Hello,
where did the names “SideFX” and “Houdini” came from to name this wonderfull software… Why did they call it Houdini ?
Just curious, many thanks,
bern
SideFX Houdini
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- Bernard
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- wolfwood
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- JColdrick
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SideFX goes way back to when the company principals(Kim Davidson and Greg Hermanovic) worked for an FX house called Side Effects Productions, where they developed Prisms, the precursor to Houdini. I still have a Side Effects bag with the coiled logo sitting here in my office. ![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/tongue.png)
Prisms was awesome, way ahead of it's time…it was fully procedural, just like Houdini, but instead of a network of nodes they had to be in “lists”. Similar to programs, you had little “jump” nodes that referenced back to other SOPs in the list, much like a program function call. Lots of fun managing those.
Anyway, compared to Houdini you'd slit your wrists, but at the time…
When they left Side Effects Productions, they kept the first part of the name, but lost the “Productions”.
As far as Houdini, I'm unaware of any inside jokes or meaning, but the notion was definitely about being a master illusionist that could escape from any production “traps”.
Cheers,
J.C.
As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:
![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/tongue.png)
Prisms was awesome, way ahead of it's time…it was fully procedural, just like Houdini, but instead of a network of nodes they had to be in “lists”. Similar to programs, you had little “jump” nodes that referenced back to other SOPs in the list, much like a program function call. Lots of fun managing those.
![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/smile.png)
When they left Side Effects Productions, they kept the first part of the name, but lost the “Productions”.
As far as Houdini, I'm unaware of any inside jokes or meaning, but the notion was definitely about being a master illusionist that could escape from any production “traps”.
Cheers,
J.C.
As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:
John Coldrick
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- wolfwood
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JColdrick
As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:
Although I would like to add that I've spent the last 3 days cleaning up tons of empty Pepsi bottles.
if(coffees<2,round(float),float)
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- craig
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- EigenAlex
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JColdrick
SideFX goes way back to when the company principals(Kim Davidson and Greg Hermanovic) worked for an FX house called Side Effects Productions, where they developed Prisms, the precursor to Houdini. I still have a Side Effects bag with the coiled logo sitting here in my office.
Prisms was awesome, way ahead of it's time…it was fully procedural, just like Houdini, but instead of a network of nodes they had to be in “lists”. Similar to programs, you had little “jump” nodes that referenced back to other SOPs in the list, much like a program function call. Lots of fun managing those.Anyway, compared to Houdini you'd slit your wrists, but at the time…
When they left Side Effects Productions, they kept the first part of the name, but lost the “Productions”.
As far as Houdini, I'm unaware of any inside jokes or meaning, but the notion was definitely about being a master illusionist that could escape from any production “traps”.
Cheers,
J.C.
As another piece of useless trivia, we've just moved into the space they previously occupied, where Houdini was developed. We keep looking for stashes and hookas but so far… :cry:
Was this while they were at Omnibus? I didn't know there was Side Effects Productions (I might have associate it with Side Effects Software in my brain instead)
Cool! AXYZ is now at the old SESI office?
![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/big_smile.png)
![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/big_smile.png)
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- JColdrick
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Omnibus was before Side Effects Productions. To throw another useless log on the fire, the guy who owned it was one of the original starting partners of Alias! When I worked there they were using Alias, but I managed to talk them into going back to Prisms and we dumped Power Animator. ha!
Yah, we've ripped out the showers, ceilings, in fact everything, but we really love the space. Still redecorating. Coolest feature - the floor is 3/4 surrounded by a continuous narrow balcony 10 floors up - so convenient when deadlines are missed and you want the honourable way out!![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/tongue.png)
Cheers,
J.C.
(Wolfwood, you missed a bottle…)
Yah, we've ripped out the showers, ceilings, in fact everything, but we really love the space. Still redecorating. Coolest feature - the floor is 3/4 surrounded by a continuous narrow balcony 10 floors up - so convenient when deadlines are missed and you want the honourable way out!
![](/static/djangobb_forum/img/smilies/tongue.png)
Cheers,
J.C.
(Wolfwood, you missed a bottle…)
John Coldrick
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i think the name houdini come from here:
http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=138&category=people [info.detnews.com]
http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=138&category=people [info.detnews.com]
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