Introduction to Particle FX in Houdini: Vol. 1

Houdini is an industry leader in visual effects, putting power into the hands of FX artists working in production for films, TV, and games. As one of the most-used effects tools in the industry, artists can often find Houdini a daunting tool to get to grips with. Here, Alessandro Cangelosi unravels the learning curve to introduce a simple way to approach particle FX using Houdini.

This 7-hour workshop takes you step by step through how to manage different types of operators, including DOP, SOP, VOP, and focuses primarily on POP (Particle Operators) Networks. You’ll discover how to create a particle setup from scratch as well as how to take advantage of Houdini Shelf presets. The workshop aims to teach a sound understanding of how a particle system works in 3D.

The workshop concludes by tackling a final project: How to generate a CG nebula using volume velocity advection with a simple VOP, where helpful tips about how to create pyro FX advection are provided, as well as a deep look at particle rendering for gaseous FX.