My decision to choose this particular topic stems from my eagerness to learn all the different aspects of the FX field. During my personal project in the third term, I was introduced to the fascinating “Pyro Technique” in Houdini, which was an enriching experience. Building on that, I am now eager to delve deeper into the world of FX. As someone who is just starting out in the FX industry, this project will be instrumental in enhancing my knowledge about various areas such as Rigid body destruction, particles, debris, and most importantly, VEX.
VEX is a high-performance expression language that is extensively used in Houdini, a 3D animation software. It is a powerful coding language that enables artists to harness the software’s vast capabilities and work more efficiently. However, mastering VEX and coding can be a daunting task as it involves learning a complex set of rules and syntax.
VEX can be considered a fundamental part of the Houdini language, as it allows artists to create complex and dynamic visual effects, simulations, and procedural modeling. With its vast range of features and functions, VEX can be used to manipulate geometry, create custom shaders, and even write custom tools.
Taking on the challenge of learning VEX from scratch can be both exciting and rewarding. It requires patience, dedication, and a willingness to experiment and explore new ideas. As I embark on this journey, I look forward to discovering the potential of this powerful language and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in Houdini.
VEX evaluation is typically very efficient giving performance close to compiled C/C++ code. VEX is not an alternative to scripting, but rather a smaller, more efficient general purpose language for writing shaders and custom nodes.
One can say that VEX is a part of C language but emphasis more on C++.
We will learn more about VEX and the commands as we go on with the project.