The Hipflask Learning Path
Real skills and understanding for real-world production
Houdini is no longer just for VFX work – or some secret tool of the specialist elite. With its super powerful and rapidly expanding toolset, it’s fast becoming the ideal all-round content creation software for all 3D professionals – the one you model, animate, shade, light and render in. There’s a lot to learn, but we’re here to get you there.
Deep knowledge, clear explanations, structured learning.
It’s the Hipflask way.
Houdini Made Easy
The Learning Path For Beginners
Whether you’re just starting out or transitioning from other software, this series of courses is focused on getting you confident and capable using Houdini for all stages of the CG process.
The Houdini Made Easy learning path takes you step-by-step through the fundamental concepts that are crucial to really understanding Houdini – so you learn everything you need, in an order that makes sense.
We’re continually building new courses to continue the learning path, so Houdini Made Easy is a series that grows as you do.
Step 01
Your Houdini learning path starts here. For free!
The Core Essentials Collection
What every artist needs to know – the fundamental tools and concepts to work quickly and efficiently in Houdini at a higher level. Houdini isn’t just another 3D application, it’s more of a 3D operating system – don’t worry, we’ll show you. So let’s get familiar with the interface and see just how artist-friendly it can be once you know where all the knobs and dials are, as well as all the crucial keyboard shortcuts.
The Core Essentials Collection
Essential Tools & Concepts
Our entire first collection, packaged into a single course. 54 lessons, 5 hours of essential learning, fully searchable for quick and easy reference.
01. User Interface, Navigation, Selecting & Transforming
02. Working in the Viewport
03. Understanding Networks & Contexts
04. Working in the Network Editor
Learn More
Step 02
Build strong foundations
The Geometry Essentials Collection
VFX, direct modelling, procedural modelling, UVs, scene layout – it all starts with understanding Houdini’s unique approach to geometry. The Houdini way is a little different to what you might be used to, so understanding how and why it works as early as possible will make the next stages of creating and editing geometry infinitely easier and more intuitive.
Houdini Geometry Essentials 01
Components & Primitive Types
Let’s examine Houdini’s geometry components – points, vertices, primitives, edges and breakpoints. Constructing geometry is all about connecting points, but it’s understanding vertices that will give you true power in controlling that connectivity. This course also tackles the concepts, theories and practical uses of the different primitive types – polygons, nurbs, beziers, meshes, polysoups, quadratic...
$79.99
Houdini Geometry Essentials 02
Attributes: Principles, Normals & Vectors
Attributes are the blood that flows through Houdini’s veins, carrying data through a geometry network and passing data from one piece of geometry to another. They’re incredibly powerful – they drive particle simulations, carry material information, and allow for all kinds of custom functionality. Attributes allow us to actually see, read and manipulate the raw data that defines our models and effects…
$59.99
Houdini Geometry Essentials 03
Attributes, Variables &
Parameters
First, we drop some new knowledge bombs. The difference between attributes and variables, local vs global variables, and working with the bounding box and parameter expressions. Then we take all you’ve learnt from Geometry Essentials about attributes and variables and put it into action. Practical exercises show how you can make all the theory work for you in real life, on real projects.
Current Course
Early Bird Discount $79.99 $55
Houdini Geometry Essentials 04
Attribute VOPs & SOPs
A brilliant intro to VEX, VOPs are a visual way of using VEX to manipulate attributes and modify geometry. We know geometry is driven by attributes, and adding VOPs to the mix is like whacking in a V8 supercar engine. We’ll supercharge your skills by showing you how to handle SOPs and VOPs, and put them into practice alongside all your other Houdini knowledge.
Starting in September/October
Houdini Geometry Essentials 05
Groups and Selections
Forget the endless clicking you’re forced to do in other apps – in Houdini you can let the data do the hard work for you. We’ll show you how to save hours of work by using that data in artist-friendly, interactive ways. It’s not just about the data though, we’ll also go through all the essential direct selection techniques – rings, loops, point to point, by pattern, by normal…
Starting in November/December
Step 03
Start making. Keep developing deep knowledge and understanding.
The Direct Modelling Collection
A craftsman is a master of their tools – in Houdini, those tools are nodes. Building on everything you learnt about Houdini’s unique geometry concepts and workflows in the previous collection, we’ll unpack many important modelling nodes and learn how to work with them directly in the viewport. Through understanding these technical aspects and hands-on workflow techniques, we’ll show you Houdini’s incredible power as an artist’s tool.
Houdini Direct Modelling Essentials 01
Coming Soon
Part 01 of a collection covering polymodelling, curve modelling, deformations, and procedural tools in direct modelling workflows. Detailed course descriptions coming soon!
Starting in December/January
Houdini Direct Modelling Essentials 02
Coming Soon
Part 02 of a collection covering polymodelling, curve modelling, deformations, and procedural tools in direct modelling workflows. Detailed course descriptions coming soon!
Starting in February/March
Houdini Direct Modelling Essentials 03
Coming Soon
Part 03 of a collection covering polymodelling, curve modelling, deformations, and procedural tools in direct modelling workflows. Detailed course descriptions coming soon!
Starting in April/May
Step 04
Harness the power of proceduralism
The Procedural Modelling Collection
Coming soon. Watch this space!
Step 05 and Beyond - your learning path doesn’t stop at 04! We’ve got many new collections on the way, each one diving even deeper into Houdini’s many capabilities and building more and more complex skills. We’ll announce each new collection as we get closer. Something you’d particularly like to learn? Let us know!
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High quality training based on years of industry experience
Fraser Shiers is an award-winning creative director, 3D artist and university lecturer. He’s produced work for some of the world’s best known brands and advertising agencies, and has taught hundreds of students how to get up and running with Houdini.
