C++ Effects Programming ?

[catchyid]

Hi,

I have been doing FX using Houdini for almost 1.5 year now, and I have over than 10 years of experience in C++ programming/algorithms. I am wondering what could be improved in Houdini Effects using C++? Is there any kind of effects that require more logic than just using simple VEX or Python scripts? 

I know there are many translators between Houdini/Arnold/etc. integration that could be written, but I am more interested in Effects programming, i.e. a program that would create hard to create effects using Houdini current built-in tools.

Any ideas are really appreciated 

[symek]

There is always room for improvements in FX department, although SESI builtin tools raise bar high enough. Nevertheless since product vendor has to provide tools for a wide audience, particular implementation of the tool might not fit one's needs. Typical scenario are FEM for character effects (secondary motion / tissue effects), techniques for cloth and hair effects, like cloth sim driven by rig animation, low scale / high detail SPH fluids , particles' meshing techniques (capable of handing slow motion), illumination caching for volumetric effects (still very slow for high res dense volumes), cg human all together - mocap / video driven face animation + photoreal texturing. Advanced destruction with good blend of material based approaches and artist friendly directibility. Ropes' physics! Add to the blend remeshing of dense geometry (with texturing!), render denoising, example based seamless textures in 2 and 3d, photogrammetry tools, volume upsampling, and you have your weekends busy for the rest of your life!

 

cheers!

ps It's not necessary to post the same post in two forum's sections! 

[dyei nightmare]

5 hours ago, catchyid said:

Hi,

I have been doing FX using Houdini for almost 1.5 year now, and I have over than 10 years of experience in C++ programming/algorithms. I am wondering what could be improved in Houdini Effects using C++? Is there any kind of effects that require more logic than just using simple VEX or Python scripts? 

I know there are many translators between Houdini/Arnold/etc. integration that could be written, but I am more interested in Effects programming, i.e. a program that would create hard to create effects using Houdini current built-in tools.

Any ideas are really appreciated 

very very interesting topic,  for real!! but how in the world you dare to say: "simple vex"  you are very very wrong,  you are lost in the pacific ocean,  vex is powerfull, vex is fine,  we dont  really need object oriented programing here,  but....

  

 that is the million dollar question, why not vfx in c++?   you could be at higher level in the "food chain"  thinking in c++ for vfx,  surelly you need to speak the language of open gl, and such, like a video game programer ...  

 

 

[dyei nightmare]

i forgot to mention,  if something should be improved on my opinion is Mantra,  sesi is improving even polygonal modeling but what about rendering?  im sure that mantra can be faster and less noisy,  and more "one click" solution at the same time it is focused for shader developers,  we shouldnt relly on redshift,  mantra should be enough fast by now...  i mean we are in 2018,  render sampling shoudnt be an issue never more. 

Edited September 15, 2018 by dyei nightmare

[catchyid]

Guys, thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks for your for feedback! I am still thinking about your posts (specially I will be busy for the rest of my life thing ) I think my strongest skill set is writing robust logic/behavior! when it comes to math/physics, I have a *good" background but I cannot really compete with SESI tools, or can write something that does not exist in the first place! However, one idea I like is advanced destruction, I find it easy to have a simple destruction shot in Houdini, but to have something like "material" based, easier art directability can be improved... 

Alright thanks guys for your feedback...