SideFX was pleased to host the worldwide Houdini community to come to Toronto on September 10-12 for Houdini HIVE Horizon. In this three-day event, participants had access to workshops, HIVE presentations, and a chance to meet SideFX developers in the head office. We really enjoyed bringing the community together for this first-of-its-kind Houdini-focused extravaganza!
Look out for news about next year's event which will be held in late September 2025 in Toronto!
Almost all of the presentations have been recorded and are available below.
Tuesday | September 10
Day 1 | Houdini HIVE
8:00 AM
BREAKFAST/REGISTRATION
12:00 PM
LUNCH
1:00 PM
Peter Dominik | RodeoFX
2:45 PM
Conor Collins & Matt Benson | Synthesis AI
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 9:00 AM EST
Adventures in MPM-land: the Fine Art of Balancing Numbers
Dive into the new MPM solver introduced with the release of Houdini 20.5. We’ll walk through two projects - a landslide and a lava stream - each using different material presets. We will explore the workflow, the techniques used and talk about the challenges faced while exploring this new solver.
Anse Vandevelde is currently a marketing FX Intern at SideFX. She first got into Houdini while studying at Digital Arts and Entertainment in Belgium, that’s where her love for FX and problem-solving really took off. As part of her university’s program, she did an exchange in Montreal and completed an internship at Stargate Studios Malta. Afterwards, she went on to do freelance FX work for UK-based animation studio Revenant before returning to Canada and joining SideFX.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 9:45 AM EST
Exploring Copernicus for Real-time Usage
Learn more about the new Copernicus nodes and how to use them for real-time engines, like Unreal Engine. You will also get more details on custom-made HDAs that are useful to have for making materials.
Simon Verstraete is a tech artist who loves building procedural tools and assets. By adding more and more procedural approaches to his workflow, he is able to build 3D models with speed and flexibility. Simon previously worked at Exiin and with SideFX, and is now at Studio Gobo as Senior Tech Artist.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 10:35 AM EST
MOPs: Designing User-Centric UX
Get an in-depth look into what I've learned from accidentally becoming a UX Designer over the last five years of developing MOPs. I'll talk about UX concepts from the perspective of a Houdini TD, how to balance performance against ease of use, and other tricks I've picked up along the way.
Henry Foster has been a technical artist since 2006, freelancing in commercials and feature films as a lighter, FX artist, rigger, tools developer, and pipeline engineer. He lives with his wife and cats in Portland, OR, and loves baking, brewing, and gawking at nature when he's not tied down to the computer.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 11:15 AM EST
Plug-in Mania - The Development of Gaea 2.0 & Perforce Plug-ins
Join us to explore two exciting new plug-ins developed by Bismuth Consultancy that are designed to enhance your Houdini experience. First we introduce P4Houdini, a free innovative plug-in that integrates Perforce into Houdini, simplifying version control and facilitating smoother collaboration among team members. We'll demonstrate how this tool streamlines your workflow and supports complex project management. Next, we'll dive into the Gaea2Houdini integration, which allows users to seamlessly import and manipulate terrains from Gaea directly inside Houdini. This plug-in is a game-changer for creating realistic, detailed environments quickly and efficiently.
Paul Ambrosiussen is currently a Technical Artist at Bismuth Consultancy. He was the Lead of SideFX Labs prior to that. Paul finished his BASc in International Game Architecture and Design at NHTV University of Applied Sciences in Breda. Paul enjoys writing tools to support effective art pipelines, and maintaining tool / workflow quality for the artists he is assisting. His goal is to help others create amazing things in a better, faster and more flexible way. He creates tutorials, gives live lectures, attends events, and presents custom workshops to customers.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 1:00 PM EST
The Role of Solaris in the RodeoFX VFX Pipeline and House of the Dragon Season 2
This presentation delves into the integration of Solaris into the RodeoFX VFX pipeline, focusing on its application in House of the Dragon Season 2. It explores the motivations behind the transition, the implementation process, and the tangible benefits. Through case studies of the Kings Landing build and Dragons setup, the presentation highlights the implementation and workflows that enhanced the VFX production process.
Peter Dominik is a CG Supervisor with a strong background in Look Development, Lighting, and Environments. Passionate about VFX, problem-solving, and creating innovative workflows that empower artists to work efficiently and deliver the highest quality visuals.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 1:45 PM EST
Growing Pains: Procedural Cell Growth in Houdini for Halo S2
In Season 2 of Halo, we were tasked with presenting microscopic cell growth and division. We achieved this entirely in Houdini using a procedural workflow that begins with the development of a spore growth system based on attribute flow. The procedural workflow allowed artistic control over spore density, scale, age, speed and distance from the parent spore which was adapted for different shots.
