Does this support exporting for Source and SFM?

[funy]

Hi, I'm someone with almost no experience in modeling and I'd like to know if I can use this to create characters/objects for the Source engine. I'd also like to know if it's beginner-friendly and has extensive documentation.

[Ben (SideFX)]

Great question. You can definitely use Houdini to create character and object models similar to any other 3D content creation software. However, Houdini does not currently have a built-in import/export system for bringing assets into Source Engine and/or Source Filmmaker, so you would need to convert exported files, like FBX, to the formats Source Engine accepts, like SMD or DMX. I'm not sure if there is a standalone file converter for converting standard 3D formats to Source Engine formats or not, but Blender has an exporter for Source Engine so one workflow could be to create assets in Houdini and then bring them into Blender in order to export Source Engine formats. Unfortunately, Source Engine is more difficult to work with than other game engines like Unity or Unreal due to it's custom format requirements.

There is extensive documentation for Houdini and we're actively working to make it as beginner friendly as possible. It's actually a bit easier to start with Houdini and learn the procedural workflow first than come to Houdini from a different, non-procedural 3D software package. Don't hesitate to message me with any specific questions, or to request a trial license. I'm here to help!