HOU233 – Rendering Fire and Smoke Simulations in Houdini by Liam Whitehouse

On May 1, 2026

Author:Liam Whitehouse

Duration:3 hours 1 minutes

Actual Duration:3h 1m

Release date:2024, July

Publisher:FXPHD

Skill level:Intermediate

Language:English

Exercise files:Yes

Software:Houdini, Axiom, Solaris, Karma

Course URL:https://www.fxphd.com/details/677/

Master rendering realistic fire and smoke simulations in Houdini using Axiom, Solaris, and Karma.

This course dives into making your fire and smoke simulations look absolutely killer in Houdini. You’ll go from raw Axiom sims to polished renders using Solaris and Karma, learning how to tweak every detail for maximum realism.

🎯 What you’ll learn

Create custom animations for pyro simulations.
Fine-tune pyro bake volumes for smoke and fire appearance.
Set up realistic Karma Pyro Shader VOP node materials.
Implement various lighting scenarios for different environments.
Configure AOVs, cryptomattes, and deep render outputs for compositing.

✅ Requirements

Skills: Familiarity with Houdini basics and VFX simulation principles.
Tools: Houdini (version 20 recommended), Axiom, Solaris, Karma.
Hardware: A capable workstation for running Houdini simulations and renders.

📝 Description

This course is all about taking your Axiom fire and smoke simulations in Houdini and making them look incredible through rendering. You’ll learn how to really dial in the look of your smoke and fire, adjusting things like transparency, shadowing, and how light scatters through the volumes. We’ll be working in Solaris and Karma, matching your renders to reference images and setting up lighting that fits your scene, whether it’s using HDRI or the Karma Sky Atmosphere. Plus, you’ll get set up with all the necessary render passes like AOVs and cryptomattes so your compositing team has everything they need.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

VFX artists looking to enhance their fire and smoke rendering skills in Houdini.
3D generalists who want to master volumetric rendering techniques.
Students aiming to create portfolio-ready fire and smoke simulations.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Liam Whitehouse is a seasoned VFX artist with extensive experience in creating complex simulations and renders for film and television. His expertise lies in leveraging tools like Houdini to achieve photorealistic results, and he brings a practical, industry-focused approach to his teaching.

🏁 Final Result

A portfolio-ready render of a realistic fire and smoke simulation, complete with all necessary passes for compositing.

Curriculum

📋 Course content

Class 1: Animation in simulations
- Create custom animation for high-resolution simulations.
- Use pyro influence fields with Axiom.
Class 2: Pyro Bake Volume
- Adjust smoke color, opacity, and shadow density.
- Implement scattering for fire and smoke.
- Match reference imagery for realistic scale and intensity.
Class 3: Karma Pyro Shader
- Setup Karma Pyro Shader VOP node materials.
- Adjust smoke transparency and shadow density.
- Configure fire shader for separate rendering.
Class 4: Lighting
- Setup night, dusk, midday, and sunset lighting.
- Utilize HDRI scenes and Karma Sky Atmosphere.
- Use area lights for interior scenes.
- Adjust light intensity and blending.
Class 5: Render setup
- Setup AOVs, Cryptomattes, and deep image render passes.
- Configure batch render settings, resolution, and samples.
- Implement denoising for sharp renders.