Earlier this year, I announced the germination of a second Houdini book, based on the concept of a collection of tips and tricks - the thread was here:
http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=172&page=viewtopic&t=5158 [sidefx.com]

The original concept was to publish a book right about now, that would be compatible with Houdini 9. But H9 has moved out into next year, and meanwhile I had some useful tidbits that relate to 8/8.1, and I thought - why hold on to them?

So I'm making this shorter version of the book available now, completely free. You can go here
http://www.lulu.com/content/386002 [lulu.com]
and get it either as a PDF or (and I think this is pretty slick myself) you can order it printed and bound. The cost for the printed version is $6 plus shipping, and I get zip - that is just the cost of printing a 75 page paperback book. If you just want the content, you can download the PDF (though you do have to register - sorry about that). It's free because I'm using it as a test run. Think of it as the Open Source version of the book to come.

This version has 50 “hacks”, where the Houdini 9 version will be more like 200. And since that will be published by an actual for-profit enterprise, it won't be free. On the other hand, it will be professionally designed, and so much better looking. But I think the concept of publish-on-demand is so compelling, I wanted to do something using that format. And this is it.

Apologies in advance as I cross-post this to odforce and the SESI mailing list.

Congratulations on your first, “open-source” draft of the book! I'm sure Houdini users around the world will hold hands together and sing a song of thanks. The more text out there, the merrier and I'm sure it will be full of extremely useful information.

Cheers,
Frankie Rodriguez

I'm not completely sure what's going to be in the final book release, but I would think a better term for this than a “shorter version of the book” is “a preview of the upcoming book”. It just sounds better and more appealing in my opinion.

Anyway, I have downloaded the file just in case it's taken down later and skimmed through it. I'm currently very new to Houdini (I've just recently downloaded Houdini Apprentice) so none of it means anything to me right now, but I hope it will later on after I've read and done the tutorials Houdini and the web has to offer.

Like Mr. Rodriguez said in his post before mine, congratulations and thank you. I'm certain that all Houdini users will appreciate your work eventually (I say “eventually” because I personally can't until I learn what is the meaning of what is written first). Good luck with the rest of it.

Brilliant! Downloading now!!

Here is a direct link

Great news! Thanks a lot.

Thanks, gonna have a read now

Craig, whats news?

I can't believe I didn't check out this ebook the first time I came across it. To think I could've been control-left-clicking to wire up nodes for all these months…

I can't find the “link” to download it, I login and suddenly the FREE tick box is gone!

Craig! I can hardly even name how exciting is reading all of this pill of knowledge! Many thanks for your work. I think it fills a serious gap between Houdini's docs and practical use of it.

Thanks again!
Sy.

I got it it was in my account section under downloads duh!

We are waiting for this book!

See, I haven't been reading the forum because I've been working on the book…

The story so far is that I am typing madly to meet an April deadline, so that the book can be published in time for Siggraph. Don't ask me why, in the 21st century, it takes that long to take a manuscript and turn it into a book, but I am assured that it does.

Great news! Good luck, Craig!

I'm pretty sure the book takes about a day to get together, but I believe they build in the author late-factor as well, hence the April deadline

I eagerly await!

Cheers,

peter B