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Houdini FX

Getting started with FLIP

Alex Tumyang

Houdini tutorial on Flip simulationhoudini liquid simulation coursehoudini fluid tutorialThis guide is a beginner-friendly tutorial for learning Houdini, focusing on small-scale liquid FLIP (Fluid Implicit Particle) simulations. We'll start from the very basics, making it easy for anyone new to liquid simulation to follow along. You'll learn step-by-step how to create and work with liquid simulations, even if you've never done it before.

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Houdini tutorial on Flip simulationhoudini liquid simulation coursehoudini fluid tutorialThis guide is a beginner-friendly tutorial for learning Houdini, focusing on small-scale liquid FLIP (Fluid Implicit Particle) simulations. We'll start from the very basics, making it easy for anyone new to liquid simulation to follow along. You'll learn step-by-step how to create and work with liquid simulations, even if you've never done it before.

Additionally, this course will teach you about Karma, Houdini's rendering engine. By the end of the tutorial, you'll know how to use Karma to make your fluid simulations look amazing. This guide will help you build a strong foundation in both liquid simulation and rendering in Houdini with karma.

This is the basic beginner guide of  houdini tutorial in small scale of flip simulation. we will start from very baby steps of liquid simulation. You will also learn karma in this course as well.

Are you a Houdini beginner? Your knowledge in simulating fluid  in Houdini is so little or you don't even have any idea. Don't you wanna create a simulation like the one in the promo video and create commercial and ads?

In this course, we will create this simulation and this render. Take a journey through the world of FLIP simulations from zero to hero, we will start with the very basics explaining every parameter

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • You will learn small scale liquid simulation in houdini
  • You will learn how to work with material and lights in karma
  • You will learn how to render passes, mattes, z depth, cryptomattes from karma
  • You will be able to create ads/commercial related to fluid and liquid

Syllabus

Basic introduction guide to liquid simulation
Course Trailer
your first set up of Liquid Simulation
Sourcing with SOP objects
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Adding collision oject for water
dynamically adjusting domain grid and adding drag to sim
Adding point velocity
compress and cache to disk
meshing
fill glass with water
collision with glass
continously flow water to fill glass with water
caching and meshing water sim
splash from right and left side to beer can
Introduction
2 setting project and importing models
3 emitting fluid from source
4 fluid collider
5 fluid colliding with beer can
6 caching simulaiton
7 lights materia camera in karma
8 render with matte and phantom in karma
9 cryptomattes and passes AOVs with karma
10 z depth pass in karma
Ice Cream Chocolate Drip
1. intro chocolate drip project
2. setting project and importing model
3. creating sim
4. replace intial fluid and add visocity
5. setting up vdb collider
6. emitter setup
7. linking emmiter inside dopnet
8. adding viscosity and velocity from SOP
9. multiple emitter
10. meshing and seperating layers
11. assemble
12. working in LOP and assigning material
13. lights and camera setup
14. material
15. rendering to img sequences
Water Splash On Orange
1. Overview of water splash on orange project
3. creating liquid emitter geometry
4. dopnet
5 emitting liquid from emitter
6. creating velocity for emitter
7. collision object and keyframing velocity
8. final setup and caching the simulation
9. material lights camera with karma
10 rendering to image sequences
Ice lemon Soda Water Splash
1 overview of ice lemon soda water
10. collider velocity
3. scattering points for ice
4. scatting the ice cubes
5. distributing lemons
6. water source
7. simulating the liquid and colliding
8. final setting before simulation cache
9. caching to disk and converting
10. chanigng time scale
11. setting up in solaris
12. assigning materials
13. render passes and z depth
14. render to sequences with mattes
Crown Splash
1. Introduction to Crown Splash Project
3. copy to points
4 rbd simulation
5. camera
6. setting up flip sim
7. adding collision
8. refining the initial fluid
9. viscosity and surface tension
11. final tweak
12. sim caching
13. convert to mesh
14. retime cache
15. importing to stage and applying material
16. lights
17. modifying material
18. render to image sequences
Soda Can wate explode splash
1. Overview of this project
3. setup for dopnet
4. collision object and setting domain
5. setting up emitter
6 liquid emit activation
7. simulation with initial liquid
8. cache
9. material and lights with karma
10. rendering to image sequences
1. Project Overview
Project Ovieview
2 setting the project
3. importing geometry

