Iron-E

Hey guys, I'm a little new and would like any help that is thrown my way. So I have found this wonderful place of Houdini thanks to one of my favorite VFX companies “mainroad post”, and since I'm an aspiring Filmmaker, I thought it would be of great value for me to grasp this amazing program! So let's get down to the questions.

Q1: So I noticed you could either get Houdini FX as the program alone or you could get a Engine that would serve as a sort of Plugin for Maya. Since I'm also interested in learning Maya, what seems more reasonable to get? Also are their any differences between the two (Houdini FX and Houdini Engine for Maya)?

Q2: I've seen plenty of tutorials around, but is there one that starts right from the beginning? Going over the interface and such? Kinda like a Training Essentials type of thing.

Q3: I've come across things like Houdini 15, 13, etc… Are these software updates?

Q4: Finally, Terminology. One thing that has always taken me some time was memorizing Terminology. In what I've found in Houdini and the 3D world, there's a lot. So what would be the best way to learn theses terms? Tutorials, Forms, etc?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

-Aiden