I was wondering when SESI will post the classrooms online as they promissed a while ago?
I mean it would be great for all of us to gain knowledge of Houdini.
If Houdini is such an exclusivist 3d package with few users worldwide, why don't you make available the knowledge?
The Houdini users would grow this way by having more learning resources (at the moment they are so few).
I'm looking forward to see SESI promoting their software for those who are willing to learn and can;t quite get a grip on Houdini. I'm interested in the Mantra Classrooms Shading and Rendering etc.
An other aspect of this problem would be that not all can join the classrooms where they are held. A SESI official said they would record the classroms and make them available.
That's just sad it didn;t happed yet.

Best regards
Mihai

i agree that it is really sad that SESI makes it's knowledge only available in their offices.

edit: concerning their classes

yes….if they want the Houdini community to grow and the software to become popular they must promote it…I think SESI is doing very bad regarding this chapter.
From what I know when it comes to Houdini, the only people that knows it are in big CG production Houses and the low-end amateur user is struggling to get a grip on learning the software, maybe trying to get better wit Houdini, working on personal demoreels and so on…
That's why I'm finding this CLOSED approach regarting the learning resources unappropriate.
I mean they offer Apprentice for free learning and use and that's it…the documentation is lacking…and I expect a little support concerning the tutoring materials from them. Otherwise Houdini users will not grow. This has been discussed before, why everybody is complaining the steep curve in learning Houdini. Because every material that exists right now, are not quite project based. Everything is an eternal discussion on the forums on how to do that or that, and someone like me who is trying to swich to Houdini from the big Autodesk monopol is struggling badly and finally ending to give up. In a production you must be confident in the software and knowing how to do a speciffic task if that occurs. No one wants to spend countless days testing, searching for techincal solutions and approaches on the web in this situation. An I honestly can say I don't have the privilege beeing around a studio using Houdini, or some guys who can help me do the learning transition.
So I say why can't all the conferences be FREE ??? It denies the ideea of the Apprentice program.
The potential Houdini users are not attracted…they are running away.
Beautiful software what can I say…I can even say passionate…but in the end is a big dilemma to learn it all alone and doing some final product using it.
I know one would say everybody must learn by small pieces, and then assemble what they learned, but I have that strange feeling that it's kinda unapproachable and a VERY steep curve.
If that's not gonna change everybody will still be using the very popular Maya, form there are plenty of resources to learn.
All I'm asking is for an initiative form SESI to promote their sotware better (documentation and learning resources), otherwise H will remain as I feel it now….very experimental and intriguing and when I seldom see some spectacular vfx done with it I say to myself “look it can be done”…but everybody is wondering how???
Thank you for listening !

http://www.vimeo.com/user2030228/videos [vimeo.com] Pete has posted new videos on H 11 on the new Material Workflow

With H11 out the door more focus is being put into learning materials. The classroom material is designed to work with a live audience and the associated interactions. Where possible we will record a web-friendly version but this will depend on instructor availability.

Look for some more info in the fall. Project-based lessons are a goal and we have some interesting projects in the works.

Robert

PS - it is always great to hear which areas of Houdini you want to learn about the most. Thanks for the feedback.

rmagee
PS - it is always great to hear which areas of Houdini you want to learn about the most. Thanks for the feedback.

I'm struggling most with fur/hair especially when it comes to realistic rendering/shading results. Would be great to have something of this

wish dops introduction and python useing

miaitza
yes….if they want the Houdini community to grow and the software to become popular they must promote it…I think SESI is doing very …

agreed totally and cut it for brevity …

i too come from another 3Dpackage and my serious intention is to definitively -switch to Houdini- . the changes of H11 are a good sign for me personally and i see them like SESI too is trying to come closer to me .

this trend should be reflected and supported with tutorials of any topic .

imo , SESI-s focus / moto should be “ the alternative way of Houdini ” to do something .

due to Hs unique nature but trying to achieve the same result as the App-we-use , the focus should be more on the-other's-users .
Houdini is not the first 3D-app one has used or will use . we all have spent years on using more or less similar programs with similar workflows . so more tutorials about “ the same thing but in an alternative way ” would help many us here to better understand and fit to Houdini … and , of course , would help SESI to make Houdini more popular .

if not real cases at least some useful examples .
it is fun when i ‘ play ’ with particles and RBDs but it has been a lot more useful to me when i started to model , shade and render even small things with Houdini . these kind of sessions helps me more than anything else when i consider to make the switch and trust my future projects ( no matter how spectacular those might be ) to Houdini .

another note ; if i was SESI , i'd find a way to encourage more and more experienced Houdini users to share more “ when they can ” .

the fact that there aren't as many as other 3Dapps tutorials ( which reflect their popularity ) out there , makes me thinking three times for the “ switch ” ( the second thinking is for the price ) .

rmagee
PS - it is always great to hear which areas of Houdini you want to learn about the most. Thanks for the feedback.

shading married with rendering … please .
that's the most crucial zone in any major 3D app in general and everyday's works , imho …



.thank you