Hey guys I am a new Houdini user with a desire to eventually master fluids and abstract particle FX to work on feature prouductions.
I have 3-4 years experience in many other 3D softwares hence have a confident grasp of CG concepts and terms.
Broadly speaking if I intend to get awesome at fluids and particle FX should I have the same advanced knowledge of other concepts and workflows in Houdini?
In other words if my goal is to master what can be done with POPs and DOPs is it necessary to have the same level of proficiency in all other areas in order to be an effective Houdini VFX artist?
This is a question mainly of the best use of my time while a beginner and to on focus on areas of importance for my goal. Also what learning pathways or resources is the best for moving in the direction I'm aiming towards
Definitely don't skip SOPs, without them you can't do any FX really, and that includes VEX, volumes, modeling operations, etc especially for abstract FX, etc.
Thank you! I see a big emphasis on SOPs in all beginner courses regardless of pathway. In your opinion where is the best place to get moving with online learning?
and Youtube and slowly make my way. If you exhaust them, then you could probably check some of the paid tutos like Applied Houdini, which has good value for its price.
While you can still become proficient as a self-taught and with free-ish tutorials, I would recommend to take some high-end course. Without promoting anyone, there are excellent water sim ones out there, even online. It's a complex topic, studios have their own way of doing it, and it's best to learn it from the pros. Of course, they are quite expensive, but one has to invest in their own career...
Be careful with online courses. Many have been made with houdini 17 or 18. To learn pyro is problematic. To learn the basics this site is interesting, and updated with H19.5
Appreciate the info guys. really helpful. I guess I can confirm learning certain workflows like PYRO and FLIP sims can go through massive overhauls with each successive Houdini version. So i'll aim to be very selective about learning content. More than happy to pay premium for best courses out there. I can see companies like Rebelway and CGMA have pros that regularly keep up with updates?
