There are quite a few people clamoring for Houdini training on the fxphd.com member forums. I suppose the ‘deans’ have not found an instructor yet. If someone has the chops and the time, they might want to contact them.

Here's a link to the free Oct07 term preview video, so you know what fxphd is about:
http://media.fxphd.com/bkd206-oweek.mov.GRQY2EFPU9QP8G2E.torrent [media.fxphd.com]

Theres plenty of learning material for learning Houdini already out there. They should sign up with Garman , who has produced the best learning material out there !!?!

http://www.vizyacky.com [vizyacky.com]

rob

Thanks. I posted a link to the VizyAcky website on the fxphd forums a few months ago.

the following is a waste of space on this server and should be moved to the trash bin.

Well, I never trusted fxPHD content since day one… I always thought they were some rich enthusiast dudes that were trying to do some FX, having all the latest equipments and all, although some seems to have field experience… i dont know.. for some reason they never got my attention..
having tools does not make you an artist.

wavesmack
We feel its wrong to take material meant to be quickly delivered and conglomerate on it while ripping off the end user.

Each time cmi comes out with a new idea.. they are always right on our coat tails. And making it look bad too. No thought put in it at all.

-c

Ideas like a DVD that comes out 3 months after a thread on a free community…

http://forums.odforce.net/index.php?showtopic=3156&hl= [forums.odforce.net]

your point is almost valid except for some minor details on how its done. And where all of our information came from.

AND, to write a few threads is not like putting it all in a organized manor and delivering it to them directly.

That is in fact that hard part.

R and D is a small portion, although its best to work with the people on that level. and that is what we do.

Then duplicating a published item or commercial project is IFFY at best.

but, i digress.

Juliane

wavesmack
We feel its wrong to take material meant to be quickly delivered and conglomerate on it while ripping off the end user.

Each time cmi comes out with a new idea.. they are always right on our coat tails. And making it look bad too. No thought put in it at all.

-c

Ideas like a DVD that comes out 3 months after a thread on a free community…

http://forums.odforce.net/index.php?showtopic=3156&hl= [forums.odforce.net]

Well this is a little unfair suggestion…

Making procedural cities is a long story. Wasn't started on that thread. Lot's of people was attempting this issue before. This is also simply the best example of procedural SOPs power. And the DVD comes much deeper in this topic also.

cheers,
sy

thanks Symek,

Its an excruciating period of R n D that gets these videos done. that is why nobody has been making any really good ones. Each new one we produce, has had more R n D in it then the first, and really tests the core of the application as a product. The next Videos are already in production and there isnt a bit of information on any of it out there on the web. (wasnt much VEX either actually)

Without feedback though, we cant make better products…. but maybe this comment isnt valid enough at this time. (And we will fight to keep it that way as long as im alive)

Hey all!
I understand Chris' anger. People live out of training, and we try to deliver the maximum info in our DVDs so that they're worth their price.

I don't know if it applies here but, to anyone:
PLEASE don't copy and paste our training content if you're doing courses! Or we will do the same.

That's all there is to say about it.

(and about Procedural Modeling of Cities, yep we chose it beacuse it was the best example of proceduralism, we already had it in mind before the thread, and the ideas were based on concepts explained in our own free tuts).


-d

This thread seems to be concentrating on waving your hands around saying “me, me, it was my idea first ”. I find this unfortunate.

Attempting to make your ideas proprietary is a very bad idea, particularly in this industry which survives on the generosity and enthusiastic sharing by artists. If this sharing went away the industry would die.

As a teacher emulation is a very powerful tool, and certainly for beginners copying is an entry point to understanding. Show me an art form where that doesn't occur.

That people/companies are inspired by ideas from others, and making money from it, is quite alright by me. Fair attribution should go along with that though.
If any of the training videos I've posted on the Sidefx site sparks a desire to emulate the concepts and leads to new material, by all means I encourage that.

The very heart of Side Effects and by extension Houdini is a willingness to share. It is why the forums occupied by Houdini artists are so valuable. Sharing is also the central paradigm of proceduralism.

Unfortunately, this discussion seems to have taken the wrong turn. My original intent was to invite pros who might be interested in providing Houdini online training at fxphd to step up and contact the deans.

wavesmack, afaik, your DVDs have been mentioned a few times on the fxphd forums with positive comments. If you think fxphd has ripped your ideas, you may want to contact Mike Seymour and/or John Montgomery. My impression is that both of them are some of the very few people that are willing to spread the knowledge around - besides fxphd (which is dirt-cheap), there is fxguide and fxguidetv.

booblebee, you don't know what you're talking about. Seems to me you only registered to post this comment. See any of the other forums where fxphd is mentioned (cgtalk, vfxtalk, etc) - there's nothing but praise for the value these guys are providing.

yea, im too busy to keep up with it. There are plenty of other things i need to focus on. If others want to ride our coat tails, there is not much i can do about it, except keep a few steps ahead like we are doing. People can decide what they like, and go from there. But this is a dead, non productive topic that i fueled from being tired and cranky. It just gets me after a while and i trip.

Feel flattered…

UPDATE: This is response to a post that has since been removed by CMI ***********************************************************


Well John and I discussed if we should respond - and I guess we decided to

1. Yes, I personally have bought dvd's from CMI. But we also got training materials from each major DVD training outfit we could find. We paid to survey the market, we did not hid who we were, we openly looked for best practice in the field and then built on what we thought was good and we openly work with some of those companies we respected, companies such as PXC, CGChannel, AWN, VFXworld etc.

2. We have never knowingly copied any training, I am sure we have touched on tips that others have touched on, I would not for a second assume we were able to ONLY publish tips and training no one else had ever thought of.

3. As for the idea we are rich enthusiasts - well our team is either working now or have recently worked at top facilities all over the world, from ILM to DD to Hydraulx. I myself was nominated for an Emmy last year and won an AFI last year and was nominated again this year - for a film we worked on in fxphd ! Our client list in pretty strong, GM, ESPN, Toyota, etc etc . It is not to say I am anything special just I have a load of industry experience as have all our crew. I have no idea about the credits of the CMI guys - I am sure they have experience too.

4. I love this concept of us riding on the coat tails of cmi. fxphd was the first fully certified Online Autodesk training center and the first online Apple authorized training centers. Did I mention fxguide started in 1999? Come on please.

Look this is a pointless he said, we said. I am sorry cmi is upset with us. Personally I wish he'd just email us directly if he has issues.

To be honest I first used Sidefx in 1999 when I was at Picture Start Productions doing Channel Nine Idents. It was great. We love Houdini - we have not found the right instructor yet , but that is just how things played out for us.

I am proud of the team at fxphd, and I am proud of positively contributing to the industry both with fxguide and fxphd. Is it perfect for everyone ? I doubt it, but hey it is a big world - and a big internet, I think choice is good. We have hundred of happy members right now, I will leave it to them to express their opinions positively or negatively, but creatively we just enjoy doing this and love the industry. VFX just has great people in it, who work hard and do amazing stuff. We're just happy to be a part of it.


Mike
(on behalf of the fxphd crew)

PS sorry to waste Houdini Forum bandwidth

never thought I'd see the day that there were enought people involved in Houdini training to get into any kind of spat …

just wait till we over at od get out collective butts in gear