Intro to Houdini 3D

Description:
This course is designed for people who have a good understanding of CG and interested in gaining a full understanding of houdini and how to utilise it’s procedural modeling tools to create 3d assets, create environment, shade and render using mantra as well as learn how to composite using Houdini COPs.
We will be creating a vast number of assets with each we learn how to use certain nodes in houdini and how to procedurally model complex geometry.
We will start by analysis and learn about Gothic architecture and see how we can build our own solution to create the iconic windows, arches and pillar used in this architecture, we will then tweak and assemble various asset to create Modular blocks that once put together will create a very complex procedural environment in Houdini.
We will then learn how to procedurally create uvs for the main assets.
Shade the majority of the asset created and start lighting and rendering our environment.
By the end of the 5th week the student should acquire a very deep understanding of how Houdini works and be able to have a fully fledged environment created.

Disclaimer:
This workshop contains lot more information and the weekly breakdown is just the highlights.
Assignments and weekly lecture are very demanding and can be challenging to new Houdini comers.
It is required that the student have a very good CG background in modeling, shading and lighting to be able to follow along.

WEEK1 –
Intro to proceduralism and Houdini’s interface
Maya vs max vs Houdini, transition and differences
Intro to Houdini contexts
Intro to vex and pointvops
How to get the most out of the workshop
An in-depth look at modular design
Start modeling first elements of the environment

WEEK2 —
Solving problems in Houdini
A look at Gothic architecture and how to design tools to procedural create the various windows, arches, pillars and shapes
Layout and composition
Creating generic tools to help us build the various elements needed for the environment
Modeling the main blocks of the environment

WEEK3 —
Procedurally and dynamically assemble the environment
Model the environment ground
Procedural UV generation for the various model created
Bonus/Advanced: Creating OTLS In Houdini.

WEEK4 —-
Intro to shading, Lighing in mantra
Setting up a lookdev lightrig
Shade the various elements created for the main block of the environment
Create more complex shading by reading points attribute stored in the mesh to drive various parts of the shader

WEEK5 —–
Lighting the interior
Settings all the passes and aovs using takes
Render optimization
Compositing the various passes in cops
Create fog passes in Houdini using vdb volumes

WEEK6 —–BONUS/FREE(VIDEOS ONLY)
Shading and lighting and rendering the environment in arnold 5.0

WEEK7 —–BONUS/FREE(VIDEOS ONLY)
An in-depth look at Terrain tools in Houdini