Procedural Techniques for Game Environments

What does this course offer?
💥 Demystify Houdini and start seeing it as an easy solution for asset creation instead of
complex graphs and code.
💥 Stop making assets for the sake of your portfolio – make tools and learn general techniques
that can be applied to different situations, and improve as an artist.
💥 Gain a deep understanding of how a production pipeline in a real studio works.

Over 13 hours of narrated videos and all the course files, hdas and substance files included, along with the set up Unreal Engine 5 project.

The main goal of this tech art course is to teach you how to develop a procedural workflow that
enables faster iteration, flexible level building, and creative freedom.
You'll gain practical, industry-relevant skills in:
● Houdini workflows for tool creation and environment building;
● VEX scripting basics;
● Texture generation techniques in Substance 3D Designer;
● Shader creation and material setup in Unreal Engine.

Meet your mentor
Rosen is a Principal Texture Artist with 8 years of experience across VFX, tech art, and
environment texturing. Starting in film VFX, he transitioned into games with roles at Snapshot
Games (Phoenix Point), Creative Assembly (Total War: Troy), and then Camouflaj/Meta
(Batman: Arkham Shadow, Iron Man VR). Known for procedural workflows and expertise in
Substance 3D, Houdini, and Unreal Engine, he's led texture production, created custom tools,
and delivered award-winning visuals.
Rosen's achievements:
● Creating most of the VFX for Total War: Troy and Mythos
● Leading the environment texture pipeline on Batman: Arkham Shadow, which later won
VR Game of the Year and received widespread acclaim across Reddit, Twitter, and
Discord for its visual quality.

What’s included in the course?
🔥 13+ hours of narrated content;
🔥 All project files;
🔥 Expert tips & tricks;
🔥 Access to a closed Discord channel to connect with other students;
Full course outline
Is this course the right fit for you?
The course is not aimed at beginners, although you can follow the videos with the provided completed files
To follow along the course easily, please use the following software:
● Houdini Indie (20.5.522 recommended)
○ Houdini Apprentice (it's a free alternative version that can be used for Houdini
steps, but Unreal Engine steps won’t be available as Houdini Engine plug-ins do
not work with the Houdini Apprentice)
● Houdini Engine for Unreal (20.5.584 or 20.5.613) - To access the Houdini Engine for
Unreal, download the latest Houdini installer, which includes the Unreal plug-in for free.
● SideFX Labs plugin (available for free via the Houdini Launcher)
● Substance 3D Designer (14.1.2)
● Substance 3D Painter (11.0.2)
● Unreal Engine (5.5.4)
● Any additional 3D modeling software
Although Houdini is used as the primary tool for procedural mesh creation, you are welcome to
use any 3D modeling software for creating additional assets.

Full Course Outline
0. Course Introduction.
Overview of the project, software requirements, and initial Houdini Engine setup.
1. Spike Tool.
Build a customizable spike generator in Houdini.
2. Palisade Tool.
Create a procedural palisade tool in Houdini and implement it in Unreal Engine.
3. Wood Textures.
Design a wood material generator using Substance 3D Designer.
4. Unreal Setup.
Begin material setup and create a sand Z-blend function.
5. Weapon Rack Tool.
Construct a weapon rack tool procedurally in Houdini.
6. Ladder Tool.
Develop a procedural ladder in Houdini and set it up in Unreal Engine.
7. Shaders & Blockout.
Advance shader development and begin initial level blockout
8. Char & Stone Materials.
Generate charred wood and stone textures in Substance 3D Designer; complete a
burning shader.
9. Banner & Flames.
Create a banner generator in Houdini and a flame mesh for animated panning textures.
10. The Stacker Tool.
Build a stacking system in Houdini and bring it into Unreal Engine.
11. Level Art & Final Touches.
Finalize the weapon rack, complete the night scene blockout, and build a new day
scene from scratch.