VOP's

Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 29

well well well.
it's hard to keep things entirely secret
Well what i can say is that the new series about VEX is coming soon ( around september)
It's about VEX/VOP in general( inter-contexts) and in SOP context ( which means how to create custom surface operators), extremely detailed.
You will learn everything about this powerful language.You will learn how to create/script complex deformers ( like lattice/metaball/wrap deformers), fractal terrain modeling ( all the main operations that you can do in Terragen: glaciate/canyonize-reshape, snow-grass procedural "textures", geological events but also oceans, )how to create realistic cracking effects.
Plus a lot of other things i don't mention here cos i want to keep the surprise
All the DVDs should be released at the same time.

I want to insist on the fact that it will be as much a reference on VEX language, syntax, constructs and interface customization as a comprehensive mathematical cookbook for procedural modeling.

Definitely something to regularly come back to, i tried to make it " easy like video but rich like a book" ( a subtle mix of ingredients that took some important time to properly organize)

And Remember this is just VEX for modeling !
We do not cover yet all the particle/behavioural animation with VEX POP, procedural animation with VEX CHOPS, custom compositing filters with VEX COPS or all the VEX shaders ( surface/displacement/raytracing/fog/photons ....). But this is on our list of course. VEX is an IMMENSE field.

-d

Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Mobile, AL

David, I think the 1st VEX DVD is amazing so far. I cannot wait to learn more about VEX in regards to POPS and Shading in the future.

One thing that is difficult for me is the mathematics involved with the SOP deformer. Do you have any recommendations to go along with this DVD to help understand the math a little better? I remember some of this from college, but it's been too long.

Thanks

Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 29

Hi about maths reference.
It's hard to tell since i learned math in college and with french books.
But
1) most of good books about computer graphics have a good math appendix
like these two wonderful ones:
http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Re...g-Pictures-Kaufmann/dp/1558606181
http://www.amazon.fr/Computer-Ani...thms-Richard-Parent/dp/1558605797 ( although a little old maybe but still incredibly useful)
These two books are AMAZING, well wriiten and so useful!

So it's good when you're also doing something precise with this maths.
2) well, nothing better than browsing internet or googling "matrices" or "trignometry", or the wikipedia and the forums.

-d

Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Mobile, AL

Thanks for the advice. This is exactly what I'm looking for.