For those who don’t know the tool: Paradigm is a GPU liquid solver that runs inside Houdini, alongside Axiom, using node based workflows for VFX liquid setups.

What 1.0 actually changes

Paradigm 1.0 targets GPU accelerated liquid simulation in Houdini, and the developer describes it as a “hybrid that can be called a FLIP solver while borrowing ideas from SPH”, whatever that means. It is supposed to be faster and more accessible than Houdini native liquid tools.

Version 1.0 ships as a sequence of point releases that stack up into something production artists can actually evaluate. The current notes focus on simulation stability, faster solvers, better sourcing, more outputs, and a Tank workflow aimed at open water setups. If you live in Houdini, this is the kind of list that determines whether you can keep a shot moving or spend the week explaining why it will be ready next week.

Sourcing gets less crunchy

The 1.0.153 to 1.0.175 updates bring a major round of sourcing work. Particle emission from source shapes improves, with spacing and layout described as more random and even, and with less repetition. A separate Particle Source node arrives to control emtoion timings in a way described as similar to source shapes. Sourcing can now push more than just positions. The solver can output particle attributes like color, temperature, viscosity, and rest as optional outputs, and it also adds age and life attributes plus lifespan controls to remove particles that age past their life value. It can also output churn, described as the magnitude of the curl of the velocity field, as an optional field.

The system also supports defining extra arbitrary particle attributes by defining them in the output tab of the solver node. Source VDBs can affect particle attributes, for example by sourcing a temperature volume source to make particles hotter. Temperature and color attributes can diffuse and dissipate. A relax force is described as now working properly and as fully deterministic. All of that translates into a much clearer story for lookdev and downstream controls. You get more handles, more outputs, and fewer excuses to bake everything into a single sim and pray.

The performance pass: SDF, advection, sorting

The 1.0.176 to 1.0.219 updates lean hard into speed and numerical behavior. A much faster SDF creation algorithm lands, plus changes to advection that make it faster by considering the SDF collision value when stepping forward. Adhesion becomes more accurate by using the collision SDF gradient for directions.

Particle handling also gets a leaf-based sorting method described as greatly improving the performance of grid sampling. The solver can better predict future resource needs when reinitialising, called Acceleration in the Advanced to Solver tab. There are also new filters for the output surface SDF, specifically erode and dilate filters, plus additional filtering options for the output surface SDF as a concept in the earlier 1.0.153 to 1.0.175 set. The end result is still an SDF output, not a finished mesh.

If you want a mesh, you still need to convert the surface SDF to a mesh using the VDB Convert node in Houdini. That’s cool for shot work, because it keeps the meshing and any post-smoothing in familiar Houdini territory, with all the usual caveats about voxel size, narrow features, and meshing time. You know the drill.

PCG everywhere: viscosity and pressure style steps

Viscosity gets a major upgrade in 1.0.176 to 1.0.219. It is described as much faster, with a new PCG-based solver. On the control side, multiple control ramps arrive for viscosity and gravity, and gravity and drag can be driven with control ramps in the earlier update set. Viscosity can be driven with a viscosity or temperature particle attribute, and there is collision conductivity for temperature diffusion plus the ability to source collision temperature for melting or freezing effects when particles touch a collider when using viscosity.

In practical terms, these controls push Paradigm closer to how artists like to art-direct liquids. You can tie behaviour to attributes, and you can do it without building a separate rig of custom forces for every shot. Also, a speed limit force bug gets fixed, where values could clamp incorrectly and produce a lower speed limit than expected. That is not glamorous.

Tank workflows and open water domains

Paradigm 1.0 adds a Paradigm Tank node for creating open water. These domains can be animated to have a moving container. Later updates describe the tank node as more stable and efficient at different scales.

For artists, that sounds like fewer edge cases and less time spent re-scaling a scene just to make the container behave. It also points to a workflow that is intentionally separate from classic boxed FLIP tanks, which feel like they belong to a different decade of fluid tools. And yes, I am thinking in decades; I am old.

Outputs, fields, and other useful knobs

The 1.0 notes mention more efficient sinks. Output field precision issues that could cause garbled outputs get fixed. Source shape noise can optionally cull source particles instead of just source values. Some blend modes get fixes when sourcing with source shapes.

