Hi all,

I am looking to get into fx work.

Can any one explain to me the difference between particles/Dynamics in Houdini 10/11 vs Thinking Particles 4.0 for max.

I have seen some prettyyyyy cool stuff done in Thinking particles and Fumefx for max, and I am wondering if the same can be done in Houdini 10/11 ?

I have seen that there is a TON of learning material out there to buy on Thinking Particles and Fumefx but not that much on explosions/dynamics/particles in Houdini ( allthought cmivfx have a little bit)

Can you guys help me make the decision on which way to go, and where I can find further learning material for Houdini, if thats the way I choose ?

Thanks - Totally appreciate it !

Timmi

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1524&Itemid=132 [sidefx.com]
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1496&Itemid=132 [sidefx.com]
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1284&Itemid=132 [sidefx.com]
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1422&Itemid=132 [sidefx.com]
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1301&Itemid=262 [sidefx.com]
http://vimeo.com/9508767 [vimeo.com]

most important is the desire to learn.
your questions are like these: How does it feel to speak Korean?. i dont nou,,,but to learn to speak you should work hard and with heart.
the important thing is to cause bumps in the understanding. (these bumps remind us something important.)


seems that you would like to know how to use the simulation information to advect particles.

http://vimeo.com/12092711 [vimeo.com]

remember that if you really want to learn vfx you should choose the way harsh and not smooth road.

you should repeat each tutorial at least 5,10 times. Could vary in form

patience.

call this method the method to produce the synoptic connection. MSC

1) maybe see the full tutorial without paying attention to any detail.
2) paper and pencil, draw the used nodes , copied the expressions, etc, try to memorize. (Think you are learning Russian)
3) again 1).
4) play the tutorial with the material worked on previous points.
5) “” "without any material.

but first you should check This and MSC
http://vimeo.com/9508767 [vimeo.com]

children learned to use a word, connected to a vast network, this learning has been produced by countless repetitions without these repeats we had not learned anything.

thanks.

Thanks for a very thorough answer there memoma !




Timmi

And if you don't have a lot of time to watch tutorials: Start with the included example files, there are a lot and some people learn faster from a scene file and the nodes and expressions instead of a tutorial.

On this forum and on odforce perform a search for the effect that you would like to attempt, chances are that it has already been done before and that somebody put a scene file online.

I've seen some cool stuff being done with thinking particles and fume, but you really do want to know what is going on under the hood, because it will allow you to customize things and eventually create your own tools and operators. Also I doubt I have seen anything made with those plugins that can't be made with houdini - I would not say it the other way around. And you will need those tools when a creative director comes to you with a wacky effect that has never been done before .

My own learning curve over the last 10 years went: 3dsmax & pflow (2years) -> maya & mel(4 years) -> houdini ( 1)sops, 2)pops, 3)vops, 4)dops, 5)HDK & C++ & prman) (4 years). I feel like with houdini I have not reached the limit yet (especially when combined with vops and the HDK). The nice thing is that if for some reason I need to go back to Maya I take along all that underlying knowledge which helps problem solving so hugely. So you really do gain a lot from learning houdini as it helps you to understand 3d, physics, mathematics and programming.

If I had to recommend you some tutorials that I would watch the most, it would probably be
*) Peter Quint's tutorials on vimeo (they are free and there are a lot of them).
*) The sidefx tutorials (specifically the masterclasses, but they are a bit advanced so don't start there, also free).
*) From Cmivfx: http://www.cmivfx.com/productpages/product.aspx?name=Houdini_Procedural_Animation_Techniques [cmivfx.com]
*) From 3dbuzz (ok, a bit of self-promotion - but it is intermediate level material ): http://www.3dbuzz.com/xcart/product.php?productid=58&cat=11&page=1 [3dbuzz.com]

Anyway, good luck and enjoy learning!

Thanks pclaes

SUPER helpfull advice, just what I was looking for.

Thanks a LOT !

Timmi

the synoptic GROUNDED is responsible for seeing connections.

You can learn houdini in 3 to 5 months. IF you learn the method of making bumps on understanding instead of wasting years of nothing. "Learning is wasting time? and how do you know?
You can learn to speak Spanish in 1 year or 10 depending on the method.
and depends on the amounts of reps.

Another MSC

1) watch the video and take notes or see any scene and do the same, take note or play what you see. then repeat the notes like do re mi as many times as long as possible.
In what I would like to stress is the number of repetitions, you could go to school so teachers will insist on this, repeat.

The important thing is to have a solid base, solid foundation is produced by MSC.
Remember that each repetition of each note is like a thread of a skein, the yarn strength is due to the overlap of threads, these threads are the notes you must repeat and repeat.