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Provides a practical introduction to FLIP simulations in Houdini, which is a widely used technique for creating realistic fluid effects in visual effects and animation
Covers Karma, Houdini's rendering engine, which allows learners to create visually appealing renders of their fluid simulations, enhancing their final projects
Includes multiple project-based examples, such as chocolate drips, water splashes, and soda explosions, which allows learners to apply their knowledge to diverse scenarios
Teaches how to render passes, mattes, Z-depth, and cryptomattes from Karma, which are essential skills for compositing and post-processing in visual effects workflows
Focuses on small-scale liquid simulations, which may not cover advanced techniques needed for large-scale or complex fluid simulations often encountered in professional VFX work
Requires learners to have access to Houdini software, which may involve a subscription cost, potentially posing a barrier for some students

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Houdini FX: Getting started with FLIP with these activities:
Review Houdini Basics
Familiarize yourself with the Houdini interface and basic workflows to ensure a smoother learning experience during the course.
Browse courses on Houdini
Show steps
  • Explore the Houdini interface and its different panes.
  • Practice creating and manipulating basic geometry nodes.
  • Experiment with different parameter settings on nodes.
Houdini Fundamentals
Read this book to build a strong foundation in Houdini's core concepts and workflows, which will make it easier to understand and apply the techniques taught in the course.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters covering the Houdini interface and node-based workflow.
  • Study the sections on geometry manipulation and attribute creation.
  • Review the chapters on dynamics and simulations.
Mastering Houdini
Read this book to gain a deeper understanding of Houdini's core concepts and workflows, which will enhance your ability to create and control FLIP simulations.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters covering the Houdini interface and node-based workflow.
  • Study the sections on geometry manipulation and attribute creation.
  • Review the chapters on dynamics and simulations.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Simulate Basic Fluid Interactions
Practice creating simple FLIP simulations, such as a water drop falling into a pool, to reinforce your understanding of the core simulation parameters.
Show steps
  • Set up a basic FLIP simulation with a source and a collision object.
  • Adjust the simulation parameters, such as particle separation and viscosity.
  • Experiment with different collision object shapes and velocities.
Document Your Simulation Workflow
Create a written or video tutorial explaining your process for setting up a specific FLIP simulation, which will solidify your understanding and help others learn.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple FLIP simulation to document.
  • Record a video or write a step-by-step guide explaining your workflow.
  • Share your tutorial with others and solicit feedback.
Create a Mini Fluid Advertisement
Apply your knowledge to create a short advertisement featuring a fluid simulation, similar to the course examples, to showcase your skills and build your portfolio.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm ideas for a fluid-based advertisement.
  • Create the necessary geometry and set up the FLIP simulation.
  • Render the simulation using Karma and add post-processing effects.
  • Edit the footage together to create a compelling advertisement.
Explore Advanced FLIP Techniques
Follow online tutorials that demonstrate advanced FLIP simulation techniques, such as creating realistic splashes, foam, and bubbles, to expand your skillset.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific FLIP simulation effects.
  • Follow the tutorials step-by-step and experiment with different settings.
  • Adapt the techniques learned to your own projects.

