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TOTAL DURATION: 1h 8m 23s
In this lesson, you will take your first steps into Houdini as you model a coffee cup then use dynamics to simulate a collection of gumballs falling into it. You will apply textures and materials, add lights and a camera then render out the finished sequence. By touching all aspects of this shot, you will begin learning how to navigate your way through Houdini and its node-based workflow.
This lesson includes a step-by-step PDF which you can use to follow along the lesson supported by video tutorials.
An overview of all the lessons being taught in this tutorial to help you figure out where things are headed.
To get started, it is important to learn how to explore the Houdini workspace with a focus on the panes you will use on a regular basis. Along the way, you will model the coffee cup using tools such as polyextrude, polybridge and polyfill.
You will take a detour from modeling the cup to work with the nodes in the Network view. The nodes act as a recipe that describes the flow of data from the top to the bottom of the network. Learn how to organize your network for readability.
Next you are going to drop gumballs into the cup you just modeled using Rigid Body Dynamics. To do this, you want to place gumballs above the cup using a box with scattered points inside the box.
To create a scene for rendering, you are going to bring the geometry into the Solaris or LOPS context of Houdini. LOPS are used to prepare the scene for rendering with Karma XPU.
To add texture to the ground, you will use the Copernicus context to work with procedural images. You can start this using a button on the Quick Surface Material and then build up your network from there.
It is time to add the gumballs into Solaris to complete the shot. This time, you will export the geometry directly to a USD file then reference that back onto the stage. You will then render and playback the sequence to review the shot.
Next you will imagine that the client comes back with changes such as making the gumballs into candy eggs. The client also proposes some compositing effects which you can add using a Slap Comp created with Copernicus nodes.
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COMMENTS
chrisabruce 3 months, 3 weeks ago |
This is a great set of beginner lessons. I like how it covers all the newer features like solaris and copernicus.
knockflakes 3 months, 3 weeks ago |
Thänx a lot for this great tutorial! So many useful tipps!
PerpetualZest 3 months, 3 weeks ago |
Just leaving this comment in case someone has a similar issue. I had an issue with shadows not displaying in the viewer in Solaris (Video #4). I realized that I only had "Full Lighting" enabled, but I needed the next button down, "Full Lighting with Shadows" to be enabled instead. They are small buttons on the right side of the viewer that look like a lightbulb with a "+" sign inside.
Anyway, thanks for posting this series, I'm enjoying learning from it so far.
LuzidVision 3 months, 3 weeks ago |
Just as PerpetualZest said, to have the cup cast shadows on the ground in the viewport render, go to
Scene view -> Display Options -> Lights Tab -> Lighting Quality: Full Lighting with Shadows
piumal89001 3 months, 3 weeks ago |
perfect tutorial.really good for beginners.❤️
ertemi 3 months, 3 weeks ago |
This is truly the best tutorial I have seen so far.
You can see the effort put into explaining every detail.
Thanks to Mr. ROBERT MAGEE
ashimialz163 3 months, 2 weeks ago |
very useful for beginner like me，thx a lot
markeloff 3 months, 2 weeks ago |
does anyone know how to solve this error from video 6?
"Unable to find layer file: 20.5.278/projects/overview_lesson/usd/gumball_sim.usd"
"Targeted missing explicit primitive: /gumball_sim"
the error is at the reference node
johntdp 3 months, 1 week ago |
I got stuck in Chapter 3. Can’t get Copy to Points to work. I have nothing selected, click Copy to Points. I get the prompt to select the first object. I click on the node for the sphere and hit enter, but then do not get the second prompt to select the box. Instead it just opens up the sphere node. What am I doing wrong? Thanks!
chretien 3 months ago |
I got the same issue, I solved it by placing my cursor to the viewport panel instead of having it in the goemetry panel.
Hope it helps.
chretien 3 months ago |
to clarify, after clicking copy to point and selecting the sphere before you hit enter move your cursor to the viewport panel not the node/geometry panel.. hope it clearer
vstevenson 3 months ago |
This is rarely ever mentioned in even the most fundamental beginner tutorials. I can count on my hand the number of times I've heard a presenter mention it having watched literally 100s of Houdini videos over the years. Thank you for taking your time to mention this very important note for new users.
pierrx666 3 months ago |
in chapter 5
at the reference nod creation
at file pattern windows
I had to select the all files sign in the drop menu bottom right (the little star : only *)
because my usd file saved in the step just before is a .usdnc instead of a .usd as shown in the video
I was stuck here for 1 hour retrying the steps many times before I found this.
is it normal ?
Vin20 1 month, 4 weeks ago |
Yes it happened to me as well, thanks for the help, after clicking on the file, I also had to click the little box that said make path relative to current Directory
jollysweets 3 months ago |
this was great, useful and easy to follow! thank you so much!
ignacio.nevarezzuniga 2 months, 3 weeks ago |
Excellent course, Robert is a great teacher
sina122020 2 months, 3 weeks ago |
Thanx. The best path for every beginner is to watch these videos first.
remlapeel 2 months, 3 weeks ago |
Good at points, but clicks without explaining a lot, and like a lot of tutorials is tell you what to click and not why.
Eddie_Roach 2 months, 1 week ago |
When I import my cup into solaris stage it returns to default. It loses the handle, the subdivisions, etc. Also the ground geo doesn't sit within the geo drop down of the scene grpah path after merging it with the cup geo.