None of this removes the need for real pipeline testing. New tools and innovations should always be tested before use in production, especially when the toolset is still evolving across frequent builds and wet behind the ears. (Obvious joke. Watersim. Wet. I need more coffee.)

What it does and does not include

Paradigm does not include narrow-band support yet. It does not currently have reseeding, though it is something likely to be added. A white water solver is in development, and the suggested current approach is to use Paradigm with Houdini’s white water solver.

Ocean spectrum workflows are described as not officially supported. The FAQ describes a possible approach using custom sources if the spectrum is converted to velocity fields and mask, with a desire to add full support for ocean spectrum in the future. That future support is not confirmed.

Compatibility and system requirements

Production builds of Houdini 20.0 and higher are supported. Daily builds are not supported. Windows, Linux, and macOS are supported. Nvidia and Apple GPUs are recommended, and any device that supports OpenCL 3.0 should work. Due to issues with drivers, some GPU may not be supported.

Pricing, licensing, and the parts people actually ask about

Paradigm Indie is $99 as a node locked license and can only be used with Houdini Indie. Paradigm Commercial is $199 as a node locked license and can be used with Houdini Core and FX.

Each node locked license includes one year of maintenance that renews annually, plus a perpetual license for all builds released during the maintenance period. A node locked license can be used on two devices at a time, with a maximum of two licenses per studio. Floating licenses exist for Paradigm Commercial via contacting sales.

The FAQ also states that Paradigm is free to use with Houdini Educational and Apprentice licenses, matching the vendor’s approach for Axiom. During the open beta for version 1.1, it is also free to use with no license or login required, with builds lasting 30 days from the date of publishing. The 1.1 open beta is scheduled to start in early May 2026. There is no release date, and the estimate given is 2 to 3 months, described as just an estimate.

If you are planning to integrate this fluid into a pipeline, test the licensing workflow, expiry behaviour, and Houdini version constraints in your actual studio environment. Then test again on the machine nobody loves, because that is the one that will end up simming the hero splash.

Where this sits in a broader Houdini sim stack

Liquid Thinking: Paradigm Brings GPU Speed to Houdini

Paradigm is a separate solver from Axiom, and the FAQ states there is no two-way coupling between the two. That does not stop you from using them in the same Houdini project, but it does mean you should not expect an automatic handshake between liquid motion and volumetric effects. You can still do the usual tricks using exported fields and caches, but the coupling is a pipeline job, not a one-click feature.

Axiom 4 for Houdini: Faster GPU Pyro With Better Collisions

This is also where expectations need to stay grounded. Paradigm outputs a surface SDF with filtering options, and Houdini converts that to a mesh. White water comes from Houdini’s own white water solver for now. Narrow band and re-seeding are not there yet. If your shots require those features, treat 1.0 as a serious tool that still leaves some work for you.

If you adopt it, run a focused test pass: emission behaviour, collisions with temperature effects, viscosity art direction, SDF meshing quality, and driver stability under OpenCL.

https://www.theoryaccelerated.com/paradigm

https://theoryaccelerated.notion.site/paradigm-1-0-whats-new

https://theoryaccelerated.notion.site/paradigm-1-faq

https://www.theoryaccelerated.com/axiom

The post Theory Accelerated shifts Paradigm 1.0 for Houdini first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Raffael Kloten has released Tire Rig Generator, a free Blender plug-in designed to automate one of those vehicle-rigging jobs that everyone needs and nobody sane wants to do manually: making tires deform under load. The tool automatically creates and skins a complex tire rig that can handle pressure and surface deformation for almost any tire.

The workflow is built around three inputs. Users provide the plug-in with the tire mesh, a low-poly deformer mesh and a ground mesh. Tire Rig Generator then generates a rigging solution adjusted to the tire. In practical terms, the tool targets vehicle setups where contact deformation, weight and pressure response help sell the object as something with mass, rather than a decorative rubber doughnut spinning through space in heroic denial of physics.

Single Empty control and radial rig design

The generated tire rig is controlled via a single Empty, which keeps the main animation control compact instead of scattering handles across the rig like someone lost a toolbox in Blender’s outliner. The setup also provides easy access to the control meshes, so artists can inspect or adjust the deformation system without digging through a rig structure designed by a sleep-deprived octopus.

