I'am always waiting for good VFX, seamless live Action integration for Artists (NO mathematic TD)? There was an announced here in Jan 11 [sidefx.com], but nothing happens.

At the moment only FXPHD has this longer and detailed realism fx for Film with Houdini in project based and time saving complete Classes in there pipeline [fxphd.com]….

The complete VFX HD workflow for seamless CG integration, including tracking data, Set extension, environment lightning, shading and rendering special the HD Stuff like for example breakable, scattering to create a smashing dynamics simulation with Smoke, Dust into live Action or other complete projects made and organized in Houdini or perhaps in the AfterEffects, NUKE, Fusion pipeline.

HD Basics
http://vimeo.com/16544171 [vimeo.com]

The “Go procedural” next advanced level to get this Basics above photorealism in live Action Integration.

This project based stuff exists for Maya, C4D, 3DMAX, etc.

Maya VFX - 3 hours
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM97LbyXQ5o [youtube.com]

C4D for VFX
http://vimeo.com/21721165 [vimeo.com]

So, start Houdini based FX projects Tutorials….
Thanks!

why are you ‘waiting’ for tutorials

create a little project that has the elements/FX you want to do and start
then come here or od and get advice/help/feedback

no tutorial is going to teach you all the things you need to know to achieve the kinds of things you are talking about.

Hey Eagle66,

We're working on it Unfortunately, we also have full time jobs, doing production, that kind of sucks up our time

I'm curious what your goal is? Are you a hobbiest who is interested in the process or someone who hopes to work in production?

Cheers,

Peter B

arctor
no tutorial is going to teach you all the things you need to know to achieve the kinds of things you are talking about.

Thats right But if there is NOT any realism stuff on the web, HD is to complex to figure out the workflow for all that what you need for FX. And outside a classic FX school this works about Tutorials, but again HD is the only 3D App with poor realism project stuff.

At od there is many “fun” stuff, but also not any realism WIP or VFX Film Project Thread, here is also no response for FX - so HD isn't use outside the big Studios, except to play around with useless test renders.

You never have to asked for Maya, MAX, etc. FX Lessons - the “Maya VFX Serie, 3 hours” i posted above - is the 3rd part meanwhile.

I use Lightwave/Fusion for Independent Low Budget Non Commercial Movies for Film Festivals and was looking at HD for scattering, Fire, Smoke, Dynamics … Perhaps is Houdini so complex, that is not possible to show realism FX in 3 Hours!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIgKErr6suM [youtube.com]

It seems to look at other software with more Realistic Project based Lessons.

That link is to a compilation of customer work that implies it was all done with rayfire and I can tell you for a fact that there was some work that incorporated Houdini there. The comments even reflect this issue and the video has been flagged. Just a matter of a few more complaints (added mine btw) and this youtube vid is thankfully gone.
Most of that work is created by large studios anyway, not instructors teaching a course.

I am confused as to what you really want. You also need to take more care in the links you choose to demonstrate your needs as a start.

If you know what you want to do for a shot, start a new thread in the SESI or OdForce wip section and let's get going like others have done, just like Arctor and others have mentioned. This in combination with the growing number of lessons (paid and free) will allow your own talents to shine.

It has been my experience that many of the tuts for other apps gloss over the real hard stuff by providing their own assets, textures and tools including 3rd party plug-ins and wrapper scripts. Sure the result is exactly what the author told you but just try to re-work that for a different shot or outcome. Your mileage may vary.

It's been a year now since you first posted your request. Even at 1-2 hours a week with Houdini say watching the Peter Quint Vimeo training files over that time, you'd be quite far along now and capable of crafting some nice stuff.

Then there are the houdini files posed every day now on both the Side Effects and OdForce web sites along with some real interesting threads opening up new ideas for a great many users. Remember houdini files are nodal based and self-documenting. Not much is hidden from you at all.

After 1 year of just an hour a week with Houdini, I'd expect most to be able to open a posted scene file and read the networks like a book, discovering new ideas at every turn fuelling your imagination to do all kinds of crazy vfx stuff.

No need to wait. It isn't that hard at all. Just concepts to master and apply is all.

jeff
I am confused as to what you really want.

Thats not difficult

ONE only ONE, no Series, not complete Cinema-Film only ONE small photorealism Result - Start to End Lesson - Live Action integration with Houdini relateted stuff - no Pre-Viz, “no get the idea”, no TD - Finals - (Renderpasses) out of Houdini, ready for 100% seamless Live Action integration - Live Action interacting with CG-Elements, Light for Live Action, Shading for Live Action, one time the complete Houdini-Workflow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM97LbyXQ5o [youtube.com]

I don't need on Set or Compositing - i'am looking for Houdini for Production.

jeff
…watching the Peter Quint Vimeo training files over that time…

I watch them ALL, they are nice learning HD - but all are non photorealism results, not able to use in Live Action Scene: on the end of each Training i always ask me: "How to get this result photorealism in Houdini"?

