Houdini Resources - Introduction

Deborah R. Fowler

Houdini Resources - Introduction

Updated on Dec 3 2018
Updated on Aug 24 2024

Below are quick links to resources on my website for Houdini Users (float on image for description, click to go)

IMPORTANT LINKS (Click to see menus):

Click for Links on This Site Overview Tips and Tricks Wrangle Node Examples Math for VSFX Introductory Tutorials Advanced Reference Houdini in Motion Media Houdini in Games	My list of Houdini Events/Videos (google doc) The VFX in "Attraction" - Mikhail Lesin Getting Started with Grains - Rob Stauffer Crowds - Cameron White Rigging and Muscles - Scott Keating CHOP and Constraints - Guillaume Laferriere Boolean or Not Boolen - Fun With Fracturing - Steve Knipping Procedural Scattering in Houdini Engine and Unity - John Moncrief Houdini 16 Game Tools Updates - Luiz Kruel and Michael Lyndon Procedural Level Building in UE4 - Rob Magee Castle VR Overview - Rob Stauffer Virtual Authenticity: Houdini for VR Storytelling - Winslow Porter Procedural Rock Formations for UE4 - Saber Jlassi Sneak Peek - TopoBuild 3.0 - Fianna Wong Believability in Procedural Modeling - Anastasia Opara Lighting and Rendering - Scott Keating Procedural Modelling/LookDev - Matt Ebb Feather Tools - Tighe Rzankowski The Secret Language of Houdini - Robert Magee How to get a Job - Industry Panel	Click for Links to Download from sidefx or DailyBuilds for past versions if version unavailable, please email me for assistance
SideFX Documentation	SideFX Digital Library Summary of recent Tutorials (google doc)	SideFX

HISTORY: Houdini is a software package produced by Side Effects Software. Side Effects has been in business since 1987 and is a Canadian company based in Toronto with an LA office in Santa Monica. Their core technology is procedural techniques and their software has been used in over 300 films. They have also been twice awarded an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement. Houdini is their flagship product (very early versions called prism).

What's NEW? https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/news/20_5/viewport.html

20.5 - karma xpu more stable, mpm (material point method) solver, recipes, car rig, apex, wrinkle solver, clip with noise/fill, copericus and stamp points
20.0 - karma appeared in 18 but karma xpu was beta, Crowds with MotionPaths (sops only)
19.5 - removal of the copy stamp node from the tab menu
19.5 - sop level fluids
19.5 redshift standard material in rs builder rather than rs material
19 - vellum fluids

Trend toward SOP level dynamics (to give more options for Houdini core users and convenience for quick fx)
New in Houdini 17

Vellum solver (including sop context)
Position Based Dynamics
no more file node in geo container by default
playback controls on left not right

Whats New in Houdini 16

Please note - the mantra surface shader is still available, just not in the material palette. (forum post here)

Old copy node = copy stamp node

mat is now the shop interface for the material palette shaders (and where you can tab create a "classic shader" (previously mantra surface shader)

there is a checkbox on the shaders to use packed color
RBD static object is now under the collisions tab

15.5.632 (Winter/Spring 2017) H16 out in February 2017.
What's new in Houdini 15 (intro at SIGGRAPH 2015, released mid Oct) in general, including crowds, in renderositymagazine

Also, Houdini to Arnold (HtoA) and Houdini Indie were introduced at SIGGRAPH 2014.

NEW in 15.0.244.16 (Winter/Spring 2016 version) Lava, Crowds, Animation tools, RIS support, much more!
NEW in 14.0.361 (Fall 2015 only version - sand solver! start of crowd tools, excellent interface changes, animation improvements!)
NEW IN 13.0.582 (Winter/Spring 2015 version - H14 will be released Jan 15th, 2015)
NEW IN 13.0.476 (Fall 2014 version)
NEW IN 13.0.237 (Spring 2014 Version)

Check out what's new in 13.0.
Check out what was new in 12.5 in the documentation and this article by fxguide.