Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Elevate your Houdini Solaris & USD skills in this comprehensive workshop taught by Lead Lighting Artist at Ghost VFX, Andreas Kjær-Jensen: thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials/creating-a-sci-fi-sequence-using-houdini-solaris
HOUDINI & NUKE WORKFLOW FOR LIGHTERS & GENERALISTS
Perfect for lighting artists and generalists getting started with Solaris, this workshop takes you through the entire process of creating a production-quality sci-fi sequence in Solaris.
Houdini’s Solaris is quickly becoming the industry standard for lighting in Visual Effects. Over the course of 6 hours, Andreas will guide you through creating an action-packed VFX sequence in Houdini. Artists will not only learn how to use Solaris but also gain an understanding of the underlying structure of USD and its application in real-world VFX productions today.
Andreas begins with a thorough introduction to Solaris and USD as a whole, then uses the same techniques and workflows to develop a fully fledged sequence, including shading, layout, cinematic lighting, and pipeline. By completing this workshop, artists will have learned a complete workflow for making their own sequences within Solaris.
Project files, including assets, renders, and textures, are included so subscribers can follow along step-by-step while Andreas builds the scene. You’ll walk away with advanced skills in Solaris, confidence in leveraging USD for VFX production, and a deeper understanding of industry-standard USD and Solaris workflows.
Assets used in this workshop include Action VFX’s Aerial Explosions 3D Assets pack (actionvfx.com/3d/aerial-explosions-3D-assets#), as well as KitBash3D’s Future Warfare Kit (kitbash3d.com/products/future-warfare) and Spaceships Legacy Kit (kitbash3d.com/products/spaceships-legacy).
CHAPTERS:
— Project Overview
— USD Primer
— Working in Solaris
— Setting up Assets in Solaris: Part 1
— Setting up Assets in Solaris: Part 2
— Setting up Assets in Solaris: Part 3
— Layout in Solaris: Part 1
— Layout in Solaris: Part 2
— Scene Assembly in Solaris
— Lighting in Solaris with Karma
— FX Shading: Part 1
— FX Shading: Part 2
— Additional Layout
— Rendering with Karma
— Compositing with Nuke
— Conclusion & Further Reading
For more workshops by industry professionals that will help you take your creative skills to the next level using industry-trusted software, check out our complete video tutorial library at thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials.
Elevate your Houdini Solaris & USD skills in this comprehensive workshop taught by Lead Lighting Artist at Ghost VFX, Andreas Kjær-Jensen: thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials/creating-a-sci-fi-sequence-using-houdini-solaris
HOUDINI & NUKE WORKFLOW FOR LIGHTERS & GENERALISTS
Perfect for lighting artists and generalists getting started with Solaris, this workshop takes you through the entire process of creating a production-quality sci-fi sequence in Solaris.
Houdini’s Solaris is quickly becoming the industry standard for lighting in Visual Effects. Over the course of 6 hours, Andreas will guide you through creating an action-packed VFX sequence in Houdini. Artists will not only learn how to use Solaris but also gain an understanding of the underlying structure of USD and its application in real-world VFX productions today.
Andreas begins with a thorough introduction to Solaris and USD as a whole, then uses the same techniques and workflows to develop a fully fledged sequence, including shading, layout, cinematic lighting, and pipeline. By completing this workshop, artists will have learned a complete workflow for making their own sequences within Solaris.
Project files, including assets, renders, and textures, are included so subscribers can follow along step-by-step while Andreas builds the scene. You’ll walk away with advanced skills in Solaris, confidence in leveraging USD for VFX production, and a deeper understanding of industry-standard USD and Solaris workflows.
Assets used in this workshop include Action VFX’s Aerial Explosions 3D Assets pack (actionvfx.com/3d/aerial-explosions-3D-assets#), as well as KitBash3D’s Future Warfare Kit (kitbash3d.com/products/future-warfare) and Spaceships Legacy Kit (kitbash3d.com/products/spaceships-legacy).
CHAPTERS:
— Project Overview
— USD Primer
— Working in Solaris
— Setting up Assets in Solaris: Part 1
— Setting up Assets in Solaris: Part 2
— Setting up Assets in Solaris: Part 3
— Layout in Solaris: Part 1
— Layout in Solaris: Part 2
— Scene Assembly in Solaris
— Lighting in Solaris with Karma
— FX Shading: Part 1
— FX Shading: Part 2
— Additional Layout
— Rendering with Karma
— Compositing with Nuke
— Conclusion & Further Reading
For more workshops by industry professionals that will help you take your creative skills to the next level using industry-trusted software, check out our complete video tutorial library at thegnomonworkshop.com/tutorials.
