VFX Made Easy with Houdini: Level up with improving procedural workflows by taking control of geometry and learning advanced SOP knowledge

Learn production-proven geometry workflows for dealing with procedural modeling, heavy poly count, and for preparing simulations sources for speed and quality Key Features · Fast-paced introduction and in-depth explanations in the key workflows for games and VFX · Cutting-edge tech, like compiled blocks and invoke sop for fast processing methods for dealing with huge poly count · Several example files and exercises to challenge yourself and put what you learned into practice Book DescriptionHoudini has been the hottest DCC in recent years but users are either afraid or have a lot of difficulties in their learning process, needing to dig through a lot of tutorials scattered over the internet and struggling to create something that was not explicit though in walkthrough video. Houdini Under the Hood is a comprehensive and in-depth guide to modern SOP workflows. You start understanding the ever-growing number of panels in the UI in a logical and clear manner and from there we will take you through the most common ways to start a model to be used in procedural networks. From there we will go deep in attribute manipulation and use it to take greater control of geometry replication with copy-to-points, a key skill for VFX, motion graphics, and game development. Find out the strengths and weaknesses of for loops and use them to automate repetitive tasks, making faster and more manageable setups. Unlock the power of SOPs 2.0 with compiled blocks, further simplify node networks with the invoke sop and go beyond what is out-of-the-box by learning key math concepts for artists in VOP networks. We will wrap up the book by using all that we have learned to show you cutting-edge approaches to preparing geometry for simulations for optimal performance.What you will learn · Get familiar with the procedural workflow and the Houdini way of thinking · Understand SOP workflows for procedural modeling and geometry replication · Precise attribute manipulation for very flexible setups · Gain under-the-hood Houdini knowledge for better and faster workflows · Foundations of Math and CGI for deeper control over Houdini · Advanced workflows and faster processing with compiled blocks and VOPS (visual programming) · Strategies for preparing geometry for simulations for optimal performance Who this book is forThis book is for digital artists, visual effects artists, and game developers who feel they lack the proper foundation to make their learning curve less steep and speed up their workflows. 3D artists having experience with other design content creation (dcc) tools and now want to introduce Houdini in their workflow can also benefit from this book. Readers are expected to have knowledge of the basics of 3D, so we wouldn’t need to spend time on that and can directly jump to the meaty parts.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Product Information Understanding Houdini’s full potential What even is a Procedural Workflow? Breaking down Geometry into its Subatomic components Unlock Houdini’s true strength: the Power of Attributes Replicating Geometry with Copy to Points workflow Generating Points as Placeholders for the Copy Workflow Attribute Manipulations: Masking and Retargetting Automation with For Loops The Copy Stamping method: Creating Geometry using Logic From Thousands to Millions: Geometry Optimization for Low Memory footprint SOPs 2.0: Process Nodes with Compiled Blocks Geometry at the Atomic level: VOPs and VEX