This text explains the procedure I am planning to go through for planning, managing and preparing a solid vfx pipeline in Houdini.
Reusable FX (explosions and paint setups etc.)
- Find global setting that will be applied across the board and make that the generic goes to settings.
- Make a customizable input geo for either emission or paint bases.
- Regarding texture files etc. that’s to be decided based on what R&D progresses to.
- Build base effect > Create customizable node layout (with notes if needed) > pack together > create attribute interface with key attributes that will vary across shots > ensure its render ready > create Houdini digital asset.
- Inside Houdini/projectRoot is where these assets will be saved to so that they are grabbable off server rather than one computer.
Effects List
- Destruction (All in Houdini)
- Breaking of objects (DA….but needs to be a detailed DA)
- Walls cracking
- Rigid bodies
- Glass Shattering
- Building destruction (church)
- Volume Effects (Houdini)
- Explosions (DA)
- Rocket trails (DA)
- Fire – small (DA)
- Dust (DA)
- Fluid/Oceans (Houdini and maybe Realflow)
- Seaside waves
- Ocean splashes
- Rough seas (DA – single use rig)
- Underwater
- Rain (DA)
- Water that characters use to wash bodies
- Other (Houdini and Marvelous for cloth)
- Sand
- Thunder (DA)
- Cloth (Marvelous alembic)
- PAINT AMBIENT FLOAT (KEY EFFECT OF FILM) (DA)
- PAINT OVER BODY (KEY EFFECT OF FILM)
- Particle instancing
- Flowers
- Petals
- Leaves
Things to Consider Between Departments
- Wetmaps
- Paint textures
- Animation colliders
- Quality of geometry provided for FX
- Optimisation obviously
Farm Caching and Rendering
- We only have one computer that can run the Houdini deadline render client
- FX Needs priority on that computer as well as understanding how to run a cache on deadline.
- Other option would be to have the deadline tool installed on a few more computers and FX have takeover rights on that.
- Test Renders need to happen for environments before we start going ham. Especially water.