Rafael Drelich is an Effects TD and educator based in Toronto, specializing in digital simulations and procedural solutions for VFX and games. With a background in human-centred design, he has a unique approach to breaking down complex visual effects sequences into clear and manageable tasks. His enthusiasm for the creative process, collaborative work, and the wonder of digital effects have been a guiding force in his professional life. He has previously worked at WeFX, Pixomondo, and Mr. X, contributing to high-profile projects such as "Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" (2023), "From" (2023), "Halo" (2022), "American Gods" (2021), and other notable shows. Rafael holds a Bachelor's degree in Design from PUC-Rio and a Postgraduate Degree in Visual Effects from George Brown College. Currently a Professor at Seneca Polytechnic School of Creative Arts and Animation, teaching procedural thinking for games using Houdini. Believes that a collaborative mindset, rapid prototyping and iterative processes can solve any creative challenge
Mykyta Berezin is an FX Artist at WeFX Studio in Toronto. With expertise in FX, 3D modeling, texturing, and rendering and with a background in broadcast, and motion design, he demonstrates a strong commitment to artistic pursuits. Mykyta specializes in creating both realistic and abstract simulated and procedural visual effects. He is currently focused on exploring automation and optimization techniques to produce desired effects more
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 2:45 PM EST
Automated Human Synthesis: Photoreal Text to Digital Human
Synthesis AI brings together generative AI and traditional Houdini procedural workflows to create a flexible AWS cloud-based pipeline capable of infinite automated asset and synthetic data production. Today we share an overview of the pipeline architecture and our internal tools used create photoreal digital humans.
Conor Collins is a versatile Technical Artist with over 15 years of experience across multiple careers and disciplines in digital imaging. Beginning his journey in photography and now immersed in generative AI and Houdini, Conor's passion for digital artistry propelled him into new realms of CG, motion design, and generative work. His ability to blend technical innovation with creative problem-solving has been a hallmark of his career, leading to his current role at Synthesis AI, where he continues to push the boundaries of digital imaging through his diverse expertise.
Matt Benson is a seasoned technical artist with over 10 years of experience in procedural workflows across various domains. Beginning his career at Pixar Animation Studios, Matt contributed to 11 feature films as well as several short films across multiple departments. He brings his passion for procedural problem-solving to Synthesis AI, where he works at the forefront of artificial intelligence and computer vision.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 3:30 PM EST
How NASA Uses VFX Tools for Scientific Data Visualization
In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Act which chartered NASA called for the agency "to provide the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning NASA activities and the results thereof." Storytelling is a critical part of the scientific process, and filmmakers are some of the most advanced storytellers of the modern era. Learn some of the theories and techniques that the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio uses to achieve these goals by combining scientific data and filmmaking tools like Houdini.
AJ Christensen is a Senior Visualization Designer for the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), where he develops data visualization techniques and designs data-driven imagery for scientific analysis and public outreach using Hollywood visual effects tools. SVS visualizations feature datasets from Earth- and space-based instrumentation, scientific supercomputer models, and physical statistical distributions that have been analyzed and processed by computational scientists. AJ's specialties include working with 3D volumetric data, using the procedural cinematic software Houdini, and science topics in Heliophysics, Geophysics, and Astrophysics. He previously worked at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications’ Advanced Visualization Lab where he made more than a dozen science documentary full-dome films as well as the IMAX films "Hubble 3D" and "A Beautiful Planet", and he worked at DNEG on the movie “Interstellar”, which won the 2015 visual effects Academy Award. He recently completed a science communication Master's degree that focused on science learning in movies and video games.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 4:30 PM EST
PCA Shenanigans and How to ML
Learn about Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and its unconventional use to de-jitter geometries and volumes. Dive into two machine learning projects entirely built inside of Houdini, which make use of PCA and the new ML nodes introduced in 20.5. Learn how an ML-based groom deformer works and how you can train Houdini to understand your sketches.
Jakob Ringler is currently an FX Intern at SideFX Software. Before joining the company he worked in the VFX industry in Berlin, Germany as an FX TD. He contributed to many high profile commercials and was involved in a broad range of projects and tasks covering FX work, On-Set LED wall visuals, compositing and pipeline development. He is fascinated by the intersection of film, design and tech and is currently exploring the more technical aspects of the industry and expanding his knowledge of machine learning.
