mae-june-julie
For the FX challenge specifically, do background assets also all need to be made by the entrant in Houdini? Or could I use external assets (f.e. Megascans) to create an environment to showcase the effects in?

Everything needs to be done in Houdini including your background assets.

rnelodyy
Seconding the questions about using Gaea nodes and using Substance Painter for textures. Related to that, is it okay if we use Megascans for tree textures and smaller foliage assets like grasses/ferns/bushes?

Everything in Houdini for this contest. We have Terrain tools and Copernicus for Textures.

geetee2323
I was just wondering how I was gonna pivot my personal project this morning and see this announcement! absolutely great news, Thanks once again to yeas at SideFX.
and yes I'd like to know same as johnan about using other apps, in my case substance for generating maps or Zbrush for geo polishing.

No - Houdini for sculpting and Copernicus for texture maps.

geetee2323
just a suggestion if it hasnt already been considered, but maybe a topic post specifically for those with an origin/backstory for the environment concept.

I will post something to the main page to flesh out the Scenario. For now Elderwood is a forest and there are lost cities that might be ruins or might be livable environments - you decide on that. The city could be visible or only accessible through a magic portal.

maitlandvt
I was thinking, should there/could there be a special category for entries which end up as playable games/demos?

Like, maybe not a competition as much as just a collection/gallery?

If you submit a playable level as part of your submission it will help the judges evaluate your work.

thetavoid
Hi, I was wondering if there is a more detailed description of the theme/topic, as it's pretty open at the moment?

I will add something to the main page - check later in the forum - I fleshed it out a little bit.

I have added the following Scenario to the main page:

Imagine diving deep into the forests of Elderwood, where forgotten cities slumber beneath the leaves or shimmer with secret enchantments! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to conjure up a Realtime Environment bursting with mystery and awe. Or perhaps you'll unleash spectacular Realtime FX, painting the landscape with natural wonders or weaving spells of pure magic within those lost city walls. Or you can create a Game Art Tool that would be the ultimate sidekick for artists embarking on this thrilling creative quest!

I have a question regarding the Tool category. Let's say I am making a tool that modifies existing meshes and textures. Can I use megascans to present the workflow? Or do I have to use assets I made myself? If so, do they have to be done in Houdini from scratch?

Does the environment also need to be entirely constructed within Houdini, or can we import Houdini-assets into Unreal as HDAs or static meshes and construct the environment from there? For instance: if I have 10 different types of trees in Houdini, can I only scatter them on the terrain in Houdini, or can I import them into Unreal and paint them onto the terrain there?

rmagee

johancc
Edit: Are plugins allowed? Like simple tree tools and Modeler?

I will have to get back to you about Modeler because it will make it harder for us to evaluate your scene files if we dont' have it installed.

Hi Robert. I also would like to know. Would you confirm whether or not we are allowed to use Modeler 2025 for the competition. Thanks.

Hi,

I have a question about the realtime environment. I've been working on a Houdini/Unreal environment in my spare time for the last several months. And since the announcement of this game art challenge last month, I've really been getting excited and I want to take my current environment and fit it into the world of Elderwood. My original environment is inspired by Scandinavian villages and Rohan from LOTR, so it's not quite matching the description of "a lost city". It's a village with Viking longhouses and a large defensive fence (both of which are HDAs). Rather than starting over with this environment, could I take what I currently have and just add more rocks, ruins, and overgrowth to it? So it will still look like a Viking village but just have some added ruin/overgrowth elements spread throughout. Let me know if that will qualify as a "lost city" environment for the competition.

And this might be a dumb question, but I assume the whole environment doesn't need to be built in its entirety in Houdini first and then imported into Unreal. Like I can export my HDAs and models from Houdini and do all of the final set dressing and layout of the environment in Unreal right?

Thank you!

I have two important questions regarding the rules.

1. I noticed on the Challenge page that only HDA files are listed as valid entries (no HDALC). Does it mean I have to save the Digital Asset as an HDA when using the Indie version?
   
2. I assumed all assets in the example Unreal Project have to be made by me, but can I use the Unreal Example project in the showcase video?
   

I am joining a month late as I was out of the country, but I am very excited to participate in this challenge. I have always wanted to get better at creating tech art tools in Houdini, so this is a perfect opportunity for me.

I was also wondering if there might be a discord server outside of these forums for communicating with the community or others in the challenge.

Thanks!

Gand
I have two important questions regarding the rules.

1. I noticed on the Challenge page that only HDA files are listed as valid entries (no HDALC). Does it mean I have to save the Digital Asset as an HDA when using the Indie version?
   
2. I assumed all assets in the example Unreal Project have to be made by me, but can I use the Unreal Example project in the showcase video?
   

- HDALC files are fine

- If you mean to show of your asset - that is OK although something with a it more context would be better.

sarnett21
Hi,

I have a question about the realtime environment. I've been working on a Houdini/Unreal environment in my spare time for the last several months. And since the announcement of this game art challenge last month, I've really been getting excited and I want to take my current environment and fit it into the world of Elderwood. My original environment is inspired by Scandinavian villages and Rohan from LOTR, so it's not quite matching the description of "a lost city". It's a village with Viking longhouses and a large defensive fence (both of which are HDAs). Rather than starting over with this environment, could I take what I currently have and just add more rocks, ruins, and overgrowth to it? So it will still look like a Viking village but just have some added ruin/overgrowth elements spread throughout. Let me know if that will qualify as a "lost city" environment for the competition.

And this might be a dumb question, but I assume the whole environment doesn't need to be built in its entirety in Houdini first and then imported into Unreal. Like I can export my HDAs and models from Houdini and do all of the final set dressing and layout of the environment in Unreal right?

Thank you!

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1 - We haven't explicitly defined a lost city so your entry is eligible for entry. It could be be a lost city that is inhabited or a lost city in ruins - both are eligible.

2 - Set dressing can be done in Unreal BUT if you use Houdini to assist with the set dressing your entry will be seen as more Houdini-centric - it could help your chances.

anthonyzheng02
I was also wondering if there might be a discord server outside of these forums for communicating with the community or others in the challenge.

Thanks!

The Houdini Academy discord server has a thread for the Game Art Challenge:

https://discord.gg/d67ZxczH [discord.gg]

rmagee

anthonyzheng02
I was also wondering if there might be a discord server outside of these forums for communicating with the community or others in the challenge.

Thanks!

The Houdini Academy discord server has a thread for the Game Art Challenge:

https://discord.gg/d67ZxczH [discord.gg]

That is great to hear! I would love to join, but the discord link seems to be expired. Is there anywhere else I can find access to the discord?

Thanks.

Hi, I have a question, can we participate in the Art Challenge as a team of 2-3 people? We want to choose one category and make one big project for it.

hello, i've been trying to get the 6 month license to work on the challenge, but i don't receive any license or email to actually install it.
is that still an option?
thanks

etoDanya
Hi, I have a question, can we participate in the Art Challenge as a team of 2-3 people? We want to choose one category and make one big project for it.

The contest is intended for individual artists. Maybe one of you could make the environment, one do a cool FX and the other a game art tool? But they would need to be submitted individually.