and are still kicking.

I am definitely interested in checking out XSI's ICE, just for the heck of it. I think as the programs grow more similar over time the differences will be with the artists and how they can manipulate the software.

wowie we just brought in ZBrush Realflow and VRay. This is an all out war (but, not sure what the premise is exactly). Well .. I've always said to students etc when they get on these better vs. mo-better stints to “LEARN THEM ALL!”

I've used Realflow, ZBrush, and VRay, and they all have many advantages in some areas over Houdini. Since they are smaller applications they're also much easier to learn. A hardened Houdini user at the studio just started getting into FumeFX which I think is really cool even though Max is clearly behind Houdini in terms of particle logic, Fume in 3ds Max has some very great things to offer as well.

(sorry for my english)

KeithDigital,

If your studio have a copy of new maya 2009, can you try the little test please ?

1. create the particle emitter, with direct emission in some axis.
2. attach the some poly object as Instance to it.
3. deform the particle shape with lattice deformer.
4. try to change Aim Direction or Position on instance.

Another words, can you change “Aim Direction” (or Position )attribute of Instance, on deformed particle shape ? This very old bug. Was it fixed ? In some time ago our studio write a tons of letters to support, and no results. Some workflow was crashed with this bug.

i just interesting.

I have been using Houdini for almost 3 years.
Now I am working in a studio which is only maya, and really I miss Houdini a lot.
I have never imagine that the gap between this two applications would be so big.
After dealing a lot with MEL and Maya internals my conclusion is that Maya is ages far way from Houdini.
Houdini is much much better in FX and in any area that requires problem solving, which I think is much than the half of our work.

I have been using Houdini for almost 3 years.
Now I am working in a studio which is only maya, and really I miss Houdini a lot

Maya don't get me started !!!.

Rob

Sorry, didn't mean for this to be an app vs app thread, even if it sounded like it!

KeithDigital
how do you think this will affect the competition between Houdini and Maya?

this must just push developers to search solutions for fast cloth and fluid solvers. When fluids and cloth in Houdini can be faster then maya solvers, the “competition” between houdini and maya will completely end.

live_fx

KeithDigital
how do you think this will affect the competition between Houdini and Maya?

this must just push developers to search solutions for fast cloth and fluid solvers. When fluids and cloth in Houdini can be faster then maya solvers, the “competition” between houdini and maya will completely end.

I am agree that's the thing Houdini need, be faster.
Nobody can compete in erm of flexibilty, but talking about speed …. other tools can beat Houdini.