Any Houdini users know of nice start tutorials?

#1 There are some free Houdini tutorials at www.3dbuzz.com.
They are teaching the general way of thinking procedural and some other basics.

#2 Hey Syn,

Actually, the tutorials on SideFX.com are not all that advanced (There are basic ones and advanced ones though), it seems to me that most people have trouble understanding the workflow in Houdini.

Have a look at the seagull UV tutorial, creep tool with copy stamping, surface operations, and some of the ones working with particles, just to get a handle on working with Houdini.

Houdini is mostly used as for effects in movies/commercials/similar so alot is aimed at particles etc.


The most used tools when doing normal modeling I guess would be PolyExtrude, PolySplit, and a few more I can't remember off the top of my head.

Also, if you are wondering about speficic functions or say, the DTS exporter, have a look at the webpage that loads when you start Houdini, and punch in for example DTS.

Too bad I haven't finished my video tutorials yet :/

I'll let you know when I have the first ones ready.

#3 Hey, thanks a lot Marcus!

#4 No problem Syn :)
Good luck with Houdini!

It can take a while to get used to the workflow, but personally I'm hooked without a doubt :)

#5 Lots of tutorials... Depends on what you want to do. Look on the sidefx site for learning tools. Also Digital Tutors has a couple of good ones out there as well.

But really depends on what you are wanting to use it for? Characters or objects?

#6 Just realized that some videos at 3DBuzz can be watched for free in full length at their homepage when you register there. I.e. a 95 minute tutorial on basic polygon modeling with Houdini.

I've watched some of them and I think it is really helpful for the first steps in Houdini

#7 There is a lack of poly-modeling tutorials for Houdini that show off polygonal modelling tools, this is not a smart move, SidFX should complement their free video tutorials (mostly about dynamics and node based workflow which is cool) with a few that are simply about polygonal modelling with Houdini.

Of course you can use any tutorial/hints you find for other packages with any other package, but some modelling-houdini specific tutorial from basic to intermediate would render Houdini easier to pick up for new comers.

#8 Here are the two that got me bootstrapped on Houdini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6yLjVmWAv0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkjlb6QzV4o

Good ol boys but both guys have several decent beginner videos. They are brief but they highlight the most important basics (esp the workflow) to get moving. I have never worked with 3d modeling and was able to get moving with just a few of these.

#9 One of the best tutorials I watched when I first started doesn't appear to show up in the tutorial menu.

www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=751&Itemid=...

It displays the box up modeling method to create a 3D spoon, and then subdivide it to make it smoother. This was the second Houdini tutorial I ever watched and from there I was able to grasp all future tutorials and begin modeling.

I have been using Houdini for several months now, and time permitting I will do some Houdini+Torque tutorials when I return from Japan next month.

It seems that understanding the SOP behavior is what has gotten most people into trouble, but so long as you get used to working step by step it's a very powerful tool you can leverage.

#10 As others have already said, 3DBuzz have some fantastic tutorials on Houdini as well as lots of other subjects (3DSMax, Maya, XNA, C#, C++, Unreal, Unity, iPhone Dev, etc).

www.3dbuzz.com