For those of us who do not live in LA or London would it be possible to record/ produce some training material based on the lectures being given by sidefx

P

The eternal question……………

Now that SESI has an ‘online’ store I see no reason why they can't place these training session on there, (for a slightly reduced price.)

i wish they would since they have some pretty great classes coming up… SInce no one in NY is training in it.. I would love to see some of those sessions.. Is any one in NY using Houdini for anything weather for commericals or even art?

Cylibral
Is any one in NY using Houdini for anything weather for commericals or even art?

Same question goes for Montreal, it sucks to see the Houdini training being limited to UK and LA…

just fyi, I was recently at the HDK training course on April 26th and it was being recorded so maybe your prayers have been answered

welll not exactly only for those who attend the class.. I went to the Boot camp last oct.. only for those who attend… is what i got from what was being recorded…

Simon
The eternal question……………

that's right.

I think the first time I postet a question like: “who can record…..”
was about 6-7 years ago.

till today nothing happens :cry:

The way these things work is much like release dates - you won't hear a peep out of SESI unless/until they're prepared to offer it. I'm unclear about the economics of it - being able to charge $xx/live attendee vs a significantly smaller fee for (supposedly) more people to purchase the DVD. I do know that I'd probably be pissed as someone paying(say) $1000 to go to a presentation which is available the next week as a $100 purchase(interactivity aside). I suspect a better relationship between those two prices would need to be figured out first.

If there were more really good tutorial books/DVDs out there, I doubt there would be an issue. I'm hoping they're leaning towards broader access to more material.

Cheers,

J.C.

You would still think that with increased access to training material more people would use the software and be on maintainence contracts and that's where you make your money. Trying to make money purely out of training courses seems rather backward thinking to me. Just my 2 cents.

We have certainly heard the frequent requests for video recordings of our training classes. Where possible we have referred our trainers to Gnomon to create a video in their format and delivered through their store.

Craig's DOPS DVD is an example of training that started in the classroom that moved to dvd. This way the lessons are focused on the dvd audience and the videos do not include lots of classroom discussions where nothing is happening on the screen. And Gnomon is better equipped for manufacturing of this kind of product.

With the new workflow/UI coming for Houdini 9 we have held off of making new videos for our website and we are gearing up for much more video training once it hits the streets. We also have third party resources interested in creating videos that are holding off until H9 to make sure their product has a longer shelf life.

Let us know which of the classes you are most looking forward to and we'll either encourage the instructor to work with Gnomon to get a DVD cut or use this wishlist to help plan out the H9 tutorial videos.

Thanks alot Robert.

As far as my own tutorial request goes, any tutorial is a valuable one when it comes to houdini, since they are scarce. However, if I had to choose a specific matter, I would opt for Particle training.

(And of course, tutorials for the new fluid solver!)

rmagee
Let us know which of the classes you are most looking forward to and we'll either encourage the instructor to work with Gnomon to get a DVD cut or use this wishlist to help plan out the H9 tutorial videos.

A good thorough h9 video tutorial set would probably please everyone, much like the houdini 6 video tutorial set (which I think were awesome btw, got me hooked). It may not be what a single person says, but the sum of 4-5 responses will most likely show that all areas of houdini are a hard topic to grasp on your own. Especially when you consider all those lone souls (who aren't on this forum) using “lesser” 3D programs that would gladly convert if they only knew how.

I would hope that a good set of video tutorials for h9 is a high priority topic for sesi given the growth rate of the “younger” houdini user base due to the release of the apprentice. And also, the little houdini training and information that is out there is generally _not_ geared towards beginners, so houdini still has a very intimidating presence to new users and even veterans of other cg packages.

At the very least though, if you want my wish list item, make some good video tutorials (perhaps even flashy ) for the new features in v9. It's _very_ hard to convince a vfx supervisor to buy your program all by meself . Help us maya/xsi/max/lightwave users out by having atleast a slight sense of salesmanship :p

I'd like to see a very thourough video set on VOPs, not VEX. I'm sure Vex is really good but using any scripting language to make shaders should be similar.

I really want to see VOPs at work, and an approach to general workflow with conditionals etc (like for / while / etc). Doing this with script is somewhat straitforeward, but I'm having a hard time getting my head around the stuff using a graphical model, even though I think the graphical model is much more efficient.

Also, even more basic, an overview of things like rendering order / light / shadow dependencies. Stuff like the illuminance VOP and how to use that to control lighting for render passes / mattes / and reflection effects.

One more thing sorry, how about a thoughrough overview of the VOPs raytracing / reflection / refraction stuff. Very hard to understand whats going on there just by name of the operator and a two paragraph help file.

Funny you mentioned that, because we had a ton of requests on that and it has become now our first priority: we decided to address a larger audience which has waited too long and to produce a DVD on VEX, cos the info is sooo scarce…

And the first one will be on VEX in SOP context.
The first part will be inter-context VEX ( « context-independant »),
« workflow operators » ( how to visually use loops, conditionals into), using the inline VOP, using multiple inputs for deformers ( we will present the general « theory of deformers » where you use some geometry to deform, a rest geometry input which « captures » the geometry and a deformed geometry input, and we will show a lot of examples).

We will use fractal/noise functions ( like a special cookbook – understanding noise « octaves », different types of noise, loops for fractals etc..) for comprehensive detailed terrain generation (exactly like in Terragen using the strength of point attributes for displacement/color combined with some other SOPs ) , understanding object topologies to intelligently use VEX, coordinates for deformations, how to work with groups, point neighbours, etc.


The story will go on with VEX with shaders of course, depending on the requests/needs of our users.
Our policy at CmiVFX has always been to emphasize on DATA STRUCTURES.
I completely understand your request to know how shaders work obe with each other. Every serious programmer know that functions are nothing if you don't know ON what they operate, where/when they're executed, in other terms what is called a context.

The context must come first! ( even if this sounds unusual at a first time!)
IMHO data structure and dataflow is the backbone of everything. I maintain that there's no serious learning of 3d without a proper understanding of the underlying data structures and spending some time on them with pedagogical animation, diagrams etc will save you A LOT of time and free A LOT of brain space .
My motto is « Take time to build your shelves » first

(in shaders, this means f.ex knowing the « adventures of color » from emission ( light) to the image ( COPs planes), through all the shaders).
The great thing is that shader communication can also be used in a more abstract way to provide general info transport ( you then « capture a lot of tricks » at once). This has already been used ( i think about the « magic lights » in the latest Siggraph renderman courses where lights carry « abstract information ») and this is something we intend to develop.

yes if you could come out with a detailed vops / shader video I'd definately buy it.

Hey guys this sounds like the revolutionis starting up to get more training material to peoples hands very soon.. Frech Op ‘s dvd are awesome on l systems… Robert if i would be able to put together a list of stuff that can be put on dvd’s i would say almost every class you guys give would proably get a vote…
As far as using Gnomon well that's cool but i think just they way you guys put in the stuff on the ones you get when you go to the class should be fine… No real menus needed just the files to go along with the videos… Maybe some notes to be put in to help explain… that might be a good way.. i think sesi can do that and make some money on the side as well….
Not trying to stur up problems but i think everyone would buy them…

VOPs, shading and lighting workflow, tips and solutions on real world examples.

yeah, newbies needs in good tutorials!

BTW, those of you who already have the 3 DVD kit at cmiVFX for houdini, will get discounted on David's (FrenchOP) next title. We accumulate purchases to save you money.

There is a link for that kit up on the products page. Also, this applies to those who had file transfer versions as well. Its the same in our system either way.