What do you think?

[theis]

Hi guys!

It's been about a year since I started my entrance into 3D, with absolutely zero experience. It's now a hobby I enjoy very much.

I've just created an animation you can find at this youtube adress :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Bl6YjApuE

What do you think? Does it look good or bad, created by an amateur?

(my english might be bad. I'm danish)

Edited January 22, 2010 by theis

[Ezz]

Hi Theis.

Dont feel bad about being a dane. ;-)

Well about youre example its a good start - I remember my first 3d-work and think I have come a long way since.

I have experienced that its a good idea (for me that is) to split up things in subjects. So if you want to show

a boat getting broken up - thats where I put my energy.

Thats just my opinion though.

Keep it up :-)

Erik

Edited January 22, 2010 by Ezz

[theis]

Thank you Erik!

You'r working at duckling?

Anyway - I've thought about learning VEX or Python. What is the most important scripting language to learn at the start of your houdini-path?

Theis

[pclaes]

Hi,

Welcome to odforce .

It looks like a first 3d animation. Which is fine, everybody starts somewhere, the important part is to keep improving and critically analyzing your work.

3d is a big area and there is a lot to learn, with every step some aspect of it will improve in quality. Working on a project is a good goal as it will give you smaller goals to achieve within the bigger project. Generally working on a 3d animation is an iterative process. First the general shape of the boat and the environment, then the general movement and timing of your animation, then a first look and basic render even a basic comp of the scene so you get a feel for the layout of the shot and what will actually be in view from the cameras point of view. Then the next iteration, you make the boat more detailed, make the sea more detailed, make the animations more detailed. Perhaps you can already eliminate some elements because they are not in view. Basic materials become shaders with basic textures. Basic light setups become more complex. Basic renderpasses are extended and the comp and look grows richer in detail. At each step it is good to post some of the elements and get feedback and use the feedback to improve the next iteration.

Practically:

Focus on expressions first, they will give you a lot of practical use immediately.

These will help a lot:

http://www.sidefx.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1500&Itemid=305

Also there are a lot of tutorials out there (sidefx website) and free ones that will improve your skills a lot:

http://odforce.net/wiki/index.php/Tutorials

Later when you are starting with vops to start speed things up, I tend to use vex for speed and python for everything else (as in things that vex can't do). But explore the nodes that are already part of houdini first - there are a lot of them in different contexts, some of houdini's power comes from knowing how to combine the data between these contexts, so that's important to learn as well.

Good luck with your projects, and why not start a WIP in the WIP section of this forum?

Edited January 23, 2010 by pclaes

[3__]

I think it delivers. Reminds me of rhino's ass by Dragon Magic.

more please.

[theis]

Thank's a lot Peter, for taking the time to write!

I appreciate it very much. I've heard good about the friendly atmosphere at odforce, and people are right about that:-)

Theis