Digital Artist Simon Fiedler walks through working with Cinema 4D R17’s support for Houdini Digital Assets. In fact, Simon shows us how to create and prepare a digital asset in Houdini, that can be used in Cinema 4D. Cinema 4D R17 holds new support for the Houdini Engine. This will brings with it, the benefit of being able to use Houdini Digital Assets with C4D.

how to prepare a digital asset in Houdini, use it in Cinema 4D

Houdini Digital Assets

If you are unfamiliar with Digital Assets in Houdini, they are custom operators that are built from node networks. You can “package” any network in a digital assets and then bring out the parameters for easy access.

Think of Houdini Digital Assets as “smart” objects, that have a set of features embedded in them. A digital asset of a gun could emit smoke, expel a casing, fire a bullet, all with the simple controls that are provided by the original artist.

Here, Simon shows how to create a digital asset that will create bubbles on the surface of an object. He then brings that asset into Cinema 4D and renders it out with the Octane render engine.