Career center

Learners who complete Houdini FX: Getting started with FLIP will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Houdini Artist
A Houdini Artist specializes in using Houdini to create visual effects, simulations, and other 3D content. Learning Houdini itself is a core skill for this role, and this course directly addresses that need. With its focus on teaching the fundamentals of FLIP fluid simulation and rendering with Karma, this course provides a starting point for a career as a Houdini Artist. This course begins by showing how to set up initial liquid simulations, and then covers advanced topics such as meshing and caching. The course will provide a strong foundation for anyone wishing to begin a career as a Houdini Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Houdini Artist
Simulation Artist
A Simulation Artist specializes in creating realistic simulations of physical phenomena, and this course is directly relevant to this role. With its focus on small-scale FLIP liquid simulations in Houdini, you’ll develop the core skills needed to simulate fluids realistically. Simulation artists are responsible for everything from setting up the simulation with collision objects and emitters, and then ultimately caching and rendering the final result. This course directly mirrors these steps, including teaching Karma, Houdini's rendering engine for creating beautiful renders. The course will help you build a strong foundation for a successful career as a Simulation Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Simulation Artist
Visual Effects Artist
A Visual Effects Artist creates stunning imagery for film, television, and games, and this course provides a strong foundation using Houdini. This role often involves simulating natural phenomena, such as liquids, and with this course’s focus on small-scale FLIP liquid simulations, you’ll learn the exact techniques needed to produce realistic fluid effects. Moreover, this course also teaches Karma, Houdini's rendering engine, equipping you with skills not only to simulate, but also render high quality results. The inclusion of rendering passes, mattes, and cryptomattes in this curriculum will enable a Visual Effects Artist to properly composite their renders. This course is a good starting point to begin creating compelling visual effects.
See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Effects Artist
Advertising Artist
An Advertising Artist creates visual content for advertising campaigns. This course directly addresses many skills an advertising artist may need. Specifically, the course's lessons regarding rendering, and liquid simulations, are extremely useful for producing dynamic and eye-catching advertisements. The course specifically mentions teaching skills for creating ads and commercials. This course also teaches all the steps of the production pipeline, from simulation all the way to rendering with Karma. By the end of the course, learners will have the skills to create advertising visuals that include liquid effects. This course is a great starting point for an Advertising Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Advertising Artist
Rendering Artist
A Rendering Artist is responsible for creating the final images in a 3D project. This course is well suited to someone wishing to become a rendering artist as it dedicates significant lessons to the Karma render engine. The course teaches how to create high quality renders with material and lights. The course also covers render passes, mattes, cryptomattes, and z-depth which are essential for creating final renders in production. A rendering artist will need to know how to use a render engine, and this course provides a great introduction that may lead to a role as a Rendering Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Rendering Artist
3D Generalist
A 3D Generalist is a versatile artist who handles various aspects of 3D production, and this course helps provide a foundation in simulations. The course gives a good introduction to liquid simulations, which is a highly demanded skill for a 3D generalist. The curriculum will expose a 3D generalist to fluid simulation, meshing, rendering, and the use of the Karma rendering engine. The projects of the course, such as the ice cream chocolate drip, or the water splash on an orange give excellent exercises in the core skills needed for a 3D generalist. The course may be helpful for a 3D Generalist looking to expand their skill set.
See salaries and explore the career path for 3D Generalist
Technical Director
A Technical Director in VFX manages the technical aspects of visual effects production, and this course may be useful for this role. This course will help build a foundation with Houdini, as it teaches how to create and render fluid simulations, which is a common task in this field. A technical director should have some knowledge of simulations and rendering, and this course provides a hands-on introduction to both. The course's focus on Karma for rendering and the rendering pipeline will help prepare a Technical Director for tasks that will require them to understand the production pipeline. The course's coverage of rendering passes, mattes, z depth, and cryptomattes are also crucial for a technical director who needs an understanding of compositing.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Director
Compositor
A Compositor combines different visual elements to create a final image or video, and this course may be useful for this role. The course's teaching of the Karma render engine, plus its instruction of rendering passes, mattes, z depth, and cryptomattes will help prepare a compositor for various tasks. With a foundational understanding of how renders are created, a compositor will be better prepared to understand the various passes provided to them. This course provides a basic understanding of rendering that may be helpful for a Compositor.
See salaries and explore the career path for Compositor
Motion Graphics Artist