Tuesday | September 10
Day 1 | Animation Workshop
8:00 AM
BREAKFAST/REGISTRATION
12:00 PM
LUNCH
Workshops Sponsored by:
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 9:00 AM EST
Intro to Houdini
This introductory workshop is designed for the 3D artist and animator completely new to Houdini! You'll learn to navigate Houdini's interface and get familiar with working in a node-based environment, while applying familiar animation principles. Through hands-on exercises, you'll explore essential nodes and techniques. By the end of this workshop, you'll feel much more comfortable with Houdini and have a solid foundation to start leveraging its powerful capabilities in your animation projects.
Debra Isaac is the Community Mentor at SideFX. With over a decade of experience teaching Houdini, she gets excited to share her enthusiasm for the software and focuses on encouraging artists to make amazing work with it. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Professor at USC Cinematic Arts, Expanded Animation, and is the founder of Houdini.School. Her community building efforts include co-organizing LAHUG and Houdini Battle. Debra is particularly interested in scientific visualization and dance animation.
Tuesday | Sept 10 | 1:00 PM EST
Character Animation Workshop in Houdini 20.5
An in-depth walkthrough of the tools, features and workflows for animating Characters in Houdini 20.5. We'll start with the basics such as setting up selection sets, to more advanced features, and by the end of the workshop, you should have the knowledge and understanding to begin animating in Houdini.
Warren Leathem is a Senior Animator on the character team at SideFX. Prior to joining SideFX in 2021, he spent over 20 years as an Animator, Animation Lead and Animation Supervisor in the film and TV industry, focused almost entirely on character animation. Having worked at studios such as MPC, Weta Digital, and Animal Logic, he brings that experience to focus not only on animators doing amazing work, but also on how animation fits into the overall production environment and workflows.
Wednesday | September 11
Day 2 | Houdini HIVE
8:00 AM
BREAKFAST/REGISTRATION
9:00 AM
Christopher Rutledge | Grin Machine & Magnus Møller | Tumblehead
9:45 AM
Timmy Lundin & Heinrich Löwe | ILP
12:00 PM
LUNCH
5:00 PM
HIVE Social
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 9:00 AM EST
Avoiding a Crash Landing: Finishing "Turbulence"
Chris and Magnus discuss bringing their short film "Turbulence" – created entirely in Houdini – to the finish line. They showcase creating procedural characters and crowds, and leveraging Vellum, Copernicus, Apex, and KineFX to complete the film. How bumpy will the landing be? Find out in this talk!
Christopher Rutledge is a CG Artist, Director, and co-founder of Grin Machine, based in Los Angeles. His films have screened at Sundance, Annecy, Ottawa, Pictoplasma, and Adult Swim. He loves utilizing the latest cutting CG tools, especially Houdini, to create floppy characters.
Magnus Møller is co-founder of Tumblehead based in Viborg, Denmark. He has a love for cartoony design and animation, He specializes in 3D look development and Art Direction, as well as rigging. He's an alumni and guest teacher at The Animation Workshop in Viborg.
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 9:45 AM EST
From Bodies to Branches, Unconventional Instancing on FX's Shōgun
Join Timmy Lundin and Heinrich Löwe from Important Looking Pirates as they unveil the innovative techniques employed in the FX series Shōgun.
Discover how they harnessed the power of instancing in unusual ways to render massive crowds and rip apart a forest during a large-scale landslide, maintaining full geometric complexity.
All while overcoming limitations commonly associated with instancing workflows, such as non-deforming or repeating geometry.
Heinrich Löwe was born in 1980 in Stralsund, Germany, and pursued a Master of Engineering Sciences in Computational Informatics at Hamburg University of Technology, graduating in 2012. His professional journey began at Stereolize in Munich from 2000 to 2002, followed by a long tenure at Sehsucht in Hamburg from 2002 to 2022. He is currently working as a CG TD at ILP in Stockholm. He has been happily married since 2016 and has two seven-year-old children. In his free time, he enjoys kitesurfing and swimming.
Timmy Lundin Timmy Lundin is a CG Supervisor at Important Looking Pirates with a long-standing love affair with proceduralism, optimization, and problem-solving. He began as a one-man FX band at a small Swedish studio before moving to Rising Sun Pictures, where he contributed to FX, Lighting, and Tool building during their transition to a Houdini-based lighting pipeline. Since then, he has been helping ILP through the same transition while CG Supervising shows, designing and implementing various Houdini pipeline tools and workflows, and helping artists develop their skills—all while consistently nagging any fellow pirate missing the Geometry Spreadsheet from their default desktop layout.