ONE only ONE photorealism movie stuff (no Product-, ArchVIZ), rendered with Houdini and able for seamless Live Action integration - there are tons for Maya, 3DMAX, XSI, C4D, Lightwave, etc. – no i'am not bored, show me one - yes it is hard to find for Houdini since 1 Year…… :roll:

again..why are you waiting?
the reason there are so few tutorials for Houdini (compared to max or maya) is simply that there are fewer people using the application = less demand = less money (for ones that have to be bought) = less motivation to make them.

here is an idea for you:
get a camera
shoot some footage of your living room or kitchen
model/rig/texture a little robot
track the footage and get the resulting camera into houdini
build the proxy geometry to represent the objects in the room (floor, walls, a table etc)
bring the robot into the file with the camera and proxy geometry
animate the robot
light the scene
render the robot
comp with original footage

at any or all of these steps ask your questions in the forums (here or od - maybe in the WIP section) and you will get assistance.

what you will pay = nothing
what you will get = a step by step, hands on demonstration of how to do all the things you're expecting from a tutorial - but the bonus is that you get to pic the shot - you get to design it…

I used to have the same perception as you. But over time, i learned and was told that it's not all about watching step by step tutorials… More importantly, to understand the 3D concepts and be able to apply them on any applications you use.

There are lots of them out there namely maya, 3dsmax, cinema4d, lightwave and of course houdini, all of them can achieve photorealism.
It's not what the software can offer you but what you can offer to the software, that's my opinion.

Start getting your hands “dirty”, good luck!

eitht.

if you know how to integrate 3d object into live footage in Maya, Max, Softimage, Cinema, Lightwave, Blender or whatever 3D soft. That is skill is easily transferable to Houdini

1. shooting, 3d tracking - same for all
2. take HDRI map on location to make lighting easier - same for all
3. creating proxy geo for camera mapping if needed - very simple principle almost exactly the same for all systems (model, project footage through camera)
4. model/rig your 3d models, not entirely similar, but there are tutorials for that
5. animate your 3d models, almost identical for all
6. set up materials/light your scene - well this is almost identical again, surely if you have some questions, you can ask on forums
7. set up render passes- surely you can figure this out, plenty of info on forums and a few tutorials
8. compositing, well this can help a lot

I really see nothing stopping you from doing great effects everything is out there, you really don't need Houdini specific tutorials since this is mainly artistic task. And everything can be done in Houdini in many ways so why hinder yourself to a specific one? It's better to use best way for each task and for that it's better to explore a bit, not just follow tutorials.

If I look at all the great effects done by talented artists in Houdini it makes me wonder, what tutorial did they use? hmmm, I have to ask

tamte
if you know how to integrate 3d object into live footage in Maya, Max, Softimage, Cinema, Lightwave, Blender or whatever 3D soft.

Yes, i know this way for LW

tamte
That is skill is easily transferable to Houdini

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. project footage in Houdini, never seen.
4. Yes, need no models, imported form LW
5. animate in Houdini almost identical for all - never!
6. this is the 1st main goal for Realism!!
7. this is the 2nd main goal for Realism!!
8. Not needed, Fusion

Shading, Lighting, Rendering for Live Action, these are the main goals for Realism, but the most Lessons ends before this Realism.

Yes, you can do all this by your own, with hours and hours and more hours trying. You can also close all Full time FX Schools - everyone can learn FX Software by self - it is a question how long you need!!

Tutorials speed up this process and focus to things to what you need for an expected result. This is the sense and idea of FXPHD for example: project based Softwaretraining!

I close this with a simple question, that is never answered:

Why exists dozen of this full project based and realism Lice Action Lessons for Maya, Max, XSI, C4D, Lightwave, etc. and not even ONE for the complex Houdini with the slowest learning curve - this i never understand :roll:

I just wanted to say that if you already know how to do realistic art in one soft then transferring that knowledge to Houdini is quite easy on your own

3. I meant camera mapping
6. yes, very essential for realism, but if you understand materials then it is the same as in other applications especially with universal mantra surface material
7. the same thing, Houdini has all essential lights as other softwares, if in maya mentor sets area light, sets intensity, color, texture an attenuation for it, it seems to me very doable in Houdini in the same way. And how he sets the lights, materials, reflection planes.. that is not software specific

of course 6. and 7. are highly artistic steps so if you can create the look you are after in one soft, then you are 90% there

I agree that if they were more VFX tutorials for Houdini then many users will be happy, but demanding that and complaining that nothing like this exists right now is not a way to go.

