TOTAL DESTRUCTION: HOUDINI RIGID BODIES AND FX PIPELINE (5 Day, Advanced)

Categories: Houdini

About Course

Course Details

English | German

Course Schedule

Day | Evening

Learn how large-scale destruction is created in real film pipelines.
Using the bridge sequence as your production base, you’ll simulate structural collapse, rigid-body dynamics, secondary debris, dust, and pyro – building a clean, controllable setup that reflects true studio workflows.
Every step focuses on clarity, efficiency, and understanding the “why” behind the tools, so you can create destruction that looks both physically convincing and visually powerful.
Guided by senior artists in a real studio environment, this course gives you near-mentored training with individual feedback, ensuring your final shot is portfolio ready and production quality.

*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?

  • Rigid Body Dynamics (RBD) for buildings and debris
  • Particle simulations for fine debris and secondary effects
  • Pyro simulations for dust and impact realism
  • Caching and performance optimization strategies
  • Integration with Maya-Arnold render pipeline
  • Compositing & final look development in Nuke

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!

Earn a certificate

Add this certificate to your resume to demonstrate your skills & increase your chances of getting noticed.

selected template

Want to receive push notifications for all major on-site activities?