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 10:35 AM EST - This Recording is NOT currently Available
Fallout: Slow-Motion Water Simulation Breakdown
Explore a detailed breakdown of water simulation in the Fallout series! I will cover the entire workflow, share essential tools and tips, and show you how to tweak settings for mesmerizing slow-motion FLIP simulations.
Lucas Stringhetti is a Senior Effects Technical Director at Framestore, where he has been pivotal in shaping the visual effects for some of the biggest blockbusters in recent years. His impressive portfolio includes contributions to iconic projects such as Deadpool & Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fallout: Season 1, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. With his expertise in crafting complex simulations and seamlessly integrating them into live-action footage, Stringhetti has become a key figure in delivering cutting-edge visual effects that enhance the storytelling in major films and TV series.
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 11:15 AM EST
Hello in Houdini UE
Drawing an analogy between learning Houdini and learning a language, this presentation emphasizes the importance of mastering the fundamentals before tackling complex aspects. Aimed at making Houdini more approachable for game artists, it will explore the workflow between Houdini and Unreal Engine for real-time game VFX, covering the creation of meshes, textures, VDBs, look development, and more to showcase Houdini's versatility.
Ben Christensen is a Senior Real-Time VFX Artist with a sharp focus on realism and destruction, leveraging his expertise in Houdini and Unreal Engine. Ben joined Beyond-FX following a standout internship at SideFX, where he played a key role in developing pipeline tools for integrating Houdini with Unreal. From pushing the bar by advancing these pipeline tools to creating dynamic effects like weapon slashes, action trails, and shattering objects, Ben brings an unmatched attention to detail and passion for real-time work. He thrives on tackling complex pipeline puzzles, treating each challenge like a new adventure. When he's not exploring innovative ways to push creative boundaries, you'll find him diving into Elden Ring or engaging in epic battles in Super Smash Bros.
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 1:00 PM EST
Prompting is So 2023: Researching New Interfaces for AI
"10 Prompts You Need to Know," "Prompt Engineering is the New Black," "Make 10k Per Day Using These Secret Prompts"—prompting has been all the rage over the past months. But what if written human language isn't the only, or even the best, way to interact with generative neural networks? How can we discover new forms of artistic expression using generative AI? And how do we develop such groundbreaking approaches?
In this talk, Entagma's Moritz Schwind presents early findings from a collaborative project with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. The project seeks to provide artists with novel ways to explore the visual worlds embedded within neural networks. Along the way, we'll cover neural network fundamentals, emerging developments like FLUX, and innovative applications of techniques such as quantization and interpolation. We'll also delve into how Houdini serves as an essential tool in both research and visualization.
Moritz Schwind is gonna take part in it all - Be it pixels, hardware, code or cameras. And sometimes even reassemble it. In his spare time, he likes to dabble with code and create generative artwork. He claims his early exposure to QBasic is no help at all when working in Houdini, Blender, Processing or Arduino. But it might have been what started his fascination for the boundaries of code and art. When not wreaking havoc to any intriguing devices around him, he works as a freelance Technical and Art Director. His more recent areas of interest cover the use of scientific algorithms in generative design and the application of AI in creative fields
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 1:45 PM EST
Handcrafted AI: Building a Neural Network in Houdini with VEX
In this talk, we'll explore the fundamentals of neural networks, starting with a brief introduction to their core concepts and mathematical foundations. We'll then dive into building a perceptron - the simplest building block of a network - entirely within Houdini using VEX. From there, we'll expand this structure into a basic neural network capable of recognizing handwritten digits from the MNIST dataset.
Ivan Rys is a digital artist and 3D Motion Designer based in Toronto. His work blends mathematical algorithms, natural phenomena, and digital artistry to explore the complexity of the world around us. With experience in film, TV series, projection mapping, and advertising, Ivan is currently focused on 3D Motion Design and expanding his practice as a multimedia artist.
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 2:45 PM EST
Procedural Workflows for Large Scale Oceans
A break-down of how stormy-sea effects were achieved for the Netflix film "True Spirit". Tim will explore how Houdini was used to create a workflow for the storm sequences that allowed for shots to be easily blocked in animation, utilize FLIP simulations for hero areas where required, and generate all the in-between splash, bubbles and foam needed to fill the frame. There will be a focus on how default Houdini Ocean/Spectrum tools were augmented to suit the needs of the project, enabling artists to work efficiently while ensuring the director's creative vision could be achieved.
