Introduction to Houdini: Grains

Creating a Sinkhole Sand Effect with David Silberbauer

Learn how to create a sinkhole effect in a desert scene with this comprehensive 6-hour Houdini workshop by VFX artist, David Silberbauer. This detailed workshop is intended for beginner Houdini artists, though it is also helpful for intermediate artists looking to refine their workflow.

Over the course of nine chapters, David covers how to manipulate attributes, details HeightField basics and MPM solver basics, explains how to use VDB processes to create sources, and discusses FLIP fluids basics. He also covers HeightField scattering, Meshing fluids, and Houdini’s GPU-accelerated Material Point Method (MPM) solver. 

This workshop explores a wide range of areas within Houdini to help artists familiarize themselves with the different aspects and workflows that this powerful software offers. Starting with a basic scene setup and UI, David begins with a discussion of what makes Houdini so unique as a VFX software package. He then walks through examples of preferred professional workflows, while discussing working methodology and concepts that ensure artists of all levels can take advantage of working in “The Houdini Way.”

David details a HeightField overview and goes through some of the critical nodes. He then walks through how they can be used to create a base mesh quickly and procedurally. From there, David inspects the differences between different DOPs and instructs on how to create one from the ground up. 

Understanding the core building blocks empowers artists to create their own simulations with control over different aspects, elements, and attributes. David shows how to control these attributes using Ramp, Wrangle, and Noise features to simulate more interesting shapes. As the final step, he jumps into Solaris, where everything is brought together to create a final render. In this stage of the workflow, he offers an overview of lighting, materials, and render settings before diving into Copernicus to add the finishing touches.

David’s Sand Sinkhole Houdini file is provided as a learning resource with this workshop. Throughout the workshop, he also uses various Megascan assets.