Mauricio Cuencas

No need to sell me on Houdini, I'm already sold. Just started last week playing with the apprentice.

I'm sick of Autodesk and it's own crazy policy and customer relationship. Gladly, I never bought AD software, I just used the student version or the commercial version at a prod. company.


I just need to decide what would be the perfect companion to Houdini. C4D or Modo.

Freelance wise, I need to be able to make some logo-thing now and then.

From the FX artists I've talked to, all have the same idea, that Houdini is an amazing tool, but that, for a single artist, with 3ds Max and Plugins you'll get the job done faster.

It's a tool that let you create FX faster, with lower turn-around. Houdini is more powerful, you have more control, but you take longer to get the job done.

Again, that's the input I got from some top guys working in FX for large studios. I asked some this because of the launch of Houdini Indie.


In any case, I'll teach myself Houdini because Indie is so freaking cool.

Cheers.

Joker386
Yes ,Softimage is a really cool tool like Maya and you can start to learn it too !
Just don't forget Softimage is not really complete procedural software like Houdini ,Just ICE is a complete procedural and you can just compare ICE with Houdini's VEX !!!

All of the 3D softwares (Except Houdini !!! ) are really powerful at this time and each one has special feature and facilities , Like :

3D Max : Too many powerful and various Plug-ins and Tutorials like FumeFX

Blender : Free Complete 3D Software and Open - Source

Maya : One of the biggest software in the VFX and Animation industry with really stable core and very very powerful SDK for writing Plug-Ins with C++ and include Really Powerful and easy Scripting languages (MEL - Python) and good compatible with Pixar Renderman

Softimage : Really powerful software in the Rigging , Animation , Rendering with a impressive and special procedural system that's called ICE for creating and customize Motion Graphics and VFX effects and good compatible with Solid Angle Arnold

Cinema4D : One of the best software in the Motion Graphics fields with a really fast and beautiful result rendering engine in this field

HOUDINI : Biggest complete procedural software in the world !!!

So I believe that a user's ability and knowledge is important than softwares or at least 50% , 50%

If you wanna learn Houdini along side another software ,Because Houdini is complete procedural software you don't need another procedural software !

So I suggest to you that learn Maya (Maybe you can find a job easier than Softimage)

*** This is my personal idea and maybe this is wrong *** :?

No problem. I asked for your input and I appreciate the answer! 8)