The rig is radially designed, matching the circular structure of a tire rather than forcing a linear rigging setup onto a round object. It is also prepared for ground deformation and tire pivoting, which makes it relevant for shots where the wheel needs to compress against a surface, rotate believably around its contact area or react to vehicle weight.

Pressure, contact and deformation

The main feature is automatic rig creation and skinning for tire deformation. Kloten describes the tool as capable of handling pressure and surface deformation.

This matters because tires are a small detail until they are wrong, at which point the entire vehicle suddenly looks like it is hovering on four decorative bagels. For shots involving cars, trucks, tanks, sci-fi vehicles, off-road setups or stylized mechanical animation, believable contact deformation can add weight without forcing artists to build a custom rig for every wheel.

Availability

Tire Rig Generator is available as a free download via Gumroad. The available public information says the download includes documentation.

Tire Rig Generator on Gumroad

The post Free Tire Rig Generator for Blender Automates Tire Deformation first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

What Project Violet is

Project Violet is a tutorial series made in Houdini 21, of the “Intermediate” Level, by Sam Taylor. The series shows new character features and workflows in Houdini 21 while combining the production readiness of Epic’s MetaHuman system with Houdini rigging and simulation workflows to build an approachable full human workflow.

That matters because it narrows the promise. This is not a inspiration reel, but a character pipeline exercise, with the character coming from MetaHuman and the heavy lifting happening in Houdini. If your day job sits anywhere near character setup, deformation, or character-adjacent sims, Project Violet wants to show you how to reuse, get a decent iteration speed, and getting a believable human through a procedural toolset without constantly falling back to manual rig babysitting.

The pipeline pitch: MetaHuman base, Houdini control

The main idea: take MetaHuman as the starting point and use Houdini for rigging and simulation versatility. It calls MetaHuman “production-ready” (we could discuss that, yet, the character is still in intensive care), and it presents that as the baseline you inherit rather than something you rebuild. Everything after that becomes a question of how far you can push Houdini’s character toolset once you stop spending weeks on initial asset authoring.

Houdini 21: Like good wine (Part1, VFX & Geo)

A separate SideFX-side (hehehe) for Project Violet describes it as an evolution of an earlier character-centric project, and it wants to focus on greater realism and expanded capability of the character, to showcase Houdini rigging and animation capabilities updated for new features and efficiencies in Houdini 21, and demonstrate a character pipeline that emphasises proceduralism while using MetaHumans as a base for the workflow.

That language is still a pitch, but it dosn’t widen the scope. The project is about a workflow, not a single solver trick. It aims to demonstrate procedural character work in Houdini 21 with a MetaHuman starting point.

One practical caveat: none of these claims your exact studio constraints, problems and idiosyncrasies of the colleagues get solved. Your skeleton naming rules, mesh structure, and export requirements still exist. Project Violet shows a route, not a universal treaty.

Houdini character tooling under the hood: APEX Autorig Builder

If Project Violet is the show, the APEX Autorig Builder is one of the stagehands. The APEX Autorig Builder SOP is a tool to interactively apply and configure pre-built and custom rig components through the viewport, which aims to make character setup more intuitive and lets you quickly build a complete rig.

SideFX draws a line between the APEX Autorig Builder SOP and the APEX Autorig Component SOP. The Builder can add multiple rig components, supports interactive viewport rigging, and allows modifying a limited set of component parameters in the viewport. The Component SOP adds one rig component at a time, can be used to create custom components, and exposes the full set of parameters in the parameter editor.

Back to Project Violet, because it glues the workflow in Houdini’s modular rig component approach rather than a one-off rig graph built for a single hero asset. Even if you do not adopt the exact tutorial approach, those constraints and mechanics tell you what Houdini 21 expects when you try to scale character setup.

Unreal and MetaHuman side of the bridge

Project Violet ties into Unreal. Epic’s MetaHuman are tools to assemble a MetaHuman character or create MetaHuman-compatible grooms in SideFX Houdini.

That tells you two things. First, the pipeline is not only about ex/im-porting Alembic and hoping for the best. It involves a toolset that lives in the Unreal ecosystem but targets Houdini as the working environment for certain tasks. Second, the workflow depends on version compatibility and installation details that can change across engine builds, pipeline images, and studio IT lockdowns.

