Learning Houdini...

[MauricioPC]

mantragora,

You have some solid points. I'll admit first, I'm actually enjoying learning Houdini, but it's been a hard road. It'll take time, so I just decided to walk it slowly!

As for Cinema 4D selection, I actually don't like it! And I hate that highlight that happens when you hover over a object ... and that was ported into 3ds Max 2016 from what I hear! Damn you AD!

I just hope that, like Cinema 4D, they let me disable this thing.


And just one more thing ... I think Softimage failed because they didn't knew how to sell it. On todays market, where procedural is the shinny intelligent word, I think Softimage would sell more. But who knows!

And let me just post here links to the first Houdini tutorial from Ben Watts. I really like his Cinema 4D ones and he's planning a lot more for Houdini. I'll keep an eye for that and share it here.

[Bullit]

Even not taking account the price difference, if Realflow is easier to understand and Houdini is not explicit in most things it doesn't stand a chance and i am only talking about fluids.

Well, Realflow is x times easier to understand, but I think you already know that. Should be a little bit harder with RealFlow to get the liquid related things (foam and so) to work in another app, than to launch the render directly from H, anyway.
I'm also not fan of their DOP configurations, perhaps because in my mind, actually any simulation deserves to exist only if there isn't any other way - if I really have to use sim, it has to be simple as possible... Since last summer, passed through many phases, including 'it's not that hard when you dive into houdini a little bit deeper', which is probably true, but constantly feel complete 'workflow' as simply wrong, idiotically overcomplcated. Also, what to do with app which can't animate in a way of Maya or SI, can't do direct modeling like any 3d app, still has viewport slower than Modo (not to even mention SI or Maya), has overcomplicated simulations to the sick level, some of them nowhere close to compete to Maya or SI (cloth).
So for now it's for simple scene assembly and rendering, some experiments with procedural modeling, and that's it...

By foam you mean volume rendering ? if otherwise i have no problem sending the foam textures anywhere.

I don't mind the complicated if it has a propose, a reason in the project but if it is complicated for complicated sake it just makes me rage.
From your feedback i guess i have more or less your opinion about Houdini.

[Mathaeus]

By foam you mean volume rendering ? if otherwise i have no problem sending the foam textures anywhere.

Yes. By the way in Houdini this is called 'whitewater'. From what I've tried, FLIP liquid seems to be quite easy to get a decent look.
With wire (hair) simulation, took some time to create an alternative setup, to get gradually weighted constrain, as built-in pin constrain does not allow weighting - here's my thread about subject . Found wire solver way faster when all collisions are set to SDF. Still not probably fastest on planet, but with very accurate self-collisions.
Smoke sim is also easy to get, but not easy to get Fume FX style of details, from my (small) experience.
Regarding DOP setups, I think it's significant, that custom Bullet SOP is cofigured simpler, as SOP ('modelling') setup.
Anyway, it is a mix of factors. Can't imagine to earn money, running Houdini sims on my home machine. Indie is impossible on work, while price of FX is, price of FX. Finally these setups, which I like to dissect in free time, but can't imagine to fight with deadlines with them. If I'll have TD somewhere in room, or at least chance to be focused only on particular work for day or two, it will be a different story - but not possible, for now.
Regarding rigging and animation, already said what I think in od force thread . It's an interesting thread, by the way.

[Bullit]

Thanks also for the interesting reading links.
Yes the deadlines are also the issue, if i have a 2 months project is one thing, but often they are measured in weeks, 2-3 weeks is the more common. Even worse when are 2 projects concurrently and we have to move from composition to 3d. Basically there are no costumers that pay R&D.

I think software developers do not even care of brain expense regarding software use.

From what i am seeing, i would say 80% (A Pareto principle) of artists don't like to change software, even like trying new stuff, they only move if there is a job dependent on it.

[owei]

Hey there!

in case you have not found them yet..
I found some very nice (basic) Houdini tuts on vimeo.





...and some more..I don´t want to link them all.
Here is the Channel:
https://vimeo.com/album/3218475

Check them out!

cheers,
oli

[Rork]

Two nice videos of building a neon sign in Houdini. This is by a (former) Softimage user, so he chats a bit about differences/similarities:

part 1: https://vimeo.com/122274907
part 2: https://vimeo.com/125116427

some more chatting on render settings etc. in the Houdini forum: https://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option ... ic&t=38375

Not a 'real' tutorial, but more a narrated workflow overview. Good watch though.