TurbulendFD, Fume FX, Karakatoa(last 2 for 3Ds and Maya i think) besides simulation also are render engines. Well then it puts the render problem at forefront.

Arrays, Indexes, Matrix, Vectors all that and much more was needed. I don’t have that so i had to learn much more to get ICE better. You get more power but also more chances to get frustrated if you can’t be 100% dedicated or lack time.Įdit: A knowledge of Math/Software code will make you get an edge by being familiar with concepts. I was in Softimage and when ICE appeared it changed everything despite being less complicated than Houdini. Houdini is not easy and while it seems it will get some important changes in upcoming R16 it will still be a non traditional software and it will always imply that you change your way of thinking big way. Instead of the big heavy time investment - which you said you don’t have - of another more complicated software. If you are after fluids for C4D i would start looking to Realflow - you can use a fluid to push a car to crash into a wall and destroy it all in Realflow(it has also RBD and SBD. I don’t know TFD but you have also Realflow for C4D or Realflow standalone. If you are happy with the fast turnaround of Cinema then Houdini is not for you.

Redshift looks like the way to go, but I’m heavily invested in CPU… Vray was promised by this year’s end, but is still a very long way off (still at the GitHub pre-alpha stage). Arnold has great features, but is a bit too slow for my client’s needs. I never really got my head around Mantra, and struggle to get materials looking the way I’d like. I’ve been chugging along for with it off/on for the last few years, learning bit by bit - I just haven’t found the right render engine for it that fits my workflow, and allows me to start using it for production work. And there’s no rule that says you can’t use it with C4D at the same time. At $199/year for the Indie version, it’s really hard to beat. I say start with Houdini, as it’s developed as a whole by a large team - with all of its parts working together seamlessly.

I tried TFD as well as Navie Effects, and both felt limited simply by the fact that they’re each developed by a single person, and are add-ons to a central program that wasn’t created for effects.

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