Just that lack of training materials may not stop you from creating great art
Or you can wait until some tutorial will teach exactly what you want

OFFTOPIC: Sorry, this thread kinda reminds of this video: Become a millionair! [youtube.com]

“Why exists dozen of this full project based and realism Lice Action Lessons for Maya, Max, XSI, C4D, Lightwave, etc. and not even ONE for the complex Houdini with the slowest learning curve - this i never understand”

I answered your question in my last post.


I'll make you a tutorial.
It will take 1 month at my current pay rate…you can't afford this.
why are you not starting a little project on your own?
why do you think a tutorial will help you so much?
I've look at a bunch of these tutorials and I can tell you that I would NEVER approve any of these shots as ‘photorealisitic’
you say you don't want any compositing - well you're not going to get a ‘photoreal’ shot without it…

I may be the odd-ball here… but I find it rather interesting these days how many people demanded video tutorials and such. No problem with it whatsoever. Nothing wrong. Just that as I thought about those days when I first started, the only kind of Houdini tutorial that are widely available were those PDF manuals and a few examples. There are so much more tutorials and help out there these days than ever before.

Back then we'd searched the web for other method of doing things in other package such as Maya and Softimage and then figure out how we'd do this same thing in Houdini. It was a lot of fun, really. I've met quite a few people who has been in this business 20-30 years, they have even more interesting stories I'd always love to hear.

Many techniques were transferable then. It still is now. IMHO.

I may be the odd-ball here… but I find it rather interesting these days how many people demanded video tutorials and such. No problem with it whatsoever. Nothing wrong. Just that as I thought about those days when I first started, the only kind of Houdini tutorial that are widely available were those PDF manuals and a few examples. There are so much more tutorials and help out there these days than ever before.

Maybe its a trend from the younger generation .Watch a video and you get all the knowledge you need to be successful.

circusmonkey
Maybe its a trend from the younger generation .Watch a video and you get all the knowledge you need to be successful.

Yes, Full ACK, not successful, but learn five or more VFX Software Packages you need for ONE VFX Man independent Films in a short time and all the details later. It's the only way for people without FX-Education. I must tracking, 3D CG-Elements, VFX, Compositing and Cut-Editing all in One Person and “my” Lightwave is poor in Dynamics, Scattering, Fume, etc.

arctor
less demand = less money (for ones that have to be bought) = less motivation to make them.

If so, that's a knock out criterion, the 3-4 hour VFX Maya, C4D project Tutorials are always sold around >150 Customers per $59 around the world i know.

arctor
"
why are you not starting a little project on your own? why do you think a tutorial will help you so much?

I have no idea in HD for a Live Action Starting-Point. Rendering a (realistic) Teapot on a windowsill Photo is easy and not the goal, but from this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoTD6gTLkHQ [youtube.com]
to this
http://bit.ly/qE3FZI [bit.ly]

it is IMHO not possible without a FX-Education or detailed training knowledge about the Software, all there technical capabilities and the absolute correct Workflow and for 100% realism: the Devil is the Detail …. :evil:

And all guys who have the self assurance to laugh about this Thread, don't talk about it, let images do the talking - the Houdini WIP Galleries doesn't have realistic VFX for Film, only polish full CG ProductVIZ or Testrenders (quick and dirty).

VFX-Film Apprentice less demand = CLOSED.

Eagle66
it is IMHO not possible without a FX-Education or detailed training knowledge about the Software, all there technical capabilities and the absolute correct Workflow and for 100% realism: the Devil is the Detail …. :evil:

And all guys who have the self assurance to laugh about this Thread, don't talk about it, let images do the talking - the Houdini WIP Galleries doesn't have realistic VFX for Film, only polish full CG ProductVIZ or Testrenders (quick and dirty).

VFX-Film Apprentice less demand = CLOSED.

I know a people who had not gone through well-planned FX eductions or schools and still do impressive work - they dug bits and pieces of informations from everywhere and became self-proficient. So i'll have to disagree with you on ‘not possible’, making me grateful being in good visual effect course.

Believe there's a reason it's called WIP Gallery, people are honing their skills to achieve photorealism and artistic/technical projects. The world wide web doesn't confine anybody to “Houdini WIP Galleries”, people have their work posted everywhere.

Nobody is laughing and you should be glad you getting so much attention and advice from the guys here. /envy

eitht.

no ! wait .. do not close this .

with so much attention youve got right now , imo it is the perfect moment to start something . so many forum members wd help you , im sure .

you should use it ..

Not really understanding how you can't learn from tutorials already out there. There is plenty of information to understand how things work. If you are looking for some pretty damn decent photo-realism this might work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKqpvriKZuA [youtube.com]

That was all done in Houdini 9.5 and composited in Shake. Mantra has improved significantly since then. You also might want to check out 3D Buzz. The guy that made that video, Steve Twist work(ed) there and created a large series of tutorials that focus on technical aspects and Houdini in a much deeper manner than other tutorial sites. Check 'em out.