Houdini FX : Creating a Building Explosion

Learn all the steps needed to blow up a building in Houdini from a real world photograph and create a VFX composition

Created by: Eric Ebling
Freelance Visual Effects Artist, Photographer, Painter

What Will I Learn?

• This course will show you all the steps involved in blowing up a real world building from a photographic image.
• I will show you how to fracture the building geometry and create custom “chunks” to use as rbd objects.
• We will see how to create different types of RBD objects representing concrete, glass, and window blinds.
• We will use Vellum sims to create bending geometry that deforms from the explosion.
• We will use the more modern sparse solving method to create an exploding fireball.
• We will create all renders necessary to create a final comp.
• I will show you how to use the explosion as a light source to illuminate the scene.
• We will create a final comp using Natron.

Requirements

• A working knowledge of Houdini is strongly recommended before starting this course.
• A recent release of Houdini(18+) with Sparse solving tools.
• A computer with enough power to run Houdini and a decent internet connection for HD streaming.
• This course will be using Houdini 18.5.499 on a windows 10 based system throughout the videos.

Target audience

• Anyone that is interested in seeing the steps involved to blow up and destroy any type of building inside Houdini from an FX artist with 20+ years experience in post production.
• Aspiring FX artists and working professionals looking to learn new skills or see one method in creating building destruction FX.