Tim Sibley is the FX Supervisor at SPIN VFX in Toronto. In his nearly 20-year
career, he's contributed to well over 100 film and TV projects, including "Game
of Thrones", "Stranger Things", "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness"
and "The Boys".
Wednesday | Sept 11 | 3:30 PM EST - This Recording is NOT currently Available
From Alternate Timelines to Bennifer: The Evolution of VFX in Netflix's The Umbrella Academy
From its debut in 2019 to its grand finale last month, FOLKS brought passion and commitment to all four seasons of The Umbrella Academy. Join us as we explore the creation of key effects like the Sparrow Academy’s attacking birds, the alternate reality of JFK’s assassination, and the city-wide destruction caused by the Kugelblitz.
Then, we’ll dive into the process behind crafting the unique digital versions of Ben and Jen in their sickly, pustular forms. They underwent a detailed transformation, eventually merging into a complex, bulbous creature that would grow in several stages, destroying the surroundings with uncontrollable strength, and finally melting into a slimy blob determined to take over the world!
Louis-Philippe Clavet is a VFX professional with experience as a simulation artist, CG supervisor, and VFX supervisor, now serving as Head of CG at FOLKS Montreal. Passionate about technology and innovation, he enjoys sharing his knowledge and helping others grow, both in the classroom and the workplace. His work on films like Sympathy for the Devil and Just a Breath Away earned him two Iris awards. Active in the community, he founded the Montreal Houdini User Group in 2015 and regularly participates as a speaker at international VFX events.
Wednesday | September 11
Day 2 | Solaris/Lookdev Workshop
8:00 AM
BREAKFAST/REGISTRATION
12:00 PM
LUNCH
1:00 PM
Project Greylight [Continued]
Andreas Weidman | SideFX
Workshops Sponsored by:
Wednesday | Sept 10 | 9:00 AM EST
Project Greylight - Lookdev Workflows for Indie Artist
A full-day workshop dedicated to introducing and exploring “Project Greylight” – using a custom Solaris toolset designed to streamline multi-shot workflows in VFX, particularly tailored for indie artists.
Throughout the day, we’ll dive into the toolset, providing an overall primer on Solaris and USD, complemented by hands-on examples.
This workshop is ideal for those looking to enhance their lookdev pipeline efficiency – and gain practical insights into advanced Solaris VFX workflows in a real-world context.
Andreas Weidman is a Swedish native and a VFX Supervisor at dupe VFX with over two decades of creating pretty visuals; initially as an art director and concept/motion artist, to a career in VFX lighting and supervision, contributing to shows like Westworld, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Mandalorian.
Thursday | September 12
Day 3 | Gamedev & R&D Presentations
8:00 AM
ARRIVAL
12:15 PM
LUNCH
Thursday | Sept 12 | 9:00 AM EST
How the f*%# to Get Crowds from Houdini to Unreal
Learn about different methods of how to efficiently create a pipeline for getting Houdini Crowds into Unreal Engine. See which method could be effective depending on your project requirements, since each has its advantages and limitations. The methods we will look at are Skeletal Animations and Vertex Animation.
Alex Hamer is currently a Marketing FX intern at SideFX. He completed a bachelor's degree in Game Design in the UK and was first introduced to Houdini during their Master's in Game Development, on which he was instantly hooked. After graduating with his Masters degree, he worked as a freelancer on SideFX: Project Pegasus, a procedural-based open-world tech demo. He then assisted in the Pegasus intermediate workshops at the Everything Procedural Conference at Breda University of Applied Sciences. He has a love for solving interesting problems and a passion for creativity.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 9:50 AM EST
Solving Plants in Houdini
Creating convincing, beautiful 3D plants requires both artistic skill and processes that mimic natural patterns. Traditional parametric tools offer modular controls but lack organic simulation, while generative systems can be difficult to direct. Our Houdini-based framework bridges this gap by combining intuitive, artist-friendly controls with botanical simulation capabilities. Artists can define complex simulations using rule-based logic, gradients, fields, and scripts, while manually shaping and pruning vegetation. Built on Houdini’s APEX architecture and OpenCL accelerated, our system integrates ray marching, VDBs, and PBD and more, to simulate biomechanics, thigmomorphogenesis, and other mechanics of plant growth, offering users unprecedented control, speed, and flexibility in creating naturalistic vegetation. 
