Get ready to conquer the skills and techniques that will allow you to experience the magic of Houdini! With this book, you will be able to apply all of Houdini’s features to your projects, including modeling, character animation, particle effects animation, dynamic simulation animation, shading, simple shader creation, lighting, rendering, and compositing. The Magic of Houdini is full of exercises, tips, and illustrations to help you easily master each new skill. Written by an experienced 3D animator and teacher, it provides an approachable and accurate introduction to Houdini.

Houdini has long been a dominant tool used in the creation of some of the most awe-inspiring animation and cinematic effects ever made. It is preferred by numerous studios for their most demanding challenges. If you go to the theater and see something that blows your mind, it is a good bet that Houdini had a hand in it. Now you can conquer the amazing technology of Houdini with confidence. With this book, you will learn how to apply each of Houdini?s breathtaking features to your projects as you take on modeling, character animation, particle effects animation, dynamic simulation animation, shading, digital asset creation, and rendering. The Magic of Houdini is full of exercises, tips, and illustrations to help you tackle each new skill. Get ready to experience the mystery, the majesty, the magic of Houdini!

Needs new edition

Really good book, but this book (as of today January 25 2008) is based on Houdini 8, which is not a good thing because the current Houdini 9 interface has been changed *a lot* since this book was written.

Sure, the underlying concepts are much the same, but in my humble opinion you gotta face this truth: when trying to learn a piece of software, the learning is much more efficient if the book you’re using matches up closely with what you see on your screen.

Search the internet on "Digital Tutors" for two video-based CD-ROM titles out now that use the Houdini 9 interface. HDRI magazine issues 16 and 17 have some Houdini 9 based tutorials. 3D World magazine Issue 98 has a Houdini 9 tutorial, and the web site 3D Buzz has some tutorials.

Google on Side Effects Software Houdini and download the free edition to try out this amazing software. They even have a $100 version now that relaxes some of the more stringent limits on the free version. I don’t work for them or know them, I just like Houdini a lot. I don’t work for Digital Tutors or the magazines either, I just read them.

Oh, and while you’re at the Side Effects Software site check out the link on Learning Materials to see about other Houdini 9 learning stuff.

Wow!

Guys this book is really something nice to get your hands on .... Will cunningham has done a very nice job, explaining the complexities of the software in a very jolly and entertaining manner..

thank you Will

A Classic

If there is such a thing as a classic software instruction book, this is it. In my efforts to learn Houdini I have watched the Gnomon DVDs, done all the tutorials that come with the software, and taken a class at Gnomon. Then I got this book. Of all these resources, this book has been the most fun (not that the class and the DVDs aren’t great too). I wish I had started with this book. The book is extremely well-written and fun to read. If you are starting out with Houdini, start with this book first. It will give you a solid grasp the basics of Houdini plus a lot more and you’ll enjoy reading it!

good tutorials!

I am working out of this book right now and am enjoying it. The projects are fun, and the author manages to explain Houdini clearly without being dry. So far, I have been able to complete the lessons with the Houdini Apprentice Versions (a free downloadable version of the package). However, I don’t think this book is for beginners to 3D CGI because a lot of information is tossed at the reader. Sometimes I felt that I was taking a drink from a firehose! A little knowledge of Unix and scripting will help the reader understand expressions. Overall, the book is good value for your money.

An excellent resource for Neophyte Experts like me

Houdini is vast, but easily knowable. I know a chunk of Houdini’s capacity, having used it and its predecessor, PRISMS professionally for fifteen years or so. The richness of Houdini always allows for one’s eyes to be freshly opened to its potential, however. (Jebus, I *wish* my dog would stop farting! - Man, that’s foul!) Sorry... What was I saying? Oh yeah... I left my copy of the book at work, and now I’m trying to find some of its content here at Amazon, so I thought I’d take a moment to say that *this* old FX god finds Will Cunningham’s book, "The Magic of Houdini" to be accessibly written, chock full of useful stuff, and right now, inconveniently indespensible. [UPDATE] I went to work just to get the book, and it told me what I needed to know, and now I can model that metacarpal like nobody’s business! Yay Will!

Best book on Houdini ever

Well, the only book on Houdini, but coincidently, this book is an excellent resource for all levels interested in Houdini. Information is clear and the examples are well constructed and useful. It does really scratch the surface of the program, but Houdini would be impossible to teach in one volume.
You should also buy this book if you are interested in Derivative’s Touch Designer, since many of the concepts apply.
Hopefully the sales of this book will encourage other authors and publishers that there is a market for Houdini materials

finally

after a long wait finally a true houdini book, i love it!
it covers everything... from the absolute basics to the quite hardcore stuff.
i keep it on my desk all the time for my own and my fellow houdini animators to reference.
and ofcourse you gotta love the crazy writing, thanks will!

Houdini: By A Pro, for Pro’s

Will Cunninghams book is not only a great introduction
to Houdini, but a useful tool for experienced 3D artists.
And Jason Iversens contributions, Oy!

Inspirations

Shortly after receiving the book my young son Tristan got hold of it and was inspired and mightily impressed.

Despite my many explanations of 3D space and how geometry is represented in 3D he now reports that for the 1st time he really understands.

He has his desk and computer right next to me in my studio and is sure he is going to download the free Apprentice and learn to Houdini.

Your book has already inspired at least one young mind and one somewhat older. That alone may be worth your while.

A must for Houdini User!!!

This book is a Must for every houdini/Cg user who want to expend their knowledge on Houdini.Houdini is a open-ended and very deep software so it is almost impossible for the user to know everything .This book did a good job at covering basic as well as some advanced topics.
Finally , If you are looking for a "How to make a pretty CG images " book .this book is not probably for you but if you want to be in challenging industry and want to tickle complex cg problem , you must have this book .

amazing amount of information

This book is all you need to go from no knowledge of houdini to houdini master.

I have found many questions answered when flipping through this book.