This is where the series may appeal to teams that want to get to motion and deformation problems quickly, or to studios that already standardised on MetaHuman for certain classes of characters and now want deeper procedural control on top.

Either way, run a controlled wokrflow test before you bet a show schedule on it.

https://www.sidefx.com/tutorials/project-violet/

https://www.sidefx.com/docs/houdini/character/kinefx/autorigbuilder.html

https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/metahuman/metahuman-for-houdini

The post Project Violet links Houdini and MetaHuman first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The pitch: graphs, not layers

ArcBrush builds images in a node graph. You wire inputs into operations and wire the result into exports. The app focuses on non-destructive editing, with parameters staying live so you can adjust a pipeline long after the first export. The core editor is free to download and use, and it does not require an account for non-AI work (Oh, blessed 2026, when this is a mention-worthy feature of a software….) . It runs as a native desktop app written in C++ and works on Windows and macOS. Linux coming soon.

If you live in node land already, the concept will feel familiar. The difference here is that the output target is mostly 2D deliverables: icons, sprites, UI variants, texture maps, and piles of formats that someone will ask you to regenerate five minutes before lock.

Node count, node types, and the day job stuff

The app has 75 composable node types and type-safe connections that prevent invalid wiring. It also brings five pin types, separating images, masks, palettes, and variants so the graph can validate what you connect.

A lot of the feature list reads like it came from someone who has rebuilt the same export stack too many times. There is auto save with crash recovery. There is a minimap, node search, undo and redo, node groups, per node notes, and sticky notes.

The preview tooling targets production rather than marketing . You can lock the preview to any node output, zoom deep with a pixel grid, inspect RGBA values, isolate channels, and view a live histogram overlay. For monitoring consistency, the app reads your monitor ICC profile and applies correction so the display matches exports via display color management using the monitor profile from the International Color Consortium. Test that on your own display chain, especially if you work across multiple calibrated panels, because colour surprises are lovely… .

On the output side, there are single-image exports and batch exports. Export Batch can produce named files per palette variant, or pack variants into a single sprite sheet PNG while also writing a TexturePacker compatible JSON manifest. Export nodes also support relative paths, and the app can create directories automatically when exporting.

Pixel art and texture helpers, without pretending to be a full DCC

The feature goes for game art and texture workflows, but it stays in 2D territory. There are pixel art oriented nodes like Pixelate, Outline, Dither, Quantize, Palette Remap, and sprite sheet export. Dither lists Floyd Steinberg, ordered, and blue noise options.

For texture work, the app includes Seamless Blend to make images tileable, Noise and Pattern nodes for procedural bases, Tile Preview to check repetition, and a Normal Map node that generates lighting maps from grayscale. This is not a replacement for a full material authoring suite, but it covers the everyday prep-and-iteration loop where you need quick variants, quick tiling fixes, and quick exports without babysitting layers.

If you spend time in texture painting or material prep, the most interesting claim is the pipeline idea: build the graph once, then regenerate every variant and export target when the source changes. That includes a Watch File toggle on input nodes that reloads when the source file changes on disk. The page even spells out a simple case: edit in Photoshop and see the result live in ArcBrush. That makes it less of a walled garden and more of a graph-driven post station for assets.

OpenCV processes images on CPU and GPU, and OpenGL renders previews. For SVG import, it rasterizes via ThorVG. None of that guarantees performance on your particular workstation, but it does clarify that the app aims for native processing rather than another browser wrapper.

Optional AI nodes: credits, cloud, and knobs you can count

AI features are optional. The app has AI cloud based nodes that only reach out when you use them, while the rest of the graph runs locally. There are nodes for text to image, image edit with text instructions, background removal, and 4x upscale powered by AuraSR. It also has differnet models, including FLUX variants and Nano Banana 2 for text to image and editing.

Pricing for AI is a one time credit packs with no subscription and credits that never expire. The packs listed are Starter at $10 for 350 credits, Plus at $20 for 800 credits, and Pro at $40 for 1800 credits. The site also states 10 free credits on signup. Credit costs vary per model and task, and at standard resolution up to 1024 by 1024.

