Hasta La Motion!

I have been working with effects for about a year and a half now, and I have some few questions!

First: I have been working with After Effects since i started working with VFX, and have read a lot about it and have noticed that After Effects is not anything compared to the programs the big film company uses. Witch software should i focus on? What is important to learn first and so on? That would help me a step closer to my goal!

I’ve also just started learning Houdini, is that a good software?
I’m trying to learn how to create effects as seen in Harry Potter.

Any tips or Ideas?

Thanks!
(sorry for some English mistakes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M21KrooHkdo

This is my first try on cutting away the surface of an object.
The Objecttracking was done in SynthEyes.

Please tell me, what you would do better.

Princeton, NJ., December 7, 2008 — cmiVFX | cmiStudios. launches a brand new video for PYTHON scripting. This scripting language is the most popular format for todays CG and VFX creation applications, allowing the extensibility of the software to best fit studio needs. There are limited resources for artists to get training on this seemingly mysterious scripting language. cmiVFX has created this training to best fit entry level python scripting persons, while allowing intermediate script writers a solid reference to recall on demand. This video is available today at the cmiVFX store.

http://cmivfx.com/store/Browse.aspx?Category=29

Product Announcements — PYTHON: An Introduction to scripting with Todd Widup
http://www.cmivfx.com/Scripting/Intr…n/default.aspx

Why PYTHON?
This introductory chapter goes over why studios and software packages have been adopting Python as their langauge of choice. Topics will braise the subjects of who, why, what, when and where.

Variables:
Variables are one way for getting data around in Python. This chapter goes over some common variable types, such as strings, integers, and floats, along with specific functions for them.

Lists, Dictionaries, and Tuples:
This chapter goes over the multi-item variable types in Python. As with strings, there are a lot of built in ways for accessing the information stored with them, and this is all covered with ease.

My First Tool:
At this point in the video it best suits us to start our very first usable tool. The examples shown are based on project management for artists needing directories for Maya, XSI, and other CG apps in their user directories. As simple as this script is, it is quite handy to use.

Reading and Writing:
Python provides some great ways of reading in external files, both text, ascii, and binary, as well as writing them back out. This chapter goes over how to use this functionality as well as how to utilize it for some simple tools.

Modules:
This chapter starts to pick up how to import new features into Python via importing modules. Modules are packages for Python written externally, and imported into Python. These can add functionality like SMTP and HTML features, new math utilities, network utilities, and access to 3D and 2D packages and their custom commands.

Classes:
A small leap into Object Oriented Programming, and a brief example of the class system in Python.

Real World Example:
If you ever have tried to translate 3d object data from one application to the next, you will notice that materials are often translated as polygon groups, but the model is often not separated. A simple script is shown that will speed up model to part separation.

Todd Widup:
When Todd is not on a paintball field, or toying with a nerf gun or RC car, he is at work, building rigs and writing python tools. Todd started off working in the software industry for a plugin developer for NewTek’s Lightwave 3D system, and then moved to video games at industry giant, Westwood Studios / EA. From there, he has worked with Microsoft Games, 3D6 Games, and Mad Doc Software, in addition to moving to the film industry and working at such giants at Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic, and Framestore CFC.

While at these studios, Todd has worked on such Oscar winning projects as “Lord of the Rings : Return of the King” and “The Golden Compass” along with blockbusters like “Star Wars : Revenge of the Sith” and “Snakes on a Plane”. He has also taught numerous online workshops for CGTalk on rigging and mel/python scripting in Maya.

Currently, Todd is working as a Senior Creature Technical Director at Imagemovers Digital in Novato, CA on “A Christmas Carol”.

About cmiVFX
cmiVFX is the leader in High Definition Video Training for the Visual Effects Community. To test drive the new cmiVFX TVOD © system, visit http://www.cmivfx.com/cmi_window.html For additional information about cmiVFX, visit www.cmivfx.com.
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