Please note my blogs aren’t meant to be read in any particular order. Obviously the ones with Fundamentals in the title are aimed more at the beginner and the others will be more focussed on more complicated topics that require some knowledge beforehand. The How-To topics are of the latter type and take a single problem I’ve faced in Houdini and show my solution to them.
Continue reading “Houdini How-To: Randomise Geometry”Houdini Fundamentals: Parameters overview
In Houdini anything you can change in a node’s parameters pane counts as a parameter. Pretty self-evident. So how complex can this be? Why does it need any explanation at all? You change the Universal scale on a box or sphere and the size changes. You change the colour with a Color node and the colour changes. Indeed, if everything is static in your scene and you don’t mind placing objects by hand then you can move on.
Continue reading “Houdini Fundamentals: Parameters overview”Houdini Fundamentals – Points, Vertices and Primitives
As I’ve mentioned before these blogs are coming either from my notes or my deep seated need to understand and remember things I’m unsure of. This very much the latter. Though I’ve used these things many times to do some complex tasks I’ve never really sat down and thought about them. Time to put that right.
Continue reading “Houdini Fundamentals – Points, Vertices and Primitives”Houdini Digital Assets
As you’d have gathered, I’m not an expert with Houdini – far from it. I learn from tutorials other people create. I learnt most about Houdini Digital Assets (HDAs, historically known as OTLs) from the following tutorial by Houdini Kitchen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtO-YGMLyfM
Old Git. New Software. Houdini by SideFX.
For the past few months I’ve developed a love affair with the 3D software package Houdini. So I’m going to occasionally blog about my journey with it. This first blog will be just a few musings on the software. I don’t expect very many people will read this, it’s more like a personal diary for my own (failing) memory.
Continue reading “Old Git. New Software. Houdini by SideFX.”The Highwaymen – film review
No Dick Turpin, or Black Bess
Apparently in yank-land a highwayman is a police patrol officer. The highwaymen of this title are Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson, ex-Texas rangers Hamer and Gault recalled to bring down the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.
Continue reading “The Highwaymen – film review”Life – Film Review
Bio-security, what’s that then?
Life is a rather tense horror sci-fi that takes place on the International Space Station. It deals with the first cellular life-form found on Mars and the crew’s interactions with it as it grows into a fine young boisterous fellow.
Continue reading “Life – Film Review”Robin Hood 2018 – film review
In da hood
Some Robin Hoods try to dabble with historical truth. Others – think Kevin Costner’s – less so. Anyway, Robin is sent a draft letter for the crusades, joins up and is immediately put into Seal Team 6, who use long-bows as close quarter weapons and are able to rely on massed artillery – albeit stony – at the call of a fiery arrow.
Continue reading “Robin Hood 2018 – film review”Overlord – film review
The Horror of War?
This film doesn’t know what it wants to be. On one side it’s a fairly decent though low budget war film, on the other it’s a pretty crap horror flick. It concerns a squad of soldiers in 101st airborne given a mission to destroy something or other on a church on the morning before the Normandy landings on D-Day. Unfortunately the Nazis are developing some kind of ‘serum’, made from something or other on the site which turns people into – now don’t be shocked here – zombies.
So that’s the set up. From there you expect a big fight between the soldiers and hordes of the undead – only it doesn’t happen. It almost seems ashamed to veer away from being a straight war film and to be honest it’s a shame it did. I’d avoid this one unless you’re really into war films and really really bored.
Hurricane – film review
Poles in Planes
Hurricane is the story of the first Polish squadron to be formed at the start of World War II to fight the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) is joined by good-time girl Jane Tennyson (Prime Suspect 1973 vintage) and Mel Gibson’s son. The boys first fight for their right to join up and then to fight off the Bosch and blonde Jane fights to take as much cock as is humanly possible citing the war as a great excuse to be a slut.
It’s an enjoyably effective take on this part of the war with some great aerial footage, believable acting and some degree of emotional depth. I watched it on Netflix UK.