Houdini
Houdini is a suite of graphic rendering software used for movies, video games and other forms of media. The software is developed by SideFX, a company that saw its beginnings in 1987. SideFX has received four awards from the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Scientists in 1997, 2002, 2011 and 2018, and the company also takes partial credit for films that used Houdini and went on to win Academy Awards.
- Create stunning visual environments and effects for any form of digital media
- Procedural modeling tools allow creation of vast areas using NURBS, polygon and subdivision surface techniques
- Part of the software is dedicated to developing intense, realistic cloud formations with the use of sparse volume sculpting tools
- Comprehensive animation timeline features to help bring models to life
- Uses Mantra rendering, which is a physically based system that's particularly good at volumetric rendering
- Industry standard character rigging and lighting
- A free suite of texture packs is Houdini website in the Houdini .
- A free learning edition, Houdini Apprentice, is available, and an Indie version for studios that make less than $100,000 per year can be purchased at a discount price
- Full licenses are meant for serious businesses and range in price from $499 to $7,000
There's plenty of money to be made in the field of digital media, but as time goes on, so does consumer expectations. It's therefore important for artists to stay up to date with the latest technological advances, which can be costly and time consuming. That's where Houdini can help. The company behind Houdini says their software offers "blockbuster" graphics at an affordable price. Houdini certainly has the feature list to back up its claims. Advanced lighting and character rigging, the Mantra rendering system, compositing, great compatibility with other file formats procedural environment generation, cloud and volume creation, and a comprehensive animation builder are just some of the many tools at a creator's disposal.