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Learn how to create a Mega Character that is made up of many smaller characters. Learn how to design and model using VDB tools, rig and animate with KineFX, then use Vellum to create soft body effects. Bring the Mega Character into Solaris and light and render the final sequence using Karma. Enjoy!

Make sure you have the SideFX Labs tools installed to complete this lesson. The Exoside Quad Remesher tool is used which requires its own license. You can download a Trial version or purchase a license from the Exoside Website.

A quick overview of all the different parts of the Mega Character. Take a look at where you are headed with this lesson.
Learn how to build a character completely from scratch in Houdini using a number of built-in tools, and also some custom tools we will build ourselves.
Learn how to build a skeleton and KineFX rig for our character. Learn how to use biharmonic capturing, manage your deformations and set up IK chains.
Explore a number of handy animation techniques in KineFX that are unique to Houdini that keep the workflow procedural, including animating using several rig pose nodes and using several different tricks to create secondary motion.
Learn how to add secondary animation to the base character by simulating vellum tetrahedral soft bodies and point deforming to give more life to the overall motion.
Learn how to setup, animate, and simulate the Mega Character, using Vellum, copy to points, point deforms, for-each loops, and more to create the final animated geometry.
Learn how to define the look of the Mega Character with Material X shaders and lights set up in Solaris. The final rendering will be created using Karma XPU.

CREATED BY

ChristopherRutledge
CHRISTOPHER RUTLEDGE

I create character-based cg art and short films in Houdini. Ask me about making floppy characters!

More from Christopher Rutledge

COMMENTS

  • PaulEsteves 2 years, 10 months ago  | 

    This is absolutely amazing! SO many cool tips and tricks and the outcome is so cool! Thank you Chris, really really enjoyed that!

    • GustavoG 2 years, 10 months ago  | 

      No way!! this is so amazing! TY

      • Michael Abrahams 2 years, 10 months ago  | 

        10/10

        • Control_Vertex 2 years, 10 months ago  | 

          Great tutorial that covers a lot of topics! I learned a lot! Thank you for taking the time to make this masterclass!

          • allaT 2 years, 10 months ago  | 

            Hey Supper!

            • allaT 2 years, 10 months ago  | 

              Hey Super!

              • Tom Freitag 2 years, 9 months ago  | 

                mega cool! its really giving me the drive to dive in to kinefx! thanks :)

                • JohnLarryGroff 2 years, 9 months ago  | 

                  My (Licensed) copy of the latest version of QuadRemesher doesn't work with Houdini 19.0.531 Exoside hasn't responded to my emails yet. I can't get either the Lab Tools version or the latest copy from Exocide's website. Curious if anyone else has this problem or knows how to fix?

                  • JohnLarryGroff 2 years, 9 months ago  | 

                    In case anyone else has my problem of not being able to use Exoside Quadremesher with Houdini 19 - I just tried to go through tech support again at Exoside's website and saw this message - NB: CONTACT SERVICE WILL BE CLOSED BETWEEN 16th of April to 24th of May 2022

                    • Ahmed Elnady 2 years, 7 months ago  | 

                      Thank you such a great teacher!

                      • bladel.timothy 2 years, 7 months ago  | 

                        Curious, cannot you just set the group for the lect side in the mirror on the node instead of an outside group. Just curious why the extra step.

                        • aleksira 2 years, 7 months ago  | 

                          Loved this!

                          • goldfarb 1 year, 4 months ago  | 

                            "Point Deform now accepts a piece attribute so you can use that instead of running point deform in a loop, which makes it run nearly instantly"

                            • WaffleBoyTom68 1 year, 4 months ago  | 

                              hehe I said that :D

                            • Keanorin 1 year, 2 months ago  | 

                              Absolutely love it!

                              • Keanorin 1 year, 2 months ago  | 

                                Do you use https://google.com/ often?

                                • walkinginspace 9 months, 1 week ago  | 

                                  I'm having a issue where in video 3 when trying to use the rigmatchpose node I can't edit the skeleton and it says "Failed to set active pose node to None" I can't get past this, any help would be great!

                                  • walkinginspace 9 months, 1 week ago  | 

                                    In the project files it looks like you added a SkeletonBlend between the rigmatchpose and the sceneimport?

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