George Hulm co-developed the foliage toolkit with Feike Postmes, George most recently worked on the Technical Environment Art workflows on SideFX Software's Project Pegasus. For the last few years, he has worked in Technical R&D for synthetic datasets, VR digital twins, Digital Heritage, and TV broadcast, with a focus on developing foliage pipelines. In his last role at Applied Intuition, George developed an in-house foliage system which, over a year of production, was used to produce 300 assets.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 10:40 AM EST
Making Your Own COPs
This presentation will be a breakdown of a few tools built in COPs. Simon has built these HDAs to make cool material for Unreal and here he will on a technical level dive into more details.
Simon Verstraete is a tech artist who loves building procedural tools and assets. By adding more and more procedural approaches to his workflow, he is able to build 3D models with speed and flexibility. Simon previously worked at Exiin and with SideFX, and is now at Studio Gobo as Senior Tech Artist.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 11:30 AM EST
SideFX Labs on the Horizon - Biomes, Pipelines, and Plugins
Learn about the latest developments in SideFX Labs in 2024. Project Dryad is a large-scope, robust biome system designed for both real-time and cinematic purposes. The first vertical slice of the toolset has been released for alpha testing. The team has recently created new pipeline tools, as well as learning materials, that will help you find the best practices when working procedurally across Houdini and Unreal Engine. We will also introduce three new exciting plugins coming to Labs. They will help you integrate smoothly with Perforce, Gaea 2.0, and ZibraVDB –for your source control, terrain generation, and high-quality FX needs.
Mai Ao is the Senior Technical Lead of SideFX Labs with many years of game development and Houdini experience. With a master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University, he has a background in computer science, graphics, and fine art. Mai went on to work in game production on high-profile projects with Industrial Light & Magic and Walt Disney Imagineering, responsible for building procedural pipelines, physics simulations, VFX, shaders, and optimization. At SideFX, Mai is passionate about serving the community and helping to push the boundaries of real-time technologies.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 1:00 PM EST
The What and Why of Optimizing Solaris Performance
Starting with a deep dive into how LOP nodes create and manage USD stages, this masterclass discusses how to maximize the performance of your Solaris networks. From writing new LOP nodes (in C++, python, VEX, or HDAs), to writing primitive patterns, organizing your LOP networks, and driving the LOP viewport. This will include low level explanations of why these suggestions will improve performance so you can generalize the specific suggestions and apply them more broadly.
Mark Tucker is a Senior Software Architect at SideFX, where he has worked for over twenty years. For the past six years he has been leading the team developing Solaris, Houdini's native USD look development, layout, and lighting context.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 2:00 PM EST
Composing Materials With USD and Solaris
We will explain basics of how Materials work with USD and the tools around materials provided by Solaris. We'll also discover powerful shading workflows made possible with the composition mechanics of USD.
Chris Rydalch has worked in feature animation for the last 10 years. Most of that time has been spent in production as a character simulation, crowds, and FX TD at Pixar, DreamWorks, and Blue Sky Studios. His most recent role at Blue Sky was Production Technology TD, where he helped roll out a new pipeline based around USD. Today he works at SideFX in the R&D group, primarily focused on workflows and tools for Solaris and Karma.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 2:45 PM EST
Mastering the Elements: The New MPM Solver
In this talk, we'll dive into the latest innovation in Houdini's simulation ecosystem: our brand-new GPU-accelerated MPM Solver. This powerful tool enables 3D artists to simulate a wide range of materials – from fluids to solids – and their intricate interactions opening up new creative possibilities for visual effects, game development, and more.
Alexandre Sirois-Vigneux is a Senior Software Developer at SideFX Software and brings over 10 years of experience in visual effects to his role. With a background in FX from studios like ILM and Digital Domain, he now focuses on developing intuitive and user-friendly tools that empower VFX artists to unleash their creativity. When not coding, Alexandre expresses his creative side through photography and drone cinematography.
Thursday | Sept 12 | 3:30 PM EST
R&D Panel
Join developers Edward Lam, Mark Tucker, Michiel Hagedoorn, Jeff Lait, Rob Vinluan and Mark Elendt as they discuss the development process that goes into key Houdini features such as KineFX, Solaris, Machine Learning, Pipeline, Houdini Engine, Copernicus, and Karma.
Day 3 | Worldwide HUGS
SideFX was pleased to bring together the worldwide Houdini community for the online Houdini User Group (HUG) event combining many of the world's HUGs into one half-day event.
To play the HUG presentations individually, click on the titles below: