Houdini Procedural Modeling for Art Design from Udemy

Welcome and let's dive into the math magic of Houdini. In this lesson, we'll learn how to bring your ideas to life using procedural modeling tools. We'll transform your fantasies into real objects, harnessing nodes to create your future masterpieces. You'll learn to express your love for what you create with your own hands through the possibilities Houdini offers. After completing this course, you'll be able to develop a scene you've imagined, using almoust 100% procedural modeling – simplifying your creative process and reducing project time.

Since this course is geared towards beginners, I've strived to avoid complex concepts and minimize the use of VEX code in favor of VOPs. We'll primarily work with attributes, Copy to points, Boolean, and only a small amount of simple VEX code. For rendering, we'll be using Karma CPU.

Our focus will be on the main scene object – Thopter, but we'll also pay attention to the other elements. My goal is to immerse you in the world of Houdini using the most straightforward language possible. I've also tried to create an unconventional scene to make the learning process more engaging. By teaching you to create this scene, I aim to help you unleash your creativity and overcome any fear that the software might limit your ideas.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Learn how to work using procedural nature of houdini
Learn how to use basic techniques creatively

Learn how to use the math in modeling
Learn to create scene using only procedural modeling

Learn how to work using procedural nature of houdini
Learn how to use basic techniques creatively
Learn how to use the math in modeling
Learn to create scene using only procedural modeling

Syllabus

Introduction

Thopter

Main Line

Creating Body Shape

Top Window

Base Wing

Nose and Glass

Panels Part 1

Panels Part 2

Legs Part 1

Legs Part 2

Back wings

Tail

Gears

Main patterns

Small ornaments

Wing details

Engine Part 1

Engine Part 2

Engine Part 3

Nose Interior

Core Part 1

Core Part 2

Main Interior

Front Glass Ornaments

Final Touches

Secondary objects

Walls Part 1

Walls Part 2

Candle

Books Part 1

Books Part 2

Materials, Lights and Render

Materials

Blueprint Texture

Lighting

Render

Post Processing

Conclusion

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 Procedural Modeling for Art Design with these activities:

Review Basic 3D Modeling Concepts

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Reinforce fundamental 3D modeling concepts to better understand Houdini's procedural approach.

Browse courses on Polygon Modeling

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Review the principles of polygon and NURBS modeling.
Familiarize yourself with basic 3D terminology.
Practice simple modeling exercises in any 3D software.

Read 'Houdini Fundamentals'

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Build a strong foundation in Houdini's core concepts and workflows.

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Obtain a copy of 'Houdini Fundamentals'.
Read the chapters covering the basics of Houdini.
Follow along with the examples provided in the book.

Read 'Mastering Houdini'

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Expand your understanding of Houdini's capabilities and workflows.

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Obtain a copy of 'Mastering Houdini'.
Read the chapters relevant to procedural modeling and VOPs.
Experiment with the examples provided in the book.

Four other activities

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Practice VOPs Exercises

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Reinforce your understanding of VOPs (Vex Operators) through targeted exercises.

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Find or create simple VOPs exercises.
Implement the exercises in Houdini.
Review and refine your solutions.

Create a Houdini Procedural Modeling Tutorial

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Solidify your understanding by creating a tutorial explaining a specific procedural modeling technique in Houdini.

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Choose a specific technique to explain.
Prepare a clear and concise explanation.
Record a video or write a blog post demonstrating the technique.
Share your tutorial with the Houdini community.

Procedural City Generator

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Apply your knowledge to create a procedural city generator, solidifying your understanding of Houdini's procedural modeling tools.

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Plan the structure and layout of your city.
Develop procedural rules for building generation.
Implement the generator in Houdini.
Add details and variations to the buildings.
Optimize the generator for performance.

Contribute to a Houdini Open Source Project

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Deepen your understanding of Houdini by contributing to an open-source project related to procedural modeling.

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Find an open-source Houdini project on GitHub.
Review the project's documentation and code.
Identify a bug or feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Career center

Learners who complete Houdini Procedural Modeling for Art Design will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Visual Effects Artist

A Visual Effects Artist creates effects for movies, television, and other media. This course on procedural modeling in Houdini can be very helpful for a Visual Effects Artist because Houdini is an industry-standard tool for visual effects. The course introduces artists to using nodes, attributes, copy to points, and booleans to create complex effects. A Visual Effects Artist will find value in learning how to develop a scene, imagined from scratch, using procedural modeling, because mastering this will allow them to simplify their creative process and reduce project time. The understanding gained from the course may allow visual effects artists to craft realistic and visually stunning effects.

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Technical Artist

A Technical Artist bridges the gap between artists and programmers, streamlining workflows and solving technical challenges in art production. This course's introduction to Houdini's procedural modeling tools directly supports a Technical Artist's need to create efficient and scalable art pipelines. A Technical Artist will appreciate the course's focus on using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans because they are fundamental to creating procedural systems within Houdini. Using this course, a Technical Artist can develop skills in procedural modeling that may enhance their ability to optimize art creation processes and empower artists with user-friendly tools. The exploration of rendering using Karma CPU further enhances the technical skill set necessary for this role.

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Digital Sculptor

A Digital Sculptor creates detailed 3D models using sculpting software. This course in Houdini may be useful for enhancing a digital sculptor's workflow. This course's instruction to overcome fear that the software might limit ideas will empower sculptors to try new things. A Digital Sculptor will appreciate the course's focus on using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans because they are fundamental to creating complex shapes. Learning how to use Houdini can help a modeler create compelling designs that were previously impossible. The exploration of rendering using Karma CPU further gives sculpting professionals an edge in the field.

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Architectural Visualization Artist

An Architectural Visualization Artist creates visual representations of architectural designs. This Houdini procedural modeling course may be useful for an Architectural Visualization Artist because it provides skills to generate complex 3D models efficiently. This course will help an Architectural Visualization Artist learn how to use the math in modeling to better represent the mathematical nature of Architecture. The course's introduction to using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans may allow the artist to create detailed architectural elements procedurally. The sections on materials, lighting, and rendering can be useful for creating realistic and compelling visualizations. The time saved using these methods can be spent on creative and artistic tasks, so your final designs may be able to reach a higher presentation quality.

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Virtual Reality Developer

A Virtual Reality Developer builds immersive experiences for virtual reality platforms. This course on Houdini procedural modeling may be useful for a Virtual Reality Developer, as it provides skills in creating 3D assets and environments efficiently. Virtual Reality Developers need to create detailed and optimized content, and this course's instruction on using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans directly supports this. The course's goal of helping you unleash your creativity, may also be very useful for virtual reality developers. This course may enable a Virtual Reality Developer to build more immersive and engaging VR experiences with visually stunning and procedurally generated content.

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Environmental Modeler

An Environmental Modeler focuses on creating realistic and immersive environments for video games, films, or other media. This course in Houdini may be useful for an Environmental Modeler to create complex scenes with a high degree of control. Environmental Modelers need to be able to create detailed and expansive virtual worlds, and this course helps by providing a framework for that. The course touches on subjects like creating books, candles, and walls. These are examples of objects that comprise a virtual environment. The focus on using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans will help modelers create and make changes easily.

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3D Modeler

A 3D Modeler creates three-dimensional assets for various applications, including video games, film, and virtual reality. This course on Houdini procedural modeling can be useful for a 3D Modeler looking to expand their skillset. The course helps build a foundation in using nodes to create complex objects, simplifying the creation of detailed models. A 3D Modeler may also find the sections on creating various parts of the Thopter object, such as the body, wings, and engine, particularly helpful for learning how to approach complex modeling projects. The course's avoidance of complex concepts, focusing on attributes, and copy to points may prove useful, by providing a solid base for creating high-quality 3D models.

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Game Environment Artist

A Game Environment Artist creates the environments in which video games take place. This course in Houdini procedural modeling may be useful for a Game Environment Artist, particularly the focus on creating entire scenes using procedural techniques. Game Environment Artists require the ability to generate detailed and varied landscapes efficiently, and the course's instruction on using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans directly supports this. This course may enable a Game Environment Artist to build more efficient workflows for creating detailed and immersive game worlds, by working with the procedural nature of Houdini.

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Animator

An Animator creates moving images for various media. This course may be useful for Animators, particularly those interested in incorporating procedural techniques into their workflow. This course helps Animators learn how to create and manipulate objects using nodes, attributes, and copy to points, which may open up new possibilities for creating complex and dynamic animations. The focus on using math in modeling can also be beneficial for creating realistic and physically accurate animations. The sections on materials, lighting, and rendering may help animators create visually appealing and polished animations. Furthermore, the goal to help artists overcome the fear that software might limit their ideas will encourage animators to push the boundaries of their craft.

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Digital Artist

A Digital Artist uses digital tools to create art. This course on Houdini procedural modeling can be useful for a Digital Artist looking to expand their skillset. The course's introduction to nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans may allow a digital artist to explore new creative avenues within Houdini. The course's focus on simplifying the creative process and reducing project time may be useful to artists in various digital art fields. The course's focus on an unconventional scene may help digital artists unleash their creativity and overcome any perceived limitations of the software.

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Motion Graphics Designer

A Motion Graphics Designer creates animated visuals for various media. This course may be useful for motion graphics, as Houdini's procedural capabilities are powerful for creating dynamic and complex animations. This course helps designers to learn how to use the math in modeling, which can be very helpful when animating elements to make them pop and flow. The course's emphasis on using nodes to create objects helps build a strong foundation in a non-destructive workflow, which is very important in motion graphics. The sections on materials, lighting, and rendering help motion graphics designers create visually appealing and polished animations. Furthermore, the focus to avoid complex concepts and minimize the use of VEX code in favor of VOPs may be useful for motion graphics designers.

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Product Designer

A Product Designer designs new products or improves existing ones. This course on Houdini procedural modeling may be useful for a Product Designer wanting to explore new design methodologies. The course's introduction to using math in modeling and developing scenes using procedural modeling may allow Product Designers to visualize and iterate on designs more efficiently. The course's focus on materials, lighting, and rendering may provide Product Designers with the tools to create high-quality product visualizations. Learning Houdini provides a very powerful tool to showcase final product designs to stakeholders. This course's instruction to overcome fear that software might limit their ideas may be very useful for Product Designers.

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Simulation Specialist

A Simulation Specialist creates simulations for various purposes, such as training, research, and entertainment. Although this course is geared towards using Houdini for art design, the fundamentals of procedural modeling that it teaches may be helpful to learn its application in simulations. The course's introduction to nodes, attributes, copy to points, and booleans, may prove useful for setting up simulations. This course may also be useful because it can apply to a diverse range of simulation projects. This course helps demonstrate how to use Houdini in creative ways.

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Data Visualization Specialist

A Data Visualization Specialist transforms raw data into visual representations. Although this course is geared towards art design, the underlying principles of procedural modeling in Houdini may be useful for data visualization. This course, which focuses on using nodes, attributes, copy to points and booleans, may prove useful for creating complex visualizations based on datasets. The course's focus on creating a scene using procedural modeling may be useful for visualizing data in a meaningful and engaging way. The course's focus on simplifying the creative process may allow Data Visualization Specialists to quickly iterate on designs and explore different ways to present information.

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Instructional Designer

An Instructional Designer creates learning materials and experiences. Although this course is about art design, the principles of procedural modeling and the process of learning a new software like Houdini may prove useful for an Instructional Designer. This Houdini course may provide insights into effective teaching methodologies, particularly in the context of complex software. The course's focus on creating an engaging and unconventional scene may inspire Instructional Designers to develop more creative and effective learning experiences. Understanding the challenges and triumphs of learning a new skill may allow an Instructional Designer to better empathize with learners.

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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 Procedural Modeling for Art Design.

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Provides a comprehensive guide to Houdini, covering a wide range of topics from basic concepts to advanced techniques. It valuable resource for understanding the software's capabilities and workflows. While the course focuses on procedural modeling, this book expands on other areas of Houdini. It useful reference for those looking to deepen their knowledge of Houdini beyond the scope of this course.

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Houdini Procedural Modeling for Art Design

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