Houdini FX Projects: From Sand to Zombies and More

About this course

This course brings together three stunning FX projects in Houdini into one complete learning experience. Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate artist, you will learn step by step how to create cinematic visual effects while building real, finished projects you can showcase.Project 1: Zombie Cloth DisintegrationA crawling zombie gradually disintegrates into pieces using cloth simulation and a heat-driven effect. You’ll learn how to import characters from Mixamo, prepare them for FX, fracture geometry, apply vellum cloth simulations, and connect them with a temperature source for a gradual, controlled disintegration. The project is finalized with rendering in Karma, color correction in After Effects, and sound design.Project 2: Character Disintegration into DustCreate one of the most iconic VFX shots: a character walking forward and dissolving into particles of dust. You’ll prepare geometry, use Boolean operations to define the disintegration source, replace body parts with particles, and control emission and particle timing. Finally, you’ll preview the effect with Houdini’s Flipbook tool for fast, high-quality results.Project 3: Hourglass Sand TimerCombine modeling, simulation, and rendering by building a realistic hourglass. You’ll model the glass body and base, simulate falling sand, set up caching for smooth playback, and add realistic shading, lighting, and rendering in Karma.By the end of this course, you will:Be confident in creating particle-based and cloth-based disintegration effectsLearn how to combine modeling, simulation, shading, and rendering in HoudiniGain hands-on experience with Karma rendering, Flipbook previews, caching techniques, and After Effects finishingHave three complete cinematic projects in your portfolio, ready to share and build uponThis course is designed to be beginner-f

Course objectives

• gain hands-on experience with Houdini
• build three complete visual effects projects
• learn to simulate realistic effects using different techniques