A Motion Graphics Artist creates animated graphics for various media, and a course that teaches fluid simulation may be useful for this role. While motion graphics often focuses on abstract forms, the techniques taught in this course can be used to create dynamic and engaging animations, especially when simulating the movement of liquids. This course also covers the rendering aspect, which is essential for a motion graphics artist who must deliver finished animations suitable for broadcast or other platforms. Additionally, the course includes lessons on Karma, Houdini’s rendering engine, further preparing a Motion Graphics Artist by covering the entire pipeline.
See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Artist
Freelance Animator
A Freelance Animator is a self-employed artist who creates animations for various clients. This course focusing on FLIP simulations with Houdini may be useful to a Freelance Animator. Creating lifelike simulations of liquids is a useful skill for an animator, and this course provides the skills to do exactly that. This course teaches the entire pipeline from simulation to rendering with Karma. If an animator wishes to create simulations of liquid for their work, this course provides a foundation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Animator
Game Artist
A Game Artist creates the visual elements for video games, and this course may be useful for some aspects of this role. While not all game art requires fluid simulation, the techniques taught in this course could allow for the creation of realistic environmental effects or special effects for game assets. With its focus on the Karma renderer, this course is teaching key skills surrounding production and rendering in 3D. Knowing the basics of rendering, simulation, and compositing are useful for a Game Artist, and this course provides this knowledge.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist
Product Visualization Artist
A Product Visualization Artist creates high-quality 3D renderings of products for marketing and advertising, and this course may be useful in learning techniques for rendering liquids, which is often required for product visualization. The course's coverage of rendering with Karma gives the product visualization artist the necessary tools to properly present a product with liquid, such as a soda can or ice cream. The comprehensive walk-through of liquid simulation may allow for more dynamic product visualizations to be created. This course may be helpful to a Product Visualization Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Product Visualization Artist
Research Scientist
A Research Scientist conducts scientific research and analysis, and this course may be useful to a research scientist specializing in fluid dynamics. This course teaches FLIP fluid simulation in Houdini, which provides the tools to create high quality simulations. While not all research scientists will need this particular set of skills, this course provides a very direct application of fluid simulation technology. If a Research Scientist wishes to simulate fluids, this course may be helpful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Research Scientist
Educator
An Educator, especially in the fields of visual effects or animation, may find this course useful. This course provides a starting point to learn the basics of liquid simulation, meshing, and rendering with Karma. As an educator, it would be helpful to have a basic understanding of the concepts taught in this course. The course covers the entire pipeline of creating a fluid simulation, from the very beginning to rendering the final result. This course may be useful for an Educator.
See salaries and explore the career path for Educator
Scientific Visualization Specialist
A Scientific Visualization Specialist creates visual representations of scientific data, and this course may be useful as it teaches the simulation of liquids. Although scientific visualization is often more focused on data representation, the course's focus on fluid simulation may be relevant to certain areas. Furthermore, the rendering knowledge gained from using the Karma engine may also be useful to a Scientific Visualization Specialist who must present their data in a clear and concise manner. The course’s lessons on rendering passes, mattes, z depth, and cryptomattes may also be beneficial. This course may be helpful for a Scientific Visualization Specialist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Scientific Visualization Specialist

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Houdini FX: Getting started with FLIP.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of Houdini, covering a wide range of topics from basic concepts to advanced techniques. It serves as a valuable reference for understanding the underlying principles of Houdini's procedural workflow. While not specifically focused on FLIP simulations, it offers a strong foundation for tackling complex simulations. It is useful as additional reading to deepen your understanding of Houdini.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check

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Effort
9 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Alex Tumyang
Language
English
Good to know
Provides a practical introduction to FLIP simulations in Houdini, which is a widely used technique for creating realistic fluid effects in visual effects and animation
Covers Karma, Houdini's rendering engine, which allows learners to create visually appealing renders of their fluid simulations, enhancing their final projects
Includes multiple project-based examples, such as chocolate drips, water splashes, and soda explosions, which allows learners to apply their knowledge to diverse scenarios
Teaches how to render passes, mattes, Z-depth, and cryptomattes from Karma, which are essential skills for compositing and post-processing in visual effects workflows
Focuses on small-scale liquid simulations, which may not cover advanced techniques needed for large-scale or complex fluid simulations often encountered in professional VFX work
Requires learners to have access to Houdini software, which may involve a subscription cost, potentially posing a barrier for some students
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