Houdini VEX and VOPS: A Comparison

Welcome to the VEX and VOPS comparison. In this video, we show you how VEX and VOPS are different and how they are the same. It gives some insight into how to do the same effect in two different ways in Houdini.

If you have found that coding isn't really your style, VOPS allow you to still access the power of coding, without having to learn how to code with VEX.

VOPS are incredibly intuitive if you are comfortable with nodes already. You can basically 'pseudo-code' an idea and it will translate directly into VOPS. In this case, VOPS are the easiest way to go from English to VEX. It means that you do not need to know code but can still code which makes it exceptionally powerful.

However, the benefit of VEX is that if you understand it, you can simplify your node setups into single blocks of code. This results in cleaner networks which are easier to read at a glance. I would suggest learning both VEX and VOPS but really, VOPS do not necessarily require focused effort and directed learning. You become comfortable with VOPS as a result of being comfortable with nodes. VEX however, requires conscious effort to understand.

This video is not intended to teach you VEX or VOPS but rather, if you have a basic understanding of both, it exists to show you how they are related.

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For more information and a breakdown of the code:

Thanks for watching!

[matttricomi]

These videos are fantastic and the amount of effort that goes into making them is not unrecognized. Thanks for providing informative content during quarantine!

[ElRapa]

It's fantastic to apply my 5 years of code learning done at school in something I really like like Houdini. Thank you very much.

[gastonsuarez-pastor]

This video was super helpful to me. I am learning Houdini for game dev and I use Unreal, I don't have a programming background but I am quite proficient with blueprints. When I started with houdini I was a bit overwhelmed with VEX and of course for a noob, chops, vop, rop, sop, vex and so on isn't very clear nor helpful :), but then I realized thanks to you VOPs are pretty much like blueprints and I got the hang of it real quick, I feel way more comfortable with nodes than with code of course. Eventualy I will learn VEX but for now I am doing stuff I though I wouldn't be able to do until I learn VEX and all thanks to you dude. Keep it up, your tuts are amazingly clear and helpful

[justinleejamison]

I've been using Houdini daily for over two years now, and have spent A LOT of time watching tutorials and courses, and I have to say that you are so so so good when it comes to explaining VEX and VOPS. As someone with virtually no coding experience when I started Houdini, it's been really difficult to grasp why I'm coding what I'm coding when following an instructor. You do a great job of shining light on that why side of it. Thank you very much!

[Wardztv]

When you finished the VEX part I was looking forward to how simpler VOPS would be. Boy, was I wrong xD

[leighaston]

houdini isn't scary any more .... now its just mind boggling .... think my brain melted after this tutorial lol
But this explains the difference between vex and vops well, and now i understand thank you??!!!

[otagmusic]

We search internet for content like this <3 Thank you so much man, hope you do a full course for Houdini beginner. I love your teaching style, straight and detailed for a beginner like me to understand. VEX ROCKS

[stevekrist]

Honestly some of the best stuff on the internet. And I haven't even watched yet.

[sagarthapa]

Interesting. I plan on becoming as highly skilled in Houdini as I can, so, for a beginner, this distinction is very clear. Thank you

[jeanctoledo]

This video made me happy knowing that my programmer background will be useful with Houdini.

[adproproductions]

Awesome content! But wow, do I agree with you! I hit L in my VOPS layout thinking this spaghetti mess will look better. Nope. haha. I'll keep working on my VEX coding. Thank you again so much for the high quality instruction and content. The extra graphics and simple explanations allows me to wrap my head around this (slowly of course :)

[RaDa]

We need "VOP Isn't Scary " Thank for make this Comparison

[LevelPixelLevel]

Amazing walkthrough, thank you so much for making this!

[jonosvlog]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the community. Can't thank enough!

[sedetweiler]

Great videos! I would love to know how you creating all of your helpful graphics for the videos. Keep up the great work!

[deastman]

How about another video comparing when to use VEX vs. Python?

[charlescheng]

That was really cool, learn a lot thanks!

[chrisreay]

VOPs have a lot of useful nodes that can come in handy as well. 99% of my workflow is vex as its easier to just type out what I want, but Vops are usually necessary when a desire cannot be met with vex usually for me that is just adding noise as VOPs have some great tools built in.

[__SKYNET__]

VEX is amazing, it is so much simpler to do attribute manipulation with it than nodes honestly

[IsaacOster]

This was great, thank you for the detailed tutorial!