I am new to FX, and i really need a lot of help and advice.

[Maximiliano]

Before i choose FX, i was web designer. When i \"entered\" in 3D world, i wanted to be character and environment modeler, but it seems that modeling is not fun for me.
I\'ve been always fascinated from special effects, especially those from Harry potter and other sci-fi movies. But, also i stylized effects like from the game like World of Warcraft.
So, i know this is really great challenge for me. I want to learn this by myself, from DVD\'s tutorials, because i can\'t effort to go to school because is a damn expensive.

I want to create only special effects, realistic or in-game. Like, dust,smoke, distractions and other things. What programs do i need to know for this? At the moment i have Maya, 3D Max, realFlow, and plug ins like, Krakatoa, FumeFx. Soon, i might buy Houdini, because i\'ve heard that\' it is monster for special effects.
Also i want to ask, witch program, should i use to make realistic special effects as much as possible.

I am really interest to create effects like, water, fire, dust, smkoe distractions, morphing, etc etc

As FX artist, do i need to know drawing and painting? Because i don\'t like draw, i\'ve tried many years ago, but i don\'t enjoy, it is boring and frustrated.
Do i need to know Zbrush?


Because i will learn this alone, do you have any idea/advice, how to start?

[Banqo]

you should learn Houdini. you don\'t need any plugins for this. Also there is a PLE-Version (Apprentice) available. So you can try out everything for learning, just rendering is limited to 640x480 or sth.
Pay 100$ and you get an HD-license - but not for commercial use.

There are pretty good and free tutorials on the Houdini-Website. www.sidefx.com
Else there are some DVDs available.
With it you can really create stunning effects - water, snow, fire, smoke, clouds, dust, also character creation etc. and there are ways for building cities/forests procedural etc.... nearly a one-stop-shop... also mantra is one of the best renderengines available (nearly side by side with renderman by pixar)

It\'s good to learn the principles of photography. how lenses behave, depth, golden ratio...
Also compositing is important if you want to create stunning realism. like the way light is bending around objects etc.
if you get to know houdini, you can also drift into Nuke for compositing - same node-based workflow and pretty good.

Zbrush is for modeling detail into a 3d-object. you do not really need it if you dont want to model characters.

best regards,
marc

[Maximiliano]

you should learn Houdini. you don\'t need any plugins for this. Also there is a PLE-Version (Apprentice) available. So you can try out everything for learning, just rendering is limited to 640x480 or sth.
Pay 100$ and you get an HD-license - but not for commercial use.

There are pretty good and free tutorials on the Houdini-Website. www.sidefx.com
Else there are some DVDs available.
With it you can really create stunning effects - water, snow, fire, smoke, clouds, dust, also character creation etc. and there are ways for building cities/forests procedural etc.... nearly a one-stop-shop... also mantra is one of the best renderengines available (nearly side by side with renderman by pixar)

It\'s good to learn the principles of photography. how lenses behave, depth, golden ratio...
Also compositing is important if you want to create stunning realism. like the way light is bending around objects etc.
if you get to know houdini, you can also drift into Nuke for compositing - same node-based workflow and pretty good.

Zbrush is for modeling detail into a 3d-object. you do not really need it if you dont want to model characters.

best regards,
marc

Thank friend for the advice. Many people suggest me to start Houdini. And i will, i have the master houdini.
Is that good Mantra? it is plug in inside of Houdini or i need to buy it?

What do i need to learn Photography?
No, i want to learn just fx, do i need to know modeling too?
Yea, i think i\'ll start too, to learn nuke for composting.

I am really interest to make something like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFOJO...layer_embedded

[Banqo]

Mantra is houdini\'s render engine
it is included.

you can achieve all of this through learning houdini and nuke. but don\'t get me wrong. it will take some years to master them.

it\'s good to know a bit about everything. i think you don\'t want to blow up cubes or spheres knowing how to model a thing isn\'t so bad.

Photography is important for the lighting and rendersetting (Where is the camera? how does it move? what lights are there? what is the right motion blur? framing? position? background?) just some simple things about putting the subject into the right place and lighting. also it\'s good to know the basics about color-grading - using the gamma curve for contrast, don\'t crush the shadows and highlights and so on.

you can be a perfect houdini-user - but if you don\'t know how to present your work you throw away great potential. it\'s not about throwing particles into the air, it\'s about the full picture. have fun with it!

if the node-based workflow in houdini is too hard to understand, learn some nuke first - same concept.

greetings!

[Maximiliano]

Mantra is houdini\'s render engine
it is included.

you can achieve all of this through learning houdini and nuke. but don\'t get me wrong. it will take some years to master them.

it\'s good to know a bit about everything. i think you don\'t want to blow up cubes or spheres knowing how to model a thing isn\'t so bad.

Photography is important for the lighting and rendersetting (Where is the camera? how does it move? what lights are there? what is the right motion blur? framing? position? background?) just some simple things about putting the subject into the right place and lighting. also it\'s good to know the basics about color-grading - using the gamma curve for contrast, don\'t crush the shadows and highlights and so on.

you can be a perfect houdini-user - but if you don\'t know how to present your work you throw away great potential. it\'s not about throwing particles into the air, it\'s about the full picture. have fun with it!

if the node-based workflow in houdini is too hard to understand, learn some nuke first - same concept.

greetings!

Thank you for replay Hehe , i am not planning to just plowing up things into the air, i will try to learn how to create realistic effects, some good environment with awesome effects etc. I hope i can do that. What do you think?

So when to start, to learn photography? And how should i start? Do you have any good resources tutorials to start it?

I will learn first houdini for effects, then i will try something with modeling, even i have some experience , before FX i was training modeling in Max.

Can you send me PM, i want to ask you something

[Banqo]

Hey there,
don\'t know how to PM here.

Sure you can! Just a matter of time.

You can learn those photographic principles in a day. for example: http://photoinf.com/Golden_Mean/
just google for golden ratio, portrait lighting or photographic basics

see ya!