Introduction to Particles in Houdini
In this Houdini tutorial, we take a look at "Particle Operators", or POPs, as they're called. Software required: Houdini14.
What you'll learn
In this Houdini tutorial we take a look at "Particle Operators", or POPs, as they're called. We'll start off with a discussion of the fundamental concepts behind Houdini's Particle Operators, and the tools of the Particle Shelf, while focusing on efficient workflow within the dynamics context. Next, we build the most basic of setups constructed using only the shelf tools and simple geometry, and then we work our way through complex particle sourcing, particle forces, and setting up sprites. Finally, we'll learn to write our own custom VEX expressions to control various aspects of particle behavior. This Houdini training is intended for an artist with a solid understanding of basic 3D concepts and a general understanding of Houdini's interface and workflow. Software required: Houdini14.
Table of contents
- Getting Started with Particles 6m
- Using Forces to Shape Your Simulation 11m
- The Life of a Particle 4m
- Using the Life Attribute 16m
- Giving Birth to a Particle 14m
- Particles in Motion 11m
- Selective Sourcing 16m
- Basic Particle Collisions 15m
- Particle Specific Collisions 13m
- Working with Sprites 14m
- Key Parameters of the Pop Sprite Node 9m
- Using VEX Expressions to Manipulate Sprite Behavior 19m
About the author
John is the resident Houdini and dynamics author at Pluralsight. In college, he had the opportunity to work at SideFX (the creators of Houdini) and has been able to teach dynamics and visual effects to numerous creative industry professionals over the years. He lives for the rush of seeing his pupils experience "light bulb" moments. John's latest passion has been breathing new life into the Pluralsight Houdini training library and making sure that no software or tools can get in the way of an ar... more