Project
Approach vector
Year
2026
Software
Maya
Houdini
Nuke
Synopsis
After watching Project Hail Mary, I felt inspired to create a piece set in the Tau Ceti system, capturing that sense of scale, isolation, and proximity to a powerful star.
This project was also an opportunity to explore Houdini’s VEX-based shader workflows inside Karma.
FINAL COMPOSITE
Final shaded and composited render of the procedural material setup applied to a basic sphere.
RAW RENDER
Unprocessed render showing the direct output of the VEX-based shading setup.
PROCEDURAL SHADING
VEX-based material system controlling surface patterns, noise, and shading variation on one of the spheres.
UNSHADED MODEL
Material-free render for assessing geometry and silhouette.
VEX-structure
VEX-based material system controlling surface patterns, noise, and shading variation on a single sphere.
COMPOSITING (NUKE)
Final image adjustments and grading applied in Nuke to complete the shot.