Hi there,

my goal is to (intuitively?) understand and use matrix transformations in houdini. So I suppose I need some basics and a kind of a cookbook for common tasks in houdini.

Is there any kind of introduction you recommend? Back in school I had no classes in matrix math at all and I could use a hint where to start.

there are video tutorials about that

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_kzaH-WZ1o [www.youtube.com]
  
• free, simple, from a very good instructor https://youtu.be/1Dsld-W2zk0 [youtu.be]
  
• https://www.rebelway.net/math-for-fx/ [www.rebelway.net] (paid)
  
• https://www.udemy.com/course/math-in-houdini-fx-vol-1/? [www.udemy.com] (paid)
  
• https://youtu.be/ScYtNmnyF9A [youtu.be]
  
• basic vector https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UB2hPax7Pk [www.youtube.com]
  

To add to the very helpful list above, here's one I recently came across that I thought was short and practical:

• https://vimeo.com/284712920 [vimeo.com]
  

Great guys! I will have a look into these.

Thank you so much

This book is excellent, free online but well worth buying a hard copy:

https://gamemath.com/book/intro.html [gamemath.com]

Not direct houdini related but also a good source:
How Does Matrix Work... [www.scratchapixel.com]

nicholasralabate
This book is excellent, free online but well worth buying a hard copy:

https://gamemath.com/book/intro.html [gamemath.com]

this is one of the best

I’d start super basic understand what a matrix is, rows/columns, and how multiplication works. Then move to transformations: translation, rotation, scaling, and how they combine. Personally, I found visual tutorials (like on YouTube for 3D software math) way easier than just theory. Once you get the hang of it, you can jump into Houdini-specific stuff, like matrix nodes and vector transforms