That setup makes it easy to budget AI usage as a production expense, but it also adds a network dependency for those nodes. Treat it like any other external service: check availability, latency, and whether cloud processing fits your client and studio rules. Or if the bubble already burst, and you need to rewire things to the little Docker Server you have in your Cupboard that replaces all the Hype…. If you only want the node graph editor, you can ignore AI completely and still use the full non AI toolset.

Where it fits if you already have node tools

Node based workflows already dominate compositing and lookdev, so the real question is whether a dedicated 2D node graph editor reduces friction compared to existing tools. ArcBrush positions itself as a build once and export everything machine: variants, palettes, batch exports, sprite sheets, and texture prep steps chained together so you can re run them on demand.

First, when you need to ship a lot of consistent variants, like tiered item icons, UI colorways, or platform specific asset sets. Second, when you need to keep a process editable after the first deliverable, because late changes rarely arrive in a neat package.

Reality check before you bet a deliverable on it

ArcBrush looks designed for artists who want node graph control for 2D assets and textures without living inside a heavyweight suite. The free core editor and the explicit credit pricing for AI lower the barrier to testing (Which we’ll do after FMX) , and the node count and export features cover a lot of common production chores.

Still, new tools and innovations should be tested before use . Put it on a few real assets, run it through your team review loop, and see whether teh graph model actually reduces mistakes compared to your current wokrflow.

ArcBrush is available as a free download from the product site, with documentation hosted on the docs portal and community links including Discord.

https://arcbrush.com/

The post ArcBrush turns image editing into a node graph first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the topic: The Visual Effects Society published the VES On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide to align on set capture and handoffs between production-side VFX, production, facilities, and technology teams. Specific DCC application support is not specified in the sources.

Webinar first, PDF later

If you would rather hear a walkthrough than skim a document, a public webinar runs May 12, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm PDT, with registration via Zoom. The session explores the guide with some of its creators and keeps the conversation in the open, where on set data questions belong instead of buried in a frantic email chain. Join Here

The guide’s job: stop the “what did we shoot” spiral

The VES On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide is a practical on-set resource that maps key data sets and capture workflows. Its goal is a shared playbook for productions, vendors, and technology teams to use and capture on-set data more effectively.

It aims to establish a common language between on-set VFX, production, VFX facilities, and technology teams, with the intended outcome of clearer communication, smoother handoffs, and better-aligned expectations across departments. In teh real world, that translates to fewer “we thought you had it” moments when the truck already left.

What it actually contains

The guide explains major on-set data sets, their capture methods, their practical applications, and intended stakeholders. It also documents both current and emerging on set data capture workflows and the choices that can impact production pipelines, timelines, and budgets. Included is a sample structure for directories, Reference Docs, ToDo Lists, Scope Definitions and many more usefull bits.

It also frames modern filmmaking as a hybrid of real-time virtual production, AI, and traditional pipelines, and the VFX department these days as responsible not only for post, but also for on-set data capture, continuity, and asset integrity from pre-production through final delivery. It seems the VFX department has become the primary custodian for management and tracking of on-set data across a project’s lifecycle. You wouldn’t trust actors with that, would you?

The boring parts that save your schedule

But on-set data has value beyond VFX. It states that data can support better informed creative and operational decisions and argues for open access and visibility so that teams across a production can engage with and benefit from shared knowledge.

One example is the cross-department logic: LiDAR scans created by VFX can be repurposed for set construction, stunt planning, and other production needs. Obvious, you’d think, but… That is the wrokflow reality check that makes the guide feel like a crew document rather than a glossary, and now we just have to get everybody to read and, ideally, understand it.

Credits, licensing, and the fine print you can actually use

The guide was developed over the past year by the VES Technology Committee. Its lead author is Sheena Duggal, with contributions from Sam Richards, Jim Geduldick, and Jake Morrison, and technical support from Jean-Francois Panisset.

The guide is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which permits redistribution and adaptation in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes, provided appropriate credit is given. So, no excuses for “Oh, we don’t have that, so we couldn’t follow it!”

Get the PDF here: On-Set VFX Data Collection and Usage Guide

And browse the Interactive Version here: On-set Data Specs

https://vesglobal.org/event/webinar-introduction-to-ves-on-set-vfx-data-collection-and-usage-guide-online/

https://ves-on-set-data.org/

The post VES releases On-Set VFX Data Guide first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.