Houdini Apprentice HD Now Available!
by Derek Bronson · 06/12/2008 (10:40 am) · 33 comments
I am proud to announce that Houdini Apprentice HD is now available for purchase through the GG store for only $99. Houdini Apprentice HD has a Torque exporter built into it that makes getting your art assets into Torque a much smoother and easier process. Chris Robertson, the same man behind the Milkshape Exporter, has gone to extreme lengths to help professional and beginner artists alike set their art up properly for use in the Torque Engines. This is the best exporter currently available for Torque.
A Little Bit About Houdini
For those of you who may have never heard of Houdini or Side Effects I wanted to give a little background on this awesome tool. Established in 1987 Side Effects has been an industry leader in 3D animation and digital effects for film. Houdini has been used in more than 5000 shots and in over 200 feature films, including blockbusters like Transformers, Spider-Man 3 and Beowulf. Chances are, if you are seeing awesome digital effects, Houdini is behind it. In version 9 Side Effects has really strived to create an easy-yet-powerful tool that is available for the masses.
Why Houdini?
I touched on this subject in my last .plan but wanted to illustrate it again. One of my jobs as the 3rd Party Product Manager is to find tools and technology that make using Torque a much easier and gratifying process. One of the main issues that people have is getting their art assets into Torque, and even when they find a decent solution, most industry-grade art tools cost thousands of dollars. Houdini provides an industry proven software package, available for indie game development for only $99. One of the main reasons I have enjoyed working with Side Effects and bringing Houdini to the Torque community is that they really understand the concept of putting powerful tools in the hands of indies and beginners. This tool can be used to create commercial games under the same indie licence that the Torque engines use, making it the perfect art tool to use in conjunction with Torque.
Moving Forward
I want to emphasize that this is just the beginning of where we want to take our art pipeline and our relationship with Houdini. We are trying to do what we can for the artist community so any feedback you guys can provide would be great. You can post on the Houdini Forums or email me directly at DerekB at GarageGames.com. Enjoy Houdini!
#2
06/12/2008 (11:02 am)
Nice! 
#3
I've got a quick licensing question. From the Houdini Apprentice HD EULA:
Just to clarify, does the license for the $99 apprentice version permit you to use the models commercially (in a released game, for sale)? The wording seems a bit contradictory, but it seems that the $99 dollar version is all that's needed, correct?
06/12/2008 (11:15 am)
Looks fantastic, great work guys :-)I've got a quick licensing question. From the Houdini Apprentice HD EULA:
Quote:(emphasis added)
2. RESTRICTIONS ON USE. You agree that you will not: (a) copy The Software except that you may make one copy of The Software solely for backup purposes; (b) copy any of the written materials for any purpose; (c) assign this Agreement or transfer, lease, export or grant a sublicense of The Software or the license contained herein to any other party unless authorized by the Licensor in writing; (d) reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble The Software; (e) use The Software except as authorized herein; (f) permit third parties to use The Software in any way that would constitute breach of this Agreement; (g) use the software for other than non-commercial uses; (h) disassemble, modify, or reverse engineer the Houdini Apprentice Edition file format; and (i) convert Apprentice Edition files to a Commercial (non-Apprentice Edition) file format.
Non-commercial uses are those that don't involve paid work (i.e. compensation) or work for commercial purposes. You are permitted to use this software for learning, creating content for demo reels, participating in animation contests, game asset creation, and entering the SIGGRAPH Electronic Theatre. You are not permitted to profit from work done with the Houdini Apprentice HD Edition, with the sole exception being game assets exported to the Torque Game Engine are covered under the terms of the Torque Game Engine INDIE End User License Agreement.
Just to clarify, does the license for the $99 apprentice version permit you to use the models commercially (in a released game, for sale)? The wording seems a bit contradictory, but it seems that the $99 dollar version is all that's needed, correct?
#4
06/12/2008 (11:26 am)
The EULA contradicts what is on their own website, but looks like an exclusive deal for Torque Indie Developers which is great. From what I can tell... As long as you export to Torque DTS you can sell the packs and use them in games you sell. But yes, clarification for peace of mind would be great! :)
#5
06/12/2008 (12:09 pm)
Hey guys. This deal will only allow you to use the models commercially if they are in the .dts format whether it be for a content pack or in a game. If you would like to create a content pack using Houdini that features models in other file formats other than DTS you are going to have to upgrade to Houdini Escape. Hope that answers what you were looking for.
#6
06/12/2008 (12:28 pm)
Thanks Derek, that answers my question. Sounds like a pretty good deal for people who are looking for a powerful and easy 3d modeling program and aren't willing to part with the soul-wrenching amount of money needed to purchase a 3dsmax license :-) 
#7
06/12/2008 (12:50 pm)
I think Rex should also be recognized here, he put massive amounts of time into testing and insight into what was needed for the exporter, working closely with Chris :) Great stuff, cool tool!
#8
06/12/2008 (1:25 pm)
My bad. Rex certainly does need a huge amount of recognition as he has poured tons of hours into helping Chris form the exporter into what you see. He has done a large amount of testing, given great feedback and been an overall pleasure to work with. Please forgive me Rex for not addressing your efforts sooner.
#9
I'd second that. Rex's testing and feedback was invaluable, and he has had a huge impact on the quality of the tool.
06/12/2008 (1:33 pm)
Quote:I think Rex should also be recognized here
I'd second that. Rex's testing and feedback was invaluable, and he has had a huge impact on the quality of the tool.
#10
06/12/2008 (2:28 pm)
So out of curiousity, what makes this the "Best" DTS exporter for Torque? 
#12
Gimmick/Fact ?
""This is the best exporter currently available for Torque.""
This should really be explained.
06/12/2008 (4:33 pm)
I am with L Foster on this...Gimmick/Fact ?
""This is the best exporter currently available for Torque.""
This should really be explained.
#14
06/12/2008 (5:19 pm)
Guess that clears it up ;)
#15
I trust it is perpetual from GG right?
06/12/2008 (6:21 pm)
One spot ( the education one ) on the Side Effects site states the $99 Apprentice HD is an annual fee. I trust it is perpetual from GG right?
#16
For instance if you go right now to the site Apprentice HD is 99 and it is based on the 9.1.xxx version of Houdini. but if you click that you want the 9.5 it is a additional $69 upgrade fee. I. not sure but I think that this only applies to full point and half point releases but I'm not positive.
Secondly I'm not sure what this line the best exporter means either. What about Those of us that do have the more expensive packages like Maya, max, and XSI? How come we are being completely ignored it seems? Are we expected to all toss out the thousands we have spent on our softwares that are our core business applications "for some of us" and adopt Houdini? I have been using Maya for a little over 10 years and Alias before that. I'm not gonna change applications now.
the state of the rest of the exporters is pretty damn embarrassing to be honest with you. It should not be the end users job to build their own tools but especially in the case of Maya this is the case. and users are forced to tool the forums to even find. not to mention that it is usually around 6 months before an exporter is available after a new version of the application comes out.
for instance look at this page:
www.garagegames.com/developer/torque/artist/
That is not even the TDN that is the main website. Maya 7 was almost 4 years ago!
the TDN was finally updated with the current ones last year but if you are not a license holder" and many of the indie artist are not though they may be one a team that is. Regardless they don't have access to the TDN.
Not to mention that all of the documentation is on a users website. I hope he doesn't decide to take it down or not renew his domain or something.
AND...... XSI which is one of the finest character animation packages and has users that have been crying out for an exporter have been getting even more neglect. Softimage give the mod tool free for commercial use. and has a far sweeter deal of having the foundation available for only $495 not the $2k that SideFX wants you to pay for Houdini Escape
And...... 3DSmax wish grated is the most expensive package of them all to get started with exporters are almost impossible to find on TDN that above mentioned page has a version that is 2 versions now out of date....
As for Houdini's pedigee:
99% over all of the CG shots in those movies were rendered in Renderman. Which Houdini has great support for. But was and always has been done for these moves for the most part is the dynamics. The CG liquids, smoke and gases and things of that nature.
When it comes to things like character animation "Something that is actually useful for game designers" Houdini is not even thought of most of the time. Houdini is know as the package that you use for doing dynamics and explosions and things of that nature.
I know for a fact that everything in both Spider-man and Transformers that had to do with any character was done in Maya. Then ALL of it was rendered in Renderman. Every single robot in Transformers and most every other 3D object was modeled and animated in Maya.
As for Beowulf I cannot really comment as I don't know anyone that worked on that one. I have glanced at some web stories about Houdini being used but I cannot really comment on it as I do not know first hand.
Don't get me wrong Houdini is a amazing package and if you are new to 3D and short on cash well then it is prolly best choice to you since GG seem to be doing anything for XSI which would be even better for you and your cash strapped team. But then again I bet if GG was getting a cut for selling you mod tool instead of giving it away for free, there would be a fully functional exporter tomorrow. XSI and Maya are both much more well know for their modeling and animation capabilities than Houdini. Having tried them both I have to say that the work flow of Houdini doesn't even hold a candle Maya or XSI when it comes to modeling or character animation. If you want to do some dynamics effects shots the Houdini HD is the tool for you. But I'm pretty sure we are all here to make games not movies.
Well GG, what is the deal so is this it? is this the way it is going to be? Personally I hope not I think that the customers of GG have been very loyal and patient for a very long time.
honestly I know that for my self if it was very well done and kept up to date "by that I mean that when I new version of Maya or XSI comes out within a week or two there is an updated exporter." I would be will to pay a few bucks for a "PRO" exporter. I f that is what it is going to take. I don't feel that we should have to do this but that seems to be what it take to get things out of GG.
06/12/2008 (8:04 pm)
on their website it says that you license is valid for the version that you purchased but you have to pay for upgrades. For instance if you go right now to the site Apprentice HD is 99 and it is based on the 9.1.xxx version of Houdini. but if you click that you want the 9.5 it is a additional $69 upgrade fee. I. not sure but I think that this only applies to full point and half point releases but I'm not positive.
Secondly I'm not sure what this line the best exporter means either. What about Those of us that do have the more expensive packages like Maya, max, and XSI? How come we are being completely ignored it seems? Are we expected to all toss out the thousands we have spent on our softwares that are our core business applications "for some of us" and adopt Houdini? I have been using Maya for a little over 10 years and Alias before that. I'm not gonna change applications now.
the state of the rest of the exporters is pretty damn embarrassing to be honest with you. It should not be the end users job to build their own tools but especially in the case of Maya this is the case. and users are forced to tool the forums to even find. not to mention that it is usually around 6 months before an exporter is available after a new version of the application comes out.
for instance look at this page:
www.garagegames.com/developer/torque/artist/
That is not even the TDN that is the main website. Maya 7 was almost 4 years ago!
the TDN was finally updated with the current ones last year but if you are not a license holder" and many of the indie artist are not though they may be one a team that is. Regardless they don't have access to the TDN.
Not to mention that all of the documentation is on a users website. I hope he doesn't decide to take it down or not renew his domain or something.
AND...... XSI which is one of the finest character animation packages and has users that have been crying out for an exporter have been getting even more neglect. Softimage give the mod tool free for commercial use. and has a far sweeter deal of having the foundation available for only $495 not the $2k that SideFX wants you to pay for Houdini Escape
And...... 3DSmax wish grated is the most expensive package of them all to get started with exporters are almost impossible to find on TDN that above mentioned page has a version that is 2 versions now out of date....
As for Houdini's pedigee:
Quote:well your statement is pretty misleading at best.
Established in 1987 Side Effects has been an industry leader in 3D animation and digital effects for film. Houdini has been used in more than 5000 shots and in over 200 feature films, including blockbusters like Transformers, Spider-Man 3 and Beowulf. Chances are, if you are seeing awesome digital effects, Houdini is behind it.
99% over all of the CG shots in those movies were rendered in Renderman. Which Houdini has great support for. But was and always has been done for these moves for the most part is the dynamics. The CG liquids, smoke and gases and things of that nature.
When it comes to things like character animation "Something that is actually useful for game designers" Houdini is not even thought of most of the time. Houdini is know as the package that you use for doing dynamics and explosions and things of that nature.
I know for a fact that everything in both Spider-man and Transformers that had to do with any character was done in Maya. Then ALL of it was rendered in Renderman. Every single robot in Transformers and most every other 3D object was modeled and animated in Maya.
As for Beowulf I cannot really comment as I don't know anyone that worked on that one. I have glanced at some web stories about Houdini being used but I cannot really comment on it as I do not know first hand.
Don't get me wrong Houdini is a amazing package and if you are new to 3D and short on cash well then it is prolly best choice to you since GG seem to be doing anything for XSI which would be even better for you and your cash strapped team. But then again I bet if GG was getting a cut for selling you mod tool instead of giving it away for free, there would be a fully functional exporter tomorrow. XSI and Maya are both much more well know for their modeling and animation capabilities than Houdini. Having tried them both I have to say that the work flow of Houdini doesn't even hold a candle Maya or XSI when it comes to modeling or character animation. If you want to do some dynamics effects shots the Houdini HD is the tool for you. But I'm pretty sure we are all here to make games not movies.
Well GG, what is the deal so is this it? is this the way it is going to be? Personally I hope not I think that the customers of GG have been very loyal and patient for a very long time.
honestly I know that for my self if it was very well done and kept up to date "by that I mean that when I new version of Maya or XSI comes out within a week or two there is an updated exporter." I would be will to pay a few bucks for a "PRO" exporter. I f that is what it is going to take. I don't feel that we should have to do this but that seems to be what it take to get things out of GG.
#17
I'm also hoping, as someone who has already invested time and cash in other tools (XSI), that there is more in store for us too. I'm reluctant to switch from something I already know and own to yet another unknown tool. If I'm going to do that learning curve thing again I might as well spend effort learning Blender better which costs $0.
06/12/2008 (8:12 pm)
Joseph's feature chart has almost sold me. But is there any chance a demo will be available with the exporter? I realize I can download a demo of Houdini itself from Side Effects but it would be nice to see how the exporter actually works too. If nothing else, maybe some nice youtube videos of exporting various objects (static, sequences, etc.) I'm also hoping, as someone who has already invested time and cash in other tools (XSI), that there is more in store for us too. I'm reluctant to switch from something I already know and own to yet another unknown tool. If I'm going to do that learning curve thing again I might as well spend effort learning Blender better which costs $0.
#18
1. Probably the most feature complete exporter currently available. From the DTS Exporter comparison table (tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/FeatureChart), the only features not supported by the Houdini exporter are:
- Decals (not supported in TGE anyway)
- Bump Maps (not supported in TGE anyway)
- Windows only for now (HD runs on linux and is coming to the Mac, the exporter source is portable to both platforms)
2. GUI based approach to scene exporting. The old Base01->Start01 hierarchy and meta-nodes for LOD markers, sequences and other DTS specific features are no longer required. Nor do you need to add tags to the node names (BB::, LOSCol etc). Everything can be managed from the Torque exporter GUI.
