Houdini (6 weeks)

Module 1 – Introduction to Interface and Modelling 

Day 1 – Introduction to interface and 3D pipeline 

• Modelling a simple project 

Day 2 – Modelling 

• Traditional modelling 
• Procedural modelling 

Day 3 – Procedural modelling and VEX/VOPS

• Procedural tool making
• Modelling techniques 
• Intro to coding in Houdini with VEX and VOPS

Day 4 – Procedural asset creation (HDA’s) and intro to Houdini engine

• Intro to digital asset creation pipeline
  

Day 5 – Texturing and Materials

• UVs
• Materials  
• Shaders
  

Day 6 – Lighting/ Rendering

• Lighting techniques for photo-realism 
• Rendering engines and optimisation 

Module 2 – Introduction to DOPS and RBD

Day 1 – Intro DOPS, POP’s and RBD’s

• DOP network 
• Create particle sims with POPS
• Create a RBD sim with colliders

Day 2 – Fracturing and constraints

• Pre-fracturing techniques
• RBD constraints
• SOP solver
  

Day 3 – Look at RBD SOP techniques and rendering RBD

• Look at SOP only sim workflow and setup
• Explain pros and cons

Day 4 – Adding debris and secondary simulations

• Add secondary simulations for creating debris and dust from the main RBD sim
  

Day 5 – Project Day

Module 3 – Introduction to Pyro effects

Day 1 – Introduction to pyro in DOPS 

• Mist 
• Smoke 
• Fire effects 
• Collisions
• Controls 
• Caching 
• Sparse solver

Day 2 – Using custom micro- solvers and fields

• Creating custom micro-solvers and fields to control the fire/smoke simulation

Day 3 – Look at PYRO SOP techniques

• Look at SOP only sim workflow and setup for pyro
• Explain pros and cons

Day 4 – Rendering smoke and fire sims

• Add secondary simulations for creating debris and dust from the main RBD sim

Day 5 – Project Day

Module 4 – Introduction to Water Effects (FLIP)

Day 1 – Introductio to FLIP in DOPS

• Intro to FLIP 
• Create water effects
  

Day 2 – Flat Tank introduction

• Creating a flat tank and interacting with colliders
• Intro to optimisation with narrow band

Day 3 – Ocean tools introduction and other custom forces

• Look at ocean tools to create large bodies of water
• Look at ocean spectrum in detail
• Look at adding custom forces to drive the waves

Day 4 – Adding white-water effects and rendering

• Look at adding secondary simulations for white-water effects such as bubbles, spray and foam
• Look a caching and surfacing the fluids
• Look at rendering water, foam etc.

Day 5 – Project Day

Module 5 – Introduction to Vellum

Day 1 – Introdutcion to Vellum

• Introduction to vellum and cloth simulations

Day 2 – Vellum SOP setup and drape workflow

• Using Vellum SOP tools
• Looking at the drape workflow for making clothing for characters

Day 3 – Other uses for Vellum (Hair, balloons, tearing etc)

• Look at Vellum hair for dynamic curves
• Look at pressure and fracture settings

Day 4 – Vellum soft bodies

• Look at Vellum soft bodies for CFX/organic character flesh workflows

Day 5 – Project Day

Module 6 – Introduction to  Environments

Day 1 – Introduction to height field

• Create terrains

Day 2 – Populating terrains with geometry

• Understanding masking and scatter tools to populate environment with trees, rocks etc.)

Day 3 – Applying textures and lighting to terrains

• Rendering and lighting heightfields in Houdini and applying materials using tri-planar mapping

Day 4 – Project day

Day 5 – Project day, delivery and feedback

Our students go on to work in many areas of the industry as highly creative professionals. You'll find our alumni, dubbed Escapees, in many of the world's top VFX studios, behind many Oscar and BAFTA-nominated films, 100s of award-winning films and television shows and 1,000s of award-winning commercials. See some of our Escape Studios success stories.

Houdini is used in 3D VFX, those with an understanding of the tool can work as a freelance specialist or in 3D roles such as:

• Technical Artist 
• VFX Artist 
• FX Artist 

For more information about career opportunities, download our free Careers Guide. 

Fees

London campus: £5,645

Live online: £4,520