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An Introduction to Houdini
This one day short course introduces digital artists to the 3D effects software, Houdini, by SideFX. Learn from the FX Lead at the Animal Logic Academy, Raphaël Gadot, and get hands-on with Houdini.
About this course
Houdini is used in the film, animation and visual effects industry and increasingly in data visualisation and simulation. Due to its ability to create visual simulations based on procedural computation, it offers a very different approach to working with 3D, as compared to more traditional tools such as 3dsMax, Maya or Cinema 4D.
Houdini excels at creating physical based effects such as destruction, smoke, fire and fluid simulations. Most importantly, it gives artists absolute control over every aspect of the scene, at any point in time.
The UTS Animal Logic Academy is an approved Houdini Training Centre.
Who is this course for?
This introductory course is ideal for persons from film, animation, media arts and game development – as well as those considering a career in visual effects who would like to get an overview of Houdini software and what it can do in a range of professional contexts.
There are no specific admissions requirements, other than an interest in a career as a digital effects artist and understanding more about the software package Houdini.
Price
Full price: $495 (GST-free)*
*Price subject to change. Please check price at time of purchase.
Discounts are available for this course. For further details and to verify if you qualify, please check the Discounts section under Additional course information.
Enrolment conditions
Course purchase is subject to UTS Open Terms and Conditions.
Course outline
During this one-day short course our expert will share presentations and case studies, along with some hands-on practical exercises. Participants will be able to operate a UTS Animal Logic Academy (ALA) workstation with Houdini installed and will have the opportunity to work through tasks and examples whilst receiving feedback and input from the training team.
The following key topics will be covered during the course:
- Houdini UI – 3D viewport, network editor, geometry spreadsheet, parameter pane and mouse interaction
- Learning to "Think in Houdini" – exploring the fundamental paradigms that set Houdini apart from other software
- Points – data in space, basics of position and colour
- Attributes – extended data on points
- Surface operators (SOPs) – basics of nodes, how nodes interact with attributes
- Primitives (Prims) and how they flow on top of points
- Groups, an extension of points and creating named collections of points
- Bring it all together, build an asset using SOPs, points, attributes and prims
- Vex and vector operators (VOPs), fast manipulation of points and attributes
- Solvers, how they differ from sops and how they're similar
- Object level (/obj), containers of geometry and other high level data rendering and other Houdini modules.
Course learning objectives
On successful completion of this course, participants will have a broad understanding of the capabilities and functionality of the digital effects software Houdini.
Discounts
Discount codes are available for the following:
- 10% discount for UTS staff, students and alumni
- 10% discount for industry guild members
If you are eligible for the UTS staff, student or alumni discount, enter the code UTSALA10 at checkout. Please enrol using your UTS email account, and be prepared to bring your UTS ID to the course for confirmation.
If you are eligible for the guild discount, you will need to obtain a discount code BEFORE you sign up for this course – this can be provided by your guild, or in marketing communications provided by the UTS Animal Logic Academy.
Discounts cannot be combined and only one discount can be applied per person per course session. Discounts can only be applied to the full price and cannot be applied to any offered special price.
Contact us
For any questions on enrolment or payment, please email support@open.uts.edu.au
If you have a specific question on course content or requirements, please email feitshortcourses@uts.edu.au
