Houdini FX & Redshift
- Houdini Simulations
- 3rd Party Rendering
- Disintegration
- Vellum
- Dust & Debris
What You’ll Learn
This course will serve as an introduction to all things FX. Students will learn how to create all the main types of simulation effects commonly used in VFX. Students will build up all setups node by node, getting in-depth explanation for each one.
Students will also focus on creative problem solving, honing their artistic eye, and thinking like a VFX professional. They will learn how to use 3rd party renders, specifically Redshift, which can be a challenging aspect of being an FX artist. Learning how to render outside of Houdini is going to be an essential and important step towards preparing students for a career in FX.
By the end of the workshop you'll:
- Have learned how to tackle some of the most vital types of Houdini effects
- Know how to render your FX in Redshift
- Have the confidence and ability tackle future VFX projects
Course Info
Keith Kamholz
Keith Kamholz is a Lead FX Technical Director at DNEG, and he has previously worked at Industrial Light & Magic, Blue Sky Studios, Tippett Studio, and Framestore NY. He’s worked on more than 15 feature films, with credit highlights including Pacific Rim: Uprising, Venom, Jurassic World, Transformers: Age of Extinction, & Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Keith has also been a frequent presenter for SideFX Houdini, at events such as SIGGRAPH, FMX, HIVE Worldwide, & user groups.
He earned a dual-major B.A. in Computer Science & Media Study at SUNY Buffalo, and an M.S. in Digital Imaging and Design at NYU’s CADA

Sprints
Sprint 1
Procedural Modeling/Animation
Procedural modeling, procedural animation, height fields, instancing, basic VEX, and lighting/rendering
Sprint 2
Redshift Rendering
Rendering in Redshift
Sprint 3
Particles & Grains & Infection & Disintegration
Particle simulation, particle instancing/rendering, infection solvers, disintegration with Vellum grain simulation
Sprint 4
Vellum Deformable Simulations
Vellum deformable simulation (curves, cloth, soft body), and Vellum sculpting
Sprint 5
Fracturing & RBD Simulation
Fracturing, RBD Simulation, & Debris
Sprint 6
Volumes - Dust & Shockwave
Destruction dust & Explosion Shockwave
Sprint 7
Volumes - Explosion & Fire
Explosions, Fire, Smoke
Sprint 8
FLIP Liquid Simulation
FLIP fluid simulation
Sprint 9
FLIP Whitewater Simulation
White water simulation and finalizing FX
Start learning for free
Get weekly emails about cool resources we find online.