Eddie_Roach 2 months, 1 week ago |
Looks like I had to change SOP Import Mode to "Display". I now can't seem to get any shadows on the ground geo when I add the point lights.
MataS9 1 month, 2 weeks ago |
How did you change the SOP Import mode?
BTW you have to use the buttons on the right of the viewport and select the one that has a lightbulb and a black hole thing under it to have shadows. good luck!
cruzdh2035 2 months, 1 week ago |
In chapter 6 when I click "File Pattern" to import the balls to the stage, the file gumballs_sim.usd doesn´t appear. I hope someone can help me with this problem :(
rmagee 2 months, 1 week ago |
Are you using apprentice? Then you need usdnc. If that is not it then choose usd from the menu next to the file name.
cruzdh2035 2 months ago |
It worked, thank you so much :)
santanacarlos 2 months ago |
Thank you for this very useful content. As a beginner it can be a bit overwhelming but this type of video helps a lot to understand the procedural functioning of Houdini.
skygenesis86 1 month, 3 weeks ago |
Hello All,
I have done this tutorial 3 times now and I keep getting the same error on part 6 step 8. After I click render to disk I get a red triangle with the errors:
"failed to create file "C:/Users/virid/AppData/Local/Temp/houdini_temp/usd_renders/usdrender_2756_1256_1/bump_normal.1.exr : No such file or directory"
and
"Unable to fetch texture file from COPs: op:/stage/ground_mat_maps/specular_color[1]"
Has anyone had this issue?
TailedWorld 1 month, 3 weeks ago |
Robert, is there any written form for this tutorial? I still learn via reading & doing. Yes, I am that old..
TailedWorld 1 month, 3 weeks ago |
Sorry.. just found the step by step pdf. Ty
MataS9 1 month, 2 weeks ago |
Hello. I am having a problem with part 6. I am using Apprentice if that helps in any way. For some reason the gumballs don't collide the same way in the OBJ network. Any help would.. help!
skspsenthilkumar 1 month, 2 weeks ago |
Experiencing the same. Any help?
rmagee 1 month, 2 weeks ago |
Hard to figure out without the scene file - can you post to learning forum and ping me to download - thanks
skspsenthilkumar 1 month, 2 weeks ago |
Thanks for the reply. Sent files for your perusal.
piddmotion 2 days, 10 hours ago |
hi, i have the same issues. where can i see your post?. i can't find it in learning forum - thanks
Victor1997 1 month ago |
Hi, when i choose tube it comes up with just a white outline and nothing i do makes an actual visible tube appear.
adarve 1 month ago |
Thank yo for this content, it help us a lot
KingGristy 3 weeks, 5 days ago |
Getting this error when trying to combine,
Event Queue Full. Events being dropped:
UI_EVENT_REDRAW to UI_Window
Event Queue dropping 13272 events.
Event Queue Full. Events being dropped:
UI_EVENT_VALUE_CHANGE to FUI_NetNavigator
Event Queue dropping 46 events.
Any ideas?
rmagee 3 weeks, 4 days ago |
Is this the latest build of Houdini 20.5? Maybe try another build or submit your issue to support.
Vinicius Freire 3 weeks, 3 days ago |
excellent class, I already had a headache looking for classes on YouTube, some say they are for beginners but they are not. I will watch all sidefx content. grateful
yev 3 weeks, 3 days ago |
Oh my god, this is so good! Thank you very much for your time and effort!
nghnerklc 2 weeks, 6 days ago |
I'm stuck editing the material properties. It doesn't have the same color options as the instructor's material. When I searched for "quick," nothing came up, so I had to look under "material" instead. I was hoping to catch up on the first day of the Mardini contest, but it looks like I have a long way to go. :(
rmagee 2 weeks, 6 days ago |
share your file on the Learning forum and ping me - I will take a look. And in the post let me know what version of Houdini are you using?
https://www.sidefx.com/forum/10/
nghnerklc 2 weeks, 6 days ago |
Hey dear instructor,
I'm so grateful for your responsive help! Today, Ive been granted an indie trial for the contest, and I just checked the "quick material" prompt in Solaris—it's there now! 😊 If I get stuck again, I’ll kindly reach out for your support. Thank you so much! 🙏✨
moselhyahmed6 3 days, 19 hours ago |
how did you fix it
Character_animator 2 weeks, 1 day ago |
Thank you so much for such a great lesson. Everything is on the shelves and there is no confusion!!!
ale85 1 week, 5 days ago |
Hello, I have a problem, in Solaris when I set the metalness to 0.8 in the gumballs material and render it, the render is like full of little white dots on the balls and it goes away just if I reduce the metalness to 0.3 or lower. It's not the first time it happens and I have no idea how to solve it, I tried everything. Any help?
Thank you
michallis 4 days, 19 hours ago |
Great lesson, after having already some basic understanding, the added value is great as the tutorial is done with new features in mind.
Thank you
moselhyahmed6 3 days, 19 hours ago |
hey i have the same problem as nghnerlc had
I cant find the quick material in the tap in solarias any help ?
rmagee 3 days, 18 hours ago |
Is your mouse over the network? It won't work if your mouse is over the viewport - Also you need to make sure you are at /stage which is a Solaris network.
alexandrewill159 3 days, 13 hours ago |
"Unable to fetch texture file from COPs: op:/stage/ground_mat_maps/specular_color[1]"
Has anyone had this issue?
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