3. The DTSMaterial node in Houdini allows IFL sequences to be loaded, edited, saved and viewed all from within the application
4. Useful actions on export:
- generate a single DSQ file with all animations, or a separate DSQ file for each animation
- auto-generate the TorqueScript file to load the DSQ animations into a player shape
- auto-copy textures used in the shape to the export directory
06/12/2008 (8:23 pm)
@L Foster - Here is why I consider the Houdini exporter to be the best exporter currently available for Torque:1. Probably the most feature complete exporter currently available. From the DTS Exporter comparison table (tdn.garagegames.com/wiki/DTS/FeatureChart), the only features not supported by the Houdini exporter are:
- Decals (not supported in TGE anyway)
- Bump Maps (not supported in TGE anyway)
- Windows only for now (HD runs on linux and is coming to the Mac, the exporter source is portable to both platforms)
2. GUI based approach to scene exporting. The old Base01->Start01 hierarchy and meta-nodes for LOD markers, sequences and other DTS specific features are no longer required. Nor do you need to add tags to the node names (BB::, LOSCol etc). Everything can be managed from the Torque exporter GUI.
3. The DTSMaterial node in Houdini allows IFL sequences to be loaded, edited, saved and viewed all from within the application
4. Useful actions on export:
- generate a single DSQ file with all animations, or a separate DSQ file for each animation
- auto-generate the TorqueScript file to load the DSQ animations into a player shape
- auto-copy textures used in the shape to the export directory
#19
06/12/2008 (8:48 pm)
The feature matrix for Houdini Apprentice ( at http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=589&Itemid=221 ) lists "FBX import". Depending on how well it works, that could plug a big hole for users of XSI and Cinema 4D, as a reasonably priced export tool.
#20
I hope people pick up Houdini and give it a far chance, even if its just the free Apprentice to check out the workflow. But we know people don't just use one art tool or have art tools that they have invested a lot of time in like yourself James. This announcement isn't meant to say that you have to switch to Houdini or else. It's simply to let you know of a new tool that is being made available to indie's to help them make games or to help enhance your workflow. Also, that Side Effects is looking to make their way into game asset creation and are listening to your feedback to create a tool that meets your needs.
I know your frustrated with the lack of support and I know GG artists have been very patient and forgiving. As I mentioned at the end of my blog this is just the beginning of where we are taking the art pipeline and we have much more in store for artists using Torque coming very soon. So James please understand that we are not ignoring you or others like you and we hear you.
@Don - Currently there is no hands-on demo of the exporter. I will see what I can do about getting some video's up that show the exporter and how it works.
06/12/2008 (8:59 pm)
@James - Wow James, what a post. I will do my best to answer your concerns and issues. Your comments are all valid, I won't try to argue that. Trust me, we want Torque to be an artist-friendly tool and we're totally aware that it's been rough at times up to this point. Softimage tools are great and yes, Autodesk stuff is pretty ubiquitous in games at the moment too. We've got guys in our studio using everything from Lightwave to Maya. We're not ignoring those options or free options like Blender at all, but Side Effects offered to work with us to provide a pro-quality tool that's usually quite expensive at a very affordable price and with a nice EULA for the community. They also helped us with the exporter which was nice. We don't expect being a Torque user to mean that Houdini is the only option. We want to support as many as possible. Houdini's no pushover in this realm though. I've seen what it can do and it's definitely handles some very tricky operations with impressive features.I hope people pick up Houdini and give it a far chance, even if its just the free Apprentice to check out the workflow. But we know people don't just use one art tool or have art tools that they have invested a lot of time in like yourself James. This announcement isn't meant to say that you have to switch to Houdini or else. It's simply to let you know of a new tool that is being made available to indie's to help them make games or to help enhance your workflow. Also, that Side Effects is looking to make their way into game asset creation and are listening to your feedback to create a tool that meets your needs.
Quote:Well GG, what is the deal so is this it? is this the way it is going to be? Personally I hope not I think that the customers of GG have been very loyal and patient for a very long time.
I know your frustrated with the lack of support and I know GG artists have been very patient and forgiving. As I mentioned at the end of my blog this is just the beginning of where we are taking the art pipeline and we have much more in store for artists using Torque coming very soon. So James please understand that we are not ignoring you or others like you and we hear you.
@Don - Currently there is no hands-on demo of the exporter. I will see what I can do about getting some video's up that show the exporter and how it works.
Torque 3D Owner Todd Pickens