FROM BONES TO DUST: PARTICLE DISINTEGRATION IN HOUDINI (5 Day, Intermediate/Advanced)

Categories: Houdini

About Course

Course Details

English | German

Course Schedule

Day | Evening

Experience how real studios craft complex FX shots from start to finish.
In this production-based Houdini course, you’ll learn how to design cinematic disintegration effects that fuse seamlessly with real footage. From preparing Alembic files to building animated emitters and dynamic environments, you’ll follow the same logic and techniques used in professional pipelines.
This is not just about particles – it’s about storytelling through destruction and control.
Short, focused, and results-driven – you’ll finish with a fully cinematic shot ready 
for your portfolio.

*Course descriptions are subject to change as the software evolves and new tools are introduced, ensuring that our course content remains current and accurately reflects the latest updates.

*Die Kursbeschreibungen können sich ändern, wenn sich die Software weiterentwickelt und neue Tools hinzukommen, sodass unsere Kursinhalte stets aktuell bleiben und die neuesten Updates widerspiegeln.

What Will You Learn?

  • Preparing mesh with animations for simulation in Houdini
  • Recreating realistic environments (e.g. snow surface) using curves for seamless FX integration
  • Creating animated emitters and integrating them with the environment
  • Simulating a skeleton disintegration where the body vanishes and transforms into drifting ash-like particles

Course Content

Day 1 – Kickoff
Quote: “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” —Albert Einstein Humorous note: …especially when Houdini crashes and imagination is literally all you have left. Welcome to the course.

  • Day 1 – Kickoff

Day 2 – Creativity Boost
Quote: “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” —Albert Einstein Humorous note: If your simulation explodes today… that’s just your intelligence partying.

Day 3 – Technical Motivation
Quote: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” — Dalai Lama Humorous note: Small parameter changes can break your scene completely. Power lives in tiny values.

Day 4 – FX Spirit
Quote: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela Humorous note: Like that render that says “2 hours remaining”… for 19 hours. Keep going — you’re close.

Day 5 – Farewell Day
Quote: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs Humorous note: If you love CGI and VFX, you’re officially doomed (in the